A/N: I'm back for my monthly update lmao I really need to organize my free time better… aaand this fic is turning One Year Old! Hurray! Big, BIG thank you to everyone who has followed the story until now. I hope you will continue to enjoy it. So in celebritroy fashion, I made this chapter a liiiitle bit longer than normal. And by a little, I mean almost double. Sorry!
Due to how incredibly long this chapter is, I'll be adding the Review Responses onto the next chapter. And yes, I promise, it won't be another month until the next chapter. I made this one a little longer, so I hope you like it!
Opening Song:
"Mukoko" by My First Story
Ojiro breathed in and out, bringing his hands together in a kata meant to purge his mind of negative energy. The breeze picked up around them as Ojiro gathered his Crane Ki, primed for battle. His thin, black eyes opened and sparkled with inspiration.
"The Crane is my guide.
On swift wings of Peace and Light,
Justice shall take flight-"
"Alright, alright!" Videl yelled excitedly, interrupting Ojiro's meditation rudely. "Who's kicking whose ass here? I've got dibs on the big one."
"We need to buy some time so we can strategize!" Gohan said, extending his arm out to stop Videl from running into the fight.
"Buy time? How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Videl shouted, pointing at the charging villains. "They aren't exactly strolling over here."
"Dammit," Shoto cursed, slamming a fist into the palm of his hand. "Unfortunately, I don't get my allowance until Friday."
"Hey, Todo-dorky!" Videl shouted, pigtails flailing with frustration. "He means we need to stall the bad guys for a few minutes to make a plan!"
"Oh… I see," Todoroki said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, you could've just said that."
The temperature around them suddenly plummeted. It was like walking into a freezer! Shoto didn't need drawn out charge times, nor did he need dramatic poses.
No, as cool as ice, Shoto took one single step forward and a tidal wave of ice shot out from the tip of his boot. The students gasped, their breaths coming out in puffs as they witnessed the heaven-piercing ice wall shoot out towards the villains, who could do little but watch was the wall slammed into them, burying them instantly. The wall of ice itself slammed into another building and crystallized over it like a giant snowball.
Mouths wide open in awe, the five students slowly turned to stare at Todoroki.
Todoroki exhaled, his breath coming out in a warm puff. He stepped back and slid his hands back into his pockets.
"There," he said. "I bought you a few minutes."
"Are you kidding me? I knew you were strong but not this strong!" Videl exclaimed, eyes wide open, admiring the wall of ice that was emitting dry vapor into the warm spring afternoon.
"Good job, Todoroki!" Gohan said, bringing his classmates together to form the plan.
"Okay, we should focus on getting those civilians out of those buildings, first," he said, pointing at the collapsed buildings behind them. "Videl, Shoto and I will draw the villains away."
"Hmph," Todoroki fixed his gaze on the frozen villains.
"Hell yeah!" Videl crouched into a fighting stance, her fists crackling with red electricity.
"Ojiro, I think now would be a good time to split up. We could use some of your clones to help with the rescue."
"My multiform," Ojiro nodded. "It takes a couple of minutes to perform, but I can do it!"
He crossed his arms over his chest, with back of his hands lining up against his jaw, eyes closed in concentration.
"Good. Ochaco?" Gohan said, turning to girl beside him. "I want you to go with Izuku and help the Rescue Heroes evacuate the buildings. Ojiro will send in his clones to help as soon as he can."
Ochaco's eyes narrowed into a determined frown and she nodded her head firmly, bringing her fists up to her sides. Her shoulders were trembling visibly, but she refused to let her apprehension show in her face.
"I won't let you down, Gohan!" She promised.
Gohan smiled and quickly brushed a finger under her chin. Ochaco's eyes glazed over for a moment and Gohan chuckled.
"I know you won't," he said. "Now, get going. And be safe out there!"
"Right!" she said, blinking. She turned to Izuku to hide her blush from Gohan. "C'mon Midoriya! I can see an open window we can sneak through."
"Good idea!" Izuku said, and the two turned to run towards the first toppled building behind them.
Up ahead, the ice wall had begun to crack as the villains pushed their way out.
"Dammit," Todoroki cursed again as Gohan walked up to stand beside him. "Just a few minutes more and their cells would've started to die off from hypothermia."
"No," Gohan said, sternly. "Absolutely no killing. We're taking these guys to jail alive."
"But first we kick their ass, right?" Videl shouted with vicious glee as Spopovich's arm burst through the ice.
"Yeah," Gohan smiled, his eyebrows narrowing. "First we kick their ass."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – THE Z-FIGHTERS
Melissa's footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway as she ran as fast as she could back to the battle raging outside. Beside her, another pair of footsteps joined in step with her. Melissa glanced over and to her chagrin, it was that hyperactive, pink haired usurper from the Support Class.
"Hi there, Miss Briefs!" Mei waved, matching her speed.
"Shield," Melissa corrected her sharply. "My name is Shield."
"Whoopsies, my bad!"
"What do you want, Mei?" Melissa asked, her tone a lot less friendlier than it normally was.
"A little birdie told me you're headed back to the battle outside!" Mei chirped happily.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Melissa grunted, never slowing down. "Planning on telling my dear old mommy about it?" How is she still keeping up with me?!
Mei threw her head back and laughed heartily.
"No way!" she said. "I wanna help!"
"Thanks, but no thanks," Melissa said, peeling away.
"Hey, if you wanna face those criminals without my babies, be my guest. But if you're planning on attacking flying villains that can shoot lasers out of their hands with nothing but a stick and good intentions, then I'm afraid you won't last long enough for you get another chance to talk to Ms. Briefs."
Melissa slowed down and glanced over to her, trying to catch her breath.
As much as it burned to admit it, Mei was right. If she was going to be of any real help, she needed equipment.
"Tch. Fine," Melissa relented, much to Mei's delight. "What do you have for me?"
"Oh, you're gonna love my babies!" Mei exclaimed, laying the suitcase on the floor and opening it. "Here, take a look."
Melissa looked inside and her eyes widened with awe.
"Love it, right? I know you do," Mei sang. "So, which one do you want?"
Melissa looked back up with a smirk.
"I'll take them all!"
(…)
Ochaco flew out of the window of the last building carrying a mother and her young son in her arms. Izuku punched out a hole in the wall and emerged from the smoke carrying a small dog, which he handed to one of the rescue heroes, who took him away.
"Is that everyone you could find?" Izuku asked after Ochaco had given the mother over to the Rescue Heroes.
"Thank you," the woman said, eyes overflowing with grateful tears.
"It's okay, ma'am," Ochaco closed her eyes and smiled sweetly. "It's what we do."
"The Z-Fighters," Izuku chuckled. "I dunno where Gohan came up with that name, but I kinda like it."
"Yeah, me too," Ochaco said, smiling at something in her mind.
"Gohan's a great guy," Izuku commented. In the distance, one of the villains threw an abandoned car at a news chopper and Gohan immediately peeled off from his fight to deflect it.
"Yeah, he sure is," Ochaco sighed.
"He always puts others ahead of himself. No wonder the people of Namek love him."
"Yeah…"
Izuku bit his lip.
"No wonder… you like him so much."
"Yeah… wait, what?!"
"HELP!" A tiny voice called out, catching their attention.
"Did you hear that?" Izuku asked, alarmed.
"Yeah, it sounds like it came from behind that huge truck!"
"C'mon," Izuku said, running off. "Let's go see!
Izuku and Ochaco leaped over the fallen, charred truck to find a little boy sitting in the mud, hugging his skinny legs.
"Help me!" the little boy cried as soon as he saw them.
"Don't worry, we're heroes!" Izuku said as calm and sweetly as he could, remembering to keep a big smile on his face. "We're here to help. Are you lost?"
"Monster!" the little boy cried, pointing at something a few feet away. "There's a monster over there."
"I'll go check it out," Izuku said, picking up the boy and handing him to Ochaco. "Can you please take him to the evac center?"
"Sure thing, Midoriya. Leave him to me!" Ochaco said. She took the child in her hands and activated her quirk, levitating into the air and flying away in the direction of the evacuation center.
Izuku made his way carefully to where the boy had pointed.
"Aaaargh," a tired, creepy voice groaned, making Izuku's hair stand on point.
"Umm, is somebody there?" he asked nervously.
"Ahhh, my head!" Bakugo groaned, picking himself up from the mud and ash.
"Kacchan?!" Izuku gasped, frightened but relieved to see that Bakugo was still alive.
"Ahh, waddaya want, Deku?" Bakugo howled, almost drunkly. "Get outta the way so I can kill these guys!"
"Kacchan, you're not well," Izuku said, following Bakugo. "Let me take you to go see a medic. You might have hit your head or something."
Bakugo's eyes and nose flared with rage.
"Stop following me, Deku! I don't need your stupid help, dammit! What I need is another shot at this flying bastard!"
"Wait, Kacchan! No! If you draw their attention before we can get everyone evacuated, we'll be putting everybody at risk!"
"Shut up! Don't you think I know that? Of course I do. Besides, their bodies can absorb kinectic blows. No matter what you throw at them, they keep getting back up. So we're gonna bury them!"
"Bury them?!"
"In there!" Bakugo pointed at a building that was used to store construction items. "You're gonna be my bait, and I'll be the hook!"
"Alright, let's do it, but only after we're finished evacuating everyone."
"I can help you with that, Deku!" Melissa said, voice booming. Izuku looked up to see her flying towards him on a jetpack wearing a form fitting blue armor with a utility belt. She landed next to the two boys and Izuku saw that the armor was much, much more form fitting than he first realized.
He sneezed once, a drop of blood escaping his nose with a blush.
"Melissa! You look amazing! Where did you get that cool gear?"
"I'll tell you later," Melissa said, reaching for her utility belt and producing two ear pieces. "Here, put these on. I already gave some to the rest of the team."
"Oh, great," Bakugo grumbled. "Now I can listen to Deku and Ricebowl whisper into my ear at the same time."
"Thanks, Melissa," Izuku said, placing the earpiece firmly in his ear.
"Okay, can everybody hear me?"
"Yeah," Gohan responded, his voice sounding tense. "Loud and – ugh, clear!"
"Good," Izuku said. "Melissa, Ochaco and Ojiro are going into the last building to try and find people to rescue. Kacchan and I have a plan of taking down at least one of the villains."
"Copy that," Ochaco responded. "Ojiro's clones are with me on the fifth floor, Melissa. We could definitely use your Power Pole to keep the ceiling from collapsing in on us."
"Then I'm your girl!" Melissa said, cheerfully. "I'll see you in a sec, and I'm bringing goodies!"
She reached for a pouch in her belt and handed each of the boys a cylindrical device.
"What the hell is this?" Bakugo asked, the corners of his mouth wrinkling.
"They're restraining devices, capable of cuffing B-rate villains. Be careful not to open them until you've got the villain subdued, because once you do, it's gonna get really, really heavy! One pair should be enough."
"Great," Izuku said. "I'm sure these will come in handy!"
Melissa smiled at Izuku.
"Good luck, Deku. I'll be seeing you soon." Melissa leaped into the air and activated her jetpack. It slowly levitated her body until she turned and rocketed away.
Midoriya was still staring at her when Bakugo scoffed.
"Ugh! Do the world a favor, Deku," he growled. "Don't even think about procreating. One of you is more than enough, ya damn nerd."
(…)
The trap had been set. Dozens of bags of instant drying cement had been placed strategically so that as soon as Yamu would fly in through the window, he would get snagged by the traps. An improvised chute would send the villain tumbling down to the main floor and then Bakugo would bring the building down on top of him. Hopefully, his absorption Quirk would be able to keep him alive long enough for the Police Force to show up and arrest him!
"Okay, Bakugo. The trap is set. Go!"
"Don't tell me what to do, dammit!" Bakugo shouted. He lifted his hand up and closed his fingers like a funnel, aiming it at Yamu, who was shooting ki blasts that Gohan was smoothly punching away.
"Stay still ya stupid villain," Bakugo grumbled. "Now… DIE!" Bakugo fired off an explosion that traveled through his fingers in the shape of a lance. It shot through the air towards the roof of the next building, grazing Yamu's cheek. The villain howled in pain and fell to the rooftop, holding his smoking face.
"That's it," Izuku said to himself. "Come and get it!"
Yamu rose to his feet. Gohan leaped at him, but his leg was grabbed by Spopovich, who swung him around and demolished a wall with his body. Yamu's head craned towards the direction of Bakugo's blast.
"Yeah, that's right, I did that!" Bakugo taunted Yamu. "What are you gonna do about it?!"
Yamu growled and lifted up into the air, flying towards them.
"This is it," Bakugo said. "You better have that trip wire ready!"
"I'm ready!" Midoriya called back.
As Yamu zeroed in on them, Izuku started running towards the booby trap.
"Alright, you stupid villain, come and get me!"
Just before he entered through the window, Yamu veered to the left and flew upwards.
Izuku slid to a stop and turned to see that Yamu was no longer chasing him. Instead, the bony villain had taken to the skies, flying higher and higher. He was headed straight towards – Izuku's heart sank. Immediately, he took off running towards the roof, thumbing his earpiece.
"Rescue Team! Watch out! One of the villains is headed straight for you!" Izuku yelled into his earpiece.
"I see him! He's mine!" Ochaco yelled, flying up and around the twisted metal beams, right arm reared back. From the opposite side, Melissa was flying towards the villain, swinging her Power Pole from over her shoulder, aiming at the villain's bald head.
"Ochaco, wait!" Izuku yelled as he charged through the roof access door, but it was too late. Yamu's leg snapped up to sweep Ochaco's body in mid-air. Ochaco's weightless body was tossed around like a rag doll. Yamu then grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and tossed her directly in Melissa's flight path.
"Whoa!"
"Watch out!"
The two girls collided, the impact causing Melissa's jetpack to become dislodged from its mount on her back and the rocket pack spun through the air wildly before smashing into wall and exploding. As the two girls spiraled back down to the ground in free fall, Yamu continued his trajectory upwards.
"Melissa!" Izuku shouted. The explosion caused by the jetpack caught Ochaco's back and she screamed as the blast sent her spinning in the opposite direction away from Melissa.
As he watched it all happen, Izuku was already running across the roof at full speed. He didn't have time to formulate a plan. At the speed that the girls were falling, and from such a height, the fall would surely kill them.
Come on! Move! Izuku pushed himself, ignoring the burning pain of his tired muscles. Faster! I've got to save her! Even if it breaks me!
Izuku summoned all the strength within his Quirk to his legs. The power of One for All swirled from his knees down to the tips of his toes, threatening to burst right out of his very limbs. But Izuku ignored the discomforting sensation. His eyes were glued onto the falling girl and nothing else mattered for that one moment. He just needed to propel himself and catch her. He could worry about his legs later.
Izuku crouched down and leaped towards Melissa with all of his might. Suddenly he was soaring through the air. He lost all feeling in his legs, which he was sure were flapping behind him uselessly, broken. But that didn't matter to him. The only thing he could think about at that moment was saving her.
Through his earpiece, he could hear Melissa screaming as she fell through the air and nobody else could save her. Through his periphery vision, Midoriya could see where the rest of his classmates were in the battlefield.
Ojiro leaped down to save Melissa from the top of the tower, but Spopovich grabbed him by the tail and swung him around, hammering Gohan's body with him. The giant picked up the two boys by the front of their school shirts and leaped off the building with tremendous force, swinging them up and around, slamming the boys onto the ground, cratering it. Videl dove in from above with a mighty kick, peeling the villain away from the two boys and immediately going toe to toe with the hulking monster.
Todoroki rose up towards Yamu, riding atop a spiral sheet of ice, unleashing his Ice on the villain while Bakugo fired off explosions around him. Neither of the attacks did much to faze the villain, who continued his ascension.
There was nobody else.
The air felt like a thousand needles pricking at Izuku's face and eyes, but he refused to close them. Almost… there!
"Melissa!" Izuku yelled as he passed over her. "Take my hand!"
Melissa opened her eyes to see Izuku flying over here, extending his hand out. As soon as she took it, he pulled her in close, hugging her tightly as the two tumbled over the ledge of the building.
They were at least twelve stories up from the bottom of the ground and unlike Gohan or Ojiro, neither of them had Quirks that allowed them to survive a fall from this height.
Melissa stared at the ground as it came rushing up at them like a giant hammer.
She turned to face him.
"Deku," she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. Her fingernails tightened around his shirt.
"Don't you worry about a thing," Izuku said, forcing himself to smile at her, even as they plunged to certain death. "I got you. Everything's gonna be alright. You hear me?"
Izuku placed his hand protectively over Melissa's head. He twisted his body so that he was beneath her. It would do little to save her, but if he could just use his body to cushion her fall, then maybe…
Melissa stared at him, not saying a word. She blinked and the tears spilled over her eyes. She buried her face against his neck.
"Deku!" she cried, her voice breaking.
"Melissa, I…" and then they landed, the force of impact lifting up a cloud of dust and debris.
"Midoriya!" Ojiro yelled.
Todoroki and Bakugo stopped their attack on Yamu to glance back down.
"That cloud," Todoroki said. "That was Midoriya, wasn't it? He's…"
Bakugo stared at the rising cloud.
"That's what he gets for pretending to be a Hero," he spat. "He'll be fine. That damn nerd has an annoying habit of getting back up, no matter what."
"No, I think he's actually hurt!" Todoroki peeled away from his pursuit and rode his ice back down to the ground. Bakugo landed on one of the beams of the destroyed building and stared down at the cloud.
No way… he's too stubborn to go down that easily… he's gonna get back up and give us that stupid smile of his!
But as the cloud of smoke began to dissipate, he could barely make out the body of Izuku, lying motionless on the ground. The Quirkless blonde was laying on top of him, motionless as well.
Bakugo's eyes widened. Had it really happened? Was Deku actually… gone?
For the first time since he was a child, his hardened expression towards Midoriya softened.
"Tch." His hair fell over his eyes. "That… damn… nerd…"
(…)
Gohan watched it all happen through the gaps in between the large, meaty fingers of Spopovich's hand. He saw the explosion that sent the two girls flying in separate directions. He also saw Midoriya diving to save Melissa. As Ochaco fell, Gohan tried his best to get away from the giant villain's grip, but it only tightened.
Suddenly, Videl landed on Spopovich's back, curling her arm around the villain's neck in a choke-hold. Spopovich coughed and roared, but Videl clung to his neck, forcing him to take his hands off Ojiro and Gohan to try to pry her off his back.
"Videl!" Gohan coughed.
"What the hell are you waiting for, Ricebowl?" she growled, wrestling Spopovich away. "Go save your pretty little angel in distress – Go!"
Gohan's eyes snapped back up to Ochaco's falling body.
"Right!" he said. He summoned a massive wave of power and pushed himself off the ground. Spopovich jumped with Videl still clinging onto his neck, swiping at Gohan. But Ojrio jumped at him, bringing his hands to his face.
"Solar Flare!" He yelled. Spopovich didn't have time to shield his eyes and was instantly blinded. Six of Ojiro's clones piled onto the villain's feet, dragging him back down to the earth, allowing Gohan to blast away into flight.
Videl glanced back at Ojiro, who was panting, his hands together in a his clone kata stance. Ojiro chuckled, wiping away the sweat on his forehead.
"Heh, sorry about the wait," he panted, lowering himself into a crane stance. "It takes me a little while to duplicate my duplicates. Alright, Videl! What do you say we double the trouble, huh?"
"The pleasure's all mine!" Videl grunted as she lunged at Spopovich and punched him squarely in the jaw. One of Ojiro's clones drop kicked Spopovich, sending him back towards Videl, who flipped backwards, swinging her right foot into a kick that sent the villain stumbling back to Ojiro.
Fighting to regain his vision, the villain roared and swung wildly at Ojiro, who sidestep the first wild swing and leaped back, floating down gracefully, arms folded behind his back. He landed and spread his arms out wide like a Crane's wings, fingers outstretched, thumb tucked under the palm of his hand, one bent knee raised, poised for the next attack.
Spopovich jumped at him, but Ojiro was ready.
"Keichu! Denko! Ganka! Kyosen!" Ojiro's hands sliced through the wind with blinding speed, each strike burying itself deeply into a pressure point. Ojiro's hands blurred as his speed increased. Finally, he swung his palm out, sending Spopovich sliding back.
In an instant, all of the pressure points that Ojiro had just assaulted exploded. Spopovich cried out in pain as his body contorted in an effort to absorb the devastating blows.
Meanwhile, Gohan shot across the sky, leaving behind a trail of brilliant white light. Just before Ochaco's body could crash against on the ground, Gohan flew in and swept her into his arms.
"Gohan?" Ochaco blinked.
"I got you," Gohan said, holding her close. Their descent slowed and they landed on a rooftop.
"My Hero…" Ochaco said, climbing off of Gohan's arms and smiling up at him.
"Wait," she gasped, her head snapping to the side. "What happened to Melissa and Midoriya?"
(…)
When Izuku opened his eyes, the very first thing he noticed was that everything felt soft. The ground that brushed his cheek was fluffier than grass. It almost felt cushioned, like laying on top of a giant warm pillow. At first, he didn't recognize where he was. Clearly, he was lying on his back, facing the skies. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the bright sun above. Where… was he?
Slowly, he began to remember what had happened. They had been fighting villains that had attacked a market near their school. The fight had lead them to the top of a mall, where Melissa had been knocked out from. He had jumped over the ledge to save her and then they fell and fell… and…
Melissa!
Izuku sat up with a start. A cloud of smoke had formed around them, presumably from their impact. Melissa's head rested on his stomach, her face bruised. A thin red line snaked from her scalp down her cheek and her eyebrows were furrowed in pain.
"Melissa!" Izuku cried, giving her a gentle shake on her shoulders. Melissa's eyes stirred and she slowly opened them.
"D-Deku? What… happened?" She mumbled, sitting up. "Where are we?"
Izuku helped her get to her knees and the two crawled over the soft surface they were on. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Izuku could finally see why the ground was so soft.
That's because they weren't on the ground. The ground was still at least two dozen feet away.
They were riding on a cloud.
"Ah? Ahhhh!" He screamed. "We're on a cloud!"
"Is this… the Otherworld?" Melissa screamed, hugging onto Izuku. "Did we die?!"
"No, I think…" Midoriya stared over the edge of the cloud at the wreckage below. "I think this cloud just saved us."
"We're alive!" Melissa shouted happily, hugging Izuku tightly. "Oh, you're my Hero, Deku!"
"Thanks, but this isn't my cloud…"
A thin sheet of ice formed around them and Todoroki rode it, drawing closer to the two teens. He stared incredulously at the cloud that was holding them up, eyes mystified.
"Midoriya?" Todoroki asked. "Miss Shield? Are you two alright? How did you two-?"
"Hehehehe!" They heard Gohan's signature chuckle over their earpieces, his voice raggedy and tired. "Good boy, Flying Nimbus. You got there just in time! Now, please take my friends back to the ground safely, okay?"
Shoto's eyes widened.
"Are you two riding on a cloud?" he asked, wide-eyed. "And is Gohan talking to it?"
"Yeah, I've learned that when it comes to Gohan, you just need to go with the flow," Melissa said, her blonde hair now a bushy mess. Slowly, the Flying Nimbus lowered the two teens to the ground and as Izuku helped Melissa to the ground, she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Deku, I'm so glad you're okay," she breathed, holding him tightly.
"Thanks, but isn't that my line?" Izuku said, his voice raised from Melissa's strangulating hold around his neck.
"Miss Shield, you're bleeding profusely from your upper left temple," Shoto noted, his voice calm and collected, breaking their moment. He reached into his pocket and produced a small bottle. "This is a natural ale ointment. It's going to sting, but it will help stop the bleeding. Hold still, please."
"Thanks, 'Roki," Melissa said as Shoto applied the ointment on her forehead and cooled it down with his Quirk.
High above them, Yamu had continued to rise up. The force of his flight parted the clouds until he stopped. Slowly, Yamu raised his hands over his head.
Dammit. Izuku cursed. Now what?
"Now?" Yamu cackled, as if he had read Midoriya's thoughts. "Now you all die!"
Sparks of electricity began to spark above the palms he held over his head. All around the market square, wind began to pick up and black clouds began to roll in, blocking out the sunlight.
"Ohhh, I've got a bad feeling about this!" Ochaco said over the earpiece, her voice shaking.
A vibrant orb of dark red energy formed over his head and began to grow.
On the rooftop nearby, Ochaco closed her fists nervously as she stared up at the growing black and red ki orb.
"Gohan…?" she whimpered. Gohan tapped on his scouter and his eyes widened. The orb of pure energy was not only growing, it was compressing massive amounts of energy by the second.
"Heads up!" Gohan yelled into his scouter, catching the team's attention. "That's a ki bomb with enough punch to level out this entire sector. Not even the school will be spared!"
A bead of sweat dropped from Midoriya's scalp as he heard the chilling news. This maniac was about to blow the entire block away with one blast! Izuku looked around the debris-strewn market, racking his brain for an idea.
"Ojiro," Gohan said, his voice lowered, sounding resigned. "Were your copies able to evacuate the last of the civilians?"
"Yeah," Ojiro said breathlessly. "We got them as far as we could."
"Good."
Izuku's eyes danced around his teammates. He put a finger to his chin, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Pacing back and forth, he began to mumble to himself.
"Deku?" Melissa asked, a knowing smile growing on her lips. "I know that look. You've got a plan, don't ya?"
"An idea," Midoriya muttered. He took his hand off his chin and balled it into a fist, slamming it down on his left hand. "But I'm gonna need everybody's help. And Melissa's gonna need your ride, Gohan."
"Okay," Gohan said, stepping up to the ledge. "Mel, give me a sec and I'll teach you how to ride the Nimbus. Everyone else, follow Izuku's lead."
"What about you?" Ochaco asked as Gohan lifted up into the air.
Gohan turned and smirked at her in that way of his that always made her heart squirm.
"I've got dibs on the big guy!" He said.
"Wait!" Ochaco said, lifting up into the air with him.
"Hmm? What is it, Ochaco?" Gohan asked, his eyes softening.
Grab life by the horns… Ochaco told herself. Her eyes lowered from Gohan's dark eyes down to his lips, the very thought sending chills down her spine. She bit the lower corner of her lip and drew closer. Come on. You can do this! Just… grab life by… the… no… now is not the time for this.
Gohan tilted his head in concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked, floating closer. He put the back of his hand on her forehead. "If you can't fight anymore, you can fly back to the school."
"I'm fine. I can still fight," Ochaco reassured him, taking his hand away from her head and holding it firmly in hers. "What I'm trying to say is… there's something I need to get off my chest. Something I've been meaning to tell you for some time now, but I haven't figured out quite how to do it, yet. So… just… be careful and come back safely so we can talk about it, okay?"
Gohan stared at her intently. Then his expression slowly melted into a smile.
"I understand," he said in a lower tone. He looked away at the ruined city block for a moment and then turned back to her. "Dinner at my place this Saturday? I can pick you up…"
Ochaco's eyes widened and her heart pounded so hard against her chest, threatening to burst. She shot him a bright smile.
"Yes!" She said excitedly. "Yes, I'd love that!"
"Okay," Gohan nodded. "It's a date, then. And also… there's something I need you to know, too. Something about me that I should've told you a long time ago."
With that, Gohan turned around and blasted away to fight Spopovich again.
"He's so cool," Ochaco said to herself, dreamily.
"You two are aware that we could hear all of that, right?" Melissa giggled.
"Oh my gosh, that was sooo romantic… that I almost puked!" Videl teased. "C'mon, Pink Cheeks! You two can flirt around later. Get down here so we can kick this guy's ass already!"
Ochaco shook the millions of thoughts racing through her mind and heart that instant.
"Right!" she said, jumping off the edge of the building and flying over towards Izuku and the others.
(…)
The massive ki bomb was so large that it blocked out the sunlight, turning day into a bloody-red colored night for the entire sector of the city.
All Might stared outside of the window at it, his blue eyes wide with horror.
"This isn't right," he said. "I should be out there."
"Are you crazy?" Nemuri barked at him. "You can't exactly help out in this state, you know. You'll only be getting in the way of the Pros."
"We're Heroes, Midnight," Toshinori argued. "We're supposed to keep the people safe!"
"We were," Nemuri's eyes sunk down to the carpet below. "But we're teachers now. Hero Law states that we can't engage in combat unless the school is involved."
"So as long as the villains don't touch UA High, we can't intervene?" Toshinori growled, turning his gaze. "Well, that may be fine with you and the rest of the teachers, but that doesn't fly with me!"
Nemuri didn't respond. None of the teachers did. Deep down, they knew that what All Might was saying was the truth.
Principal Nezu walked over to stare out of the window beside him, hands behind his back.
"Things do seem rather bleak, but he must have faith that the Pro's will succeed. People all across the country, no the world, look up to institutions such as this one to serve as pillars for society. We inspire young heroes not just to uphold the law, but to abide by it. And right now, the Law is quite clear. We cannot intervene unless the school is directly involved."
"Well," Aizawa said from the corner of the room. "You might as well consider it directly involved, Principal Nezu." Everyone turned to face the homeroom teacher who was watching the news broadcast, arms folded over his chest, his index finger tapping away nervously at his shoulder.
"Whatever do you mean, Mister Aizawa?" Principal Nezu asked, making his way over to the television. All Might was right behind him.
"Take a look for yourself!" the teacher said in that raspy voice of his. Beads of sweat poured down his face as he watched the events unfold.
All Might's eyes widened when he saw footage of Izuku and Melissa amid the wreckage.
"Why, those are our students!" Nezu exclaimed.
"Looks like you get to intervene after all, huh All Might?" Aizawa asked, dryly. But when the teachers turned, All Might was already gone.
All Might shot down the hall like a bullet, jumping into the elevator. As the elevator descended, he ripped his school clothes off. As soon as the elevator opened on the first floor, All Might stepped out in his Golden Age uniform, muscles bulging.
"Whoa! Check it out – it's the Symbol of Peace!"
"All that Hero Work in the morning drained my stamina, so I probably have about an hour of this form left," All Might said to himself as he shot out towards the dark orb floating in the sky.
"Hang in there, Young Midoriya and Melissa. I'm coming!"
(…)
"Are you sure about this, Broccoli boy?" Videl asked. "No offense, but you're pretty skinny. That ki blast could blow you away in an instant."
"I can do this, just trust me, okay?" Izuku yelled.
Lightning cracked through the dark clouds that now swirled around the sector of the city.
"This is it," Yamu laughed. "This is the end!"
With a monstrous howl, Yamu swung his hands downward, unleashing the ki bomb. In mere seconds, the entire city would go up in flames, and his mission would be complete. Ojiro's six ki clones flew up towards the bomb and through themselves at it, pushing it back with all of their collective strength. The ki bomb slowed, but it was still not enough to stop it completely.
The Majin Mark blazed with power and Yamu screamed maniacally into the heavens, pushing the ki bomb even closer to the ground.
"We are the Soldiers of the League of Villains!" he yelled. "When our Master calls, we obey! We exist only to kneel before Shigaraki! Now, watch as your pillars and institutions fall and know that this, too, shall be your fate! This is a declaration of war!"
His voice traveled all the way down to the city below, where the very few reporters that were still around reporting on the attack could hear it. They turned their cameras and homes all over Japan were able to witness the League of Villain's declaration of war against Hero Society.
Suddenly, a ray of light pierced through the villain's cheek, ruining his speech.
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" The real Ojiro yelled, flying up towards the villain, two fingers pointing at the villain. He lifted the rest of the fingers on his right hand, drawing in as much ki as he could.
"Dodon… CANNON!" Ojiro shouted. Five beams of pure energy shot out of his fingertips, so powerful that it broke his wrist, the light so intense that it almost blinded Ojiro. The tailed boy cried out and held his wrist with his left hand, refusing to let it down.
The five beams spiraled around each other and barreled towards Yamu, exploding on impact. The sudden attack caught Yamu off guard and his grip on the ki bomb slipped for only a second, but it was enough.
"Midoriya, now!" Ojiro cried at the top of his lungs, cluching his broken wrist. "DO IT!"
"Right!" Izuku yelled back. "Uraraka!"
"Ready for Liftoff!" Ochaco yelled, pressing her hands against Izuku's back. A light pink aura flowed from the pads in her fingers onto his body, negating his weight entirely.
"Todoroki!" Midoriya yelled, thrusting his fists forward. Todoroki passed his right hand over both of them and a blanket of ice formed over each of his fists in the shape of gauntlets that reached all the way back to Izuku's elbows.
"There's no time to waste!" Shoto barked as he finished creating the icy armor. "Within minutes your cells will begin to die from frostbite!"
"Great, thanks-" Izuku said. He gasped and his head shot up. "Wait, what?!"
"Keep your pants on, Princess," Videl said, raising both hands in Izuku's direction, activating the protective blue wall around him. "My barrier will keep you safe from harm."
"Izuku!" Ojiro cried. "We can't hold on for much longer!"
One by one, Ojiro's clones screamed as they were consumed by the Ki bomb.
"Deku," Melissa said, approaching him with her hands balled against her chest. Her eyebrows were inclined in deep worry and her eyes shined. "I don't like this. I'm crunching the numbers as best as I can and what you plan to do… it could kill you!"
"I know," Midoriya said, forcing himself to give her a lopsided smile. "But it's the only thing I can think of."
"Ooh…" Melissa punched him on the shoulder lightly, trying her best to smile, but failing to conceal the worry in her eyes. Her fist bounced off the protective barrier harmlessly. "You better come back!"
Midoriya looked up at the ki bomb as it crashed into the top of the building they had just been fighting on, vaporizing it. He looked back at Melissa and nodded.
"Okay, here goes nothing," Izuku's voice echoed within the barrier. "Everybody get ready! Here. I. GO!"
Midoriya crouched down as far as he could go, directing all of his power to his legs. His entire body roared with the power of One for All, swirling all around him with green and red electricity. The next instant, Midoriya shot off towards the incoming ki bomb like an blue-green missile.
Izuku's breathing shortened as he flew towards the ki bomb. As he did, the moments that had brought him to this point in his journey played through his mind in an instant…
All men are not created equal.
I'm so sorry, Izuku.
Sorry kid, it's not gonna happen.
Defenseless Izuku. You really can't do anything right, can you?
I'm a normal kid without any powers… Could I ever hope to be someone like you?
In his heart, he knew full well that what Melissa had said was the truth. This move could kill him, and the very thought terrified him to the core. The old Izuku would've doubled over and accepted his fate, accepted that his dreams were just that – dreams. But everything was different now and as long as he could move… as long as he could still raise even one fist in the air, he would defend her. He would defend them all, because that's what a true Hero – His Hero, would do.
I'll save them with a smile!
"One for All: Full Cowling – One Hundred Percent!" Izuku screamed, rearing his left arm back, flying straight into the colossal ki bomb. "SMAAAASH!"
His fist flew forward, surging with insurmountable power. One for All's energy sizzled and sparked throughout his arm in red and green energy, leaping through the boy's body and colliding with the massive ki blast. Izuku smashed through the walls of the blast, piercing through it. The blast splintered around the crater as the teen flew straight through, effectively splitting the blast in half.
The heat was unimaginable, but Videl's protective barrier stood against it, keeping him safe from harm. Amid the blinding light, Izuku forced one of his eyes to stay open and focused on the floating villain just above the ki blast. As he cleaved through the blast, it began to disintegrate into smaller blasts beneath him.
Amazingly, it had all gone according to Izuku's plan. As the blasts of pure energy broke away from the massive orb, the rest of the students were there to keep them from landing.
Shoto lifted wall after wall of heaven piercing iceburgs, effectively creating a cape of ice so thick that it stopped some of the blasts.
Back on the ground, Ochaco ran through lifting up cars and sending them up to float, using them as missiles to intercept whatever blasts got through Todoroki's ice wall. The Flying Nimbus spiraled into view beside her and Melissa leaped off, Power Pole twirling in hand.
"Batter up!" Ochaco said happily, tossing several large pieces of weightless debris in her direction.
"Comet Home Run!" Melissa shouted, swinging the pole around. "Power Pole Extend!"
The staff grew several feet and Melissa swung with all her might, sending the dozens of chunks of debris flying like meteors to collide with the blasts.
Melissa quickly leaped on the Flying Nimbus and flew towards the school, whacking Spopovich on the head as she passed by. Gohan used the distraction to pick him up by the boot and after a couple of mighty spins, he sent him hurling away.
"Thanks for the assist!" Gohan shouted with a wave, turning in midair and blasting away to pursue Spopovich. Melissa leaned on the Nimbus and it shot towards the gates of the school, where she leaped off to bat away more blasts. Next to her, Videl's energized fists and Bakugo's powerful explosions added more cover to defend the students from the blasts headed in their direction.
All over Japan, anyone who was watching the news broadcast witnessed how seven brave students defended the entire city alone.
Yes, they witnessed the birth of the Z Fighters.
A particularly large blast flew past Melissa, too quick for her to catch, swirling straight towards Videl, who didn't even see it coming.
"Videl!" Melissa screeched! The blast landed with an explosion that kicked up dirt and rocks, leaving a smoldering crater in its wake. "Videl?"
Videl blinked several times before realizing that she was leaning backwards, staring up at the sky. Her savior smiled, light reflecting off his glasses.
"Iida?!" Videl gasped.
"Vice Rep!" Melissa almost couldn't contain tears of relief.
"Fear not, fellow classmates," Iida announced, helping Videl to her feet. "Your Class Reps and classmates are here!"
A deafening boom rang behind them. Yaoyorozu had created two massive black cannons and was firing them at the incoming volley of ki blasts. The rest of the class was helping to direct and even carry anyone still outside into the safety of the school.
Back in the skies, Izuku was almost through to the other side of the blast.
Almost there! Gotta keep pushing forward! Izuku thought. I have to – for my friends…
"You can do it, Midoriya! Beat this guy!"
For Mom…
"You might have thought I had given up on you a while back, but now, look at you, Izuku. You persevered and kept chasing your dream like a real champion."
For All Might…
"Young Man, you too can become a Hero…"
For Melissa…
"If Uncle Might is in your corner, then I will be too, Deku."
For Gohan…
"You're here for a reason, aren't you? I'm sure there are people counting on you right now to achieve your dreams. So don't let them down, okay?"
I won't let any of you down, Gohan. I swear it! Even if my body reaches its limits, I'll just have to go – BEYOND!
Above the ki blast, Yamu held an unconscious Ojiro by the shirt collar.
"Your reinforcements are more classmates? Is this a joke? After all of this effort to stop us, your school hasn't even dispatched your own teachers to defend you!" Yamu cackled, his attention focused on Ojiro, not realizing that Midoriya was flying straight toward him. "You will die abandoned. Where are your Heroes now? HAHAHA-"
Izuku burst out of the ki blast with a mighty cry that caught the villain off guard. His left fist was so sore, that he had lost all feeling to it, but he had no time to worry about it. As he flew up to Yamu, Izuku swung back his right arm.
"You're wrong!" Izuku yelled back through gritted teeth. "We're not gonna die, and we're NOT alone. Do you know why?"
"Impossible! How did you break through my ki bomb?" Yamu cried, eyes wide open as Izuku flew up to be face to face with him. In one move, he swiped the unconscious Ojiro away with his left arm, his right arm arched back and glowing with mighty power.
"BECAUSE I'M A HERO, TOO!" Izuku shouted, ignoring the white-hot pain as he swung his arm forward, bringing with it the full might of One for All at a hundred percent. "AND I… AM… HERE!"
Yamu crossed his arms at the last minute over his face in a futile attempt to block the blow, but Izuku's punch swung around the villain's defenses, connecting with his chin.
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!"
The air around them compressed for a fraction of a second and exploded violently. The villain was engulfed by a raging tempest of white winds so overwhelming that his body had no chance of absorbing. His head snapped back and he was immediately knocked unconscious. The force of the blow sent Yamu spiraling back down to earth in a funnel of air and smoke.
The villain shot towards the surface like a meteor, cratering the spot where he landed.
"Whoa!" Ochaco cried, shielding her eyes from the thunderous winds with the inside of her elbow. "So… strong!"
Todoroki stepped in front of her defensively, bringing up a wall of ice that blocked the winds and debris flying in their direction. As the roaring gales died down, the students could hear Yamu groaning in pain in a crater down below. Slowly, the Majin Mark dissipated and faded away and Yamu finally slumped his head back and slipped into unconsciousness.
Ochaco quickly leaped on the villain, flipping him around onto his belly and cuffing his hands. Melissa clasped the weighted restraints on him for good measure.
"We did it," Ochaco breathed, glancing up at Melissa victoriously. "We got him. But um… didn't you say we only needed one pair of the restraints?"
"I don't remember saying that," Melissa quipped sarcastically as she clasped on a fifth pair of restraining devices on the villain's bony wrists.
"Hey, Four-Eyes! Pink Cheeks! Outta my way!" Bakugo shouted behind them. The two girls yelped and jumped away as Bakugo proceeded to violently kick the downed villain. "Gotcha that time, didn't we? You damn villain."
Videl ran up to them and started kicking Yamu as well.
"This one's for Red."
"Yep. I think you got him, girl," Ochaco gave her a nervous smile and glanced up at the skies, searching for Gohan.
Izuku screamed as he began to fall back down to earth.
"O-Ojiro!" he cried. "Please wake up or we're gonna die!" But the flying tailed boy was out cold. He and Midoriya plunged down, falling to his death for the nth time this day!
"AHAHAHA!" The all too familiar laugh rang out.
"All Might!" Izuku cried. "Is it really you?"
"Yes, I am here!" All Might called. "I've got ya!"
All Might extended his huge arms and took Izuku in them. Beside them, Eraserhead ran through the rooftops and swung out using his capture device like a rope. He swung through the air and swept up Ojiro before the boy could get injured.
"Mister All Might!" Ochaco shouted with joyful tears of relief. "You came!"
"Uncle Might!" Melissa ran up and hugged him, burying her face in his large arms.
"It's okay, students. You are safe now!"
"And in big trouble," Eraserhead said angrily. "I'm so glad to see that my students have enough spunk to go around getting into fights – clearly, I'm not giving you enough homework to do. Don't worry, that'll change soon enough."
"Wait," Ochaco said, rising to her feet. "Where's Gohan?"
And suddenly, Spopovich burst through the rubble behind her, eyes bulging with maniacal blood-lust as he raised his massive fists to bring them crashing down on the tiny girl. Ochaco turned just in time to catch his arms, activating her Quirk on them, nullifying his gravity. But Spopovich's arms continued to push down on her until Ochaco's back was to the ground, moments away from being crushed.
In the blink of an eye, Gohan's arms wrapped around Spopovich's waist.
"Get the hell away from her, you bastard!" Gohan shouted, enraged. "THAT'S MY OCHACO!"
Gohan blasted off into the heavens at full speed, taking Spopovich with him. As they traveled higher and higher, breaking the sound barrier several times, the force of their flight broke through the dark clouds and dispersed them, allowing the sunlight to shine through once again.
Gohan's punch cracked through the air with supersonic speed, sending Spopovich flying even higher. Instantly, Gohan shot his fist forward with the same intensity again. Again. Again. His punches became a mechanical blur. As soon Spopovich would get far, Gohan would speed up and catch up to him to deliver another shattering punch.
As they reached their maximum altitude, Gohan grabbed Spopovich by the boot, spun him around and sent him hurling back down to earth.
His thoughts traveled to what his father had told him during the Kanassan Hallucination.
"There's a reason they called me 'The Blur.' It's because of my original Quirk, you see. I have the ability to multiply the Dragon Ki within, doubling my power, speed and endurance. It's called the Kaioken. And now, my power is yours, Son. Don't overexert yourself. Make sure you plenty of training with it before you start using it with multipliers."
Spopovich tried to twist himself in midair, perhaps looking for a way to escape. There was no way that Gohan was going to let that happen.
No more! I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone anymore! This ends… NOW!
"Take this!" Gohan shouted. "Kaioken Attack… TIMES TWO!"
Crimson light exploded from within Gohan and he gritted his teeth. His muscles swelled and doubled in size, threatening to burst. Gohan turned into a crimson blur delivering blow after blow after blow as the two fighters blasted back down to earth.
Spopovich's body struggled to nullify all of the blows and slowly, his eyes began to roll to the back of his head, both from the intense G Force and from the unstoppable assault. The ground was visible now, rushing up at them like a tidal wave.
Gohan's red aura intensified until he was little more than a beam of red light. Gohan shot past him, his speed adding a nauseating spin to Spopovich's body.
Gohan landed in front of the school gates, just a second or two before Spopovich landed. Without a word, he lifted one arm as Spopovich's back landed on the palm of Gohan's hand at full speed, crippling the villain instantly. Spopovich cried out in horrible pain, but his limbs wouldn't move anymore. Slowly, the Majin mark faded from his forehead as he slumped his head back with a tired groan and he, too, slipped into unconsciousness.
Gohan's arm trembled as he rose from his crouched position to stand tall, like an unbending pillar the refused to bow to the howling winds, lifting the villain high over his head. The sunlight poured in all around him, bathing Gohan in a fresh new light. All around him, the people began to exit their refuges and crowd around Gohan and the heroic students that had saved their town.
The police flooded the area and Gohan handed the villain over to them. Spopovich and Yamu were promptly arrested and prepared to be taken to a holding facility bound for Tartarus.
Then he saw the Flying Nimbus headed towards him. Melissa was carrying Izuku and Ojiro towards the ambulances. Izuku had broken his right hand, which he had use to deliver the finishing blow to Yamu in that final assault and Ojiro was hurting from a wound on his side. Gohan went to help get them to an ambulance.
"C'mon buddy," Gohan said, swinging Izuku's left arm over his neck to help him stand to his feet. "Let's get you to the hospital right away."
Gohan, Ochaco, Melissa and Todoroki all helped Izuku onto a stretcher, where the paramedics prepared to rush him to the ambulance.
"Thanks, you guys," Izuku coughed, shooting Gohan a grateful, tired smile. "Gohan, that was one heck of a move back there. You saved us all. If it hadn't been for you-"
"No, you've got it all wrong, Izuku," Gohan cut him off. "If I had tried to stop that ki bomb, Spopovich would've killed you all. It was thanks to your heroism and quick thinking that we were able to save the city – and each other. Isn't that right, you guys?"
The other students nodded and smiled at Izuku.
As soon as he saw their reaction, Izuku sniffled and his eyes filled with tears.
"I really socked that stupid villain in the mouth good, didn't I?"
"Yeah buddy," Gohan laughed. "You really did. You saved us all. I'm so proud of you!"
"Thank you so much Gohan!" Izuku cried, closing his eyes and lifting his right hand, weakly. Happy tears spilled out and burned his scraped cheeks. "I'm so happy to hear you say that."
"Ugh, great," Bakugo groaned, watching from a distance. "As if the little insect's ego wasn't already hyperinflated."
"Said that kettle to the pot," Videl laughed, crossing her arms and leaning against Bakugo's arms.
"Oh, shut up! And get the hell off me!" Bakugo shook Videl off his shoulder and walked away.
"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going?" Videl called, following him.
"Gonna grab a bite to eat. I'm still starving you know! Not all of us got butlers to serve us."
"Well, wait for me!"
"Fine, but stay outta my way."
As Gohan and Ochaco began to leave, they heard a loud booming voice behind them.
"Hey! You punks get back here and explain yourselves! We had it under control!"
Gohan looked back over his shoulder to see Death Arms stomping towards them, flailing his arms wildly over his stark white hair. "What on earth made you think it was okay to jump into the middle of a fight without the proper license?"
"License?" Gohan stopped and turned to face Death Arms. His eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted. "License?! Our friends were being killed by villains and you all Licensed Pro's just stood by and did NOTHING! I had to do something. Real Heroes are supposed to protect people, no matter the cost!"
Gohan's furious voice bounced off the destroyed walls of the marketplace, silencing everyone present.
"Those are the words of a boy who doesn't know any better," the blue-suited, white haired Pro Hero yelled back. "Idealism never saved anybody. Here's the real truth – we were trying to form a perimeter to contain the fight in the square. But thanks to you, the fight spilled out into the main roads. See, this is why you have to let the Pros and the police handle villain situations like this. Do you have any idea how much time and money it'll take to rebuild this market now? Guess whose pocket that comes out of? That's right, the city's. Not yours, not the school's – the city's!"
The more he heard, the angrier Gohan got. The dull, sickening flame he had felt in his stomach throughout the fight blazed and ran up to his chest, threatening to explode. His breathing intensified and his eyes widened wildly.
Death Arms didn't seem to notice.
"And it's not even about the money." he continued. "Lots of people were injured, and lots more lost their main source of income, and they have your recklessness to thank for that. You're a student at UA? Then act like one. You're supposed to be a future pillar of society, a shining example for younger ones to follow."
"Now, you listen to me-" Gohan growled, taking a step forward. Suddenly, his right shoulder began to spasm uncontrollably. Gohan cried out and instinctively reached for his shoulder, but the burning pain shot down his shoulder blade and onto his side, spreading quickly throughout his body. Gohan fell to the ground, screaming out and writhing in pain as his entire body began to cramp and contort in an unnatural manner.
"Gohan!" Ochaco yelled.
"What's happening to him?" Death Arms asked, the anger dropping from his voice instantly.
"I've seen him get like this before, right after our Combat Trial," Ojiro said. "He's overused his Quirk again. Uraraka, give him to me. I'll get him to an ambulance."
"Thanks Ojiro," Ochaco said, touching the cramping boy and activating her Quirk on him. She took Gohan's now weightless body in her arms. "But I've got him. You need to get to an ambulance yourself, kay?"
"Right," Ojiro nodded with a laugh, holding onto his wounded side. "I think I'll do just that."
"Hey, get back here, ya truant punks!" Death Arms yelled at the two teens. "We're not finished here!"
But a sparkling pink aura enveloped Ochaco and she lifted off the ground, carrying Gohan with her.
Death Arms growled, turning to the police officer next to him, who shrugged.
"Ugh, teenagers," he huffed. "God, I hate them."
Ochaco held Gohan's head to her chest tenderly as the rest of his body floated in suspended gravity.
"It's going to be okay, Gohan. I've got you," she said, stroking his black bangs away from his face. "Just try to relax."
Gohan was grinding his teeth against the pain, and tears were flowing involuntarily down his cheeks, but he did his best to smile at Ochaco.
"Heh," Ochaco chuckled. "I heard that, ya know."
"Heard what?" Gohan asked, opening one eye with pain.
"When you called me your Ochaco…"
"Sorry," Gohan said, blushing. "I swear, I didn't mean anything demeaning by it-"
"Don't apologize," Ochaco said happily. "It was like an epic war cry from an anime or something! Personally, I like it!"
Gohan chuckled as he watched Ochaco punch the air comically.
"And I like you, Ochaco," he said, resting his head back.
Ochaco gasped, feeling like her heart had gone into overdrive, threatening to explode from her chest. Her entire face reddened like a ripe tomato.
But before she could even finish processing Gohan's confession, one of the paramedics came to help get him into the ambulance.
"Easy there, Hon," the paramedic cooed gently as she and her partner helped lift Gohan up onto a stretcher.
"HOLD THE PHONE!" All Might called out, running to Gohan's side.
"Uncle Might!" Gohan called out happily, relieved at seeing All Might running toward him.
"Gohan!" All Might called back breathlessly, reaching him. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just some strained muscles, that's all. Boy am I glad to see you-"
"Good. In that case… Rhode Island Smash!" All Might shouted at Gohan, winding his arm back and swinging the tip of his middle knuckle downward through the air, striking him in the forehead.
"Ah-OWWW!" Gohan groaned, rubbing his forehead. "That hurt!"
"Good!" All Might barked, clinging onto the boy's shoulders and giving him a firm shake. "What on earth were you thinking, Gohan? Risking your life like that, and dragging your classmates into this – so reckless!"
Gohan's eyes narrowed, but not in anger – in confusion, in an effort to understand.
"All Might…" Gohan said, staring up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Where were you? Why weren't you out here saving us? You and Mister Aizawa could've taken those guys down."
Aizawa heaved a sigh, listening intently at what Gohan had to say.
"Gohan," All Might said, his voice sounding tired and seasoned. "Do me a favor – lift up your hand, fingers out."
Gohan obeyed and lifted his hand.
"Good, now tell me, which one is the strongest finger?"
Gohan raised an eyebrow.
"The middle finger?"
"That's right. Now imagine a hand full of only middle fingers. A middle finger for a thumb, a middle finger for a pinky, a middle finger for a toe. Now, how effective would that be? Hmm?"
Gohan opened his mouth to respond, but slowly closed it, unable to refute such a logical argument.
"Not very effective, I suppose…"
"We all have a roll to play, Young Son," All Might said in a nurturing, fatherly tone. He placed a comforting hand on Gohan's shoulder.
"That doesn't mean that you won't do your best to save others in need. In fact, meddling where you don't technically have to, saving others when you aren't asked to, is the essence of being a true hero. But there are rules, Gohan. Laws meant to keep us all safe, and keep this super hero society functioning. Or do you think that we are above the law because we are encouraged to use our powers?"
"No sir, of course not," Gohan shook his head.
"Gohan," Aizawa added. "Being a Hero is more than just saving the day. It involves inspiring others to lead a life of peace and order. And we can only do that if we follow the rules. And we have to set an example for the rest."
Gohan sighed. What All Might and Eraserhead were saying made sense, but it was still so… disappointing. Maybe he would understand it somewhere further down the line. There was no real sense in dwelling too much on it now. Gohan shook his head and did his best to push aside the conflict within him. The important thing here today was that he and his classmates did not stand around and watched the innocent get massacred. They saved countless lives.
He should've been there.
And this time, he was.
"Mister Aizawa, Mister Yagi?" Gohan called as he was being rolled away in the stretcher. His teachers glanced up at him and he scratched the back of his head shyly. He tilted his head to the side, closing his eyes and smiling apologetically. "Sorry for all the trouble, hehehe."
Aizawa gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes, turning to face an All Might that was smiling even wider than usual. Finally, the medics pulled Gohan into the ambulance and drove him away.
"So that's Goku's kid, huh?" Aizawa commented dryly, allowing himself an amused smile. "You're right. He's just like his father."
"He's rash and stubborn, but he's got heart, and that's something you can't teach," Toshi said. "I have no doubt that he'll make a fine hero one day."
"I'm just glad Todoroki isn't exactly like his…"
The two teachers chortled and gave off a hearty laugh.
Toshinori smiled, feeling a swell of pride grow in his chest. Yes, this is Goku's son, all right. He is strong like Goku, fierce like Bardock, heroic likeMaster Gine, and strong-willed like Chi-Chi. Toshi paused for a moment to give a silent thanks to those who came before in the Son lineage, for giving him the blessing of getting to see his Master's grandson growing up and slowly turning into an honorable, brave and noble young man.
The two teachers crossed their arms and watched as the ambulance and the police cars rolled away and disappeared over a hill in the distance.
ENDING SONG:
"Let Me Hear" by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"NO!NO!NO!" Shigaraki roared furiously, grabbing the mug in front of him so tightly that it disintegrated. "Yamu… and Spopovich! Those fools failed, Master! They were supposed to kill everyone. But those damned brats had to step in and ruin our plan! When I get my hands on those damn Majin, I'll tear them down to the very last atom!"
"Calm yourself, Tomura," said the calm, ominous voice from the screen. "The Majin served their purpose. Hero Society has been put on notice. With just two soldiers, the League brought an entire city to its knees. Now, everybody knows that The League of Villains is a force to be feared. Even now, news of your attack is sweeping across the nation, striking fear into society's protected, coddled hearts and poisoning their trust in their Heroes."
The black screen flickered with static, switching to a news channel that was replaying footage of the carnage.
"Yesss…" Shigaraki nodded, his head slowly lifting, staring at the screen with his crimson eyes wide open. "You're right, Master. This wasn't a Game Over. This was a Level Up!"
"And with this Declaration of War, many unexpected new allies are flocking to our cause."
The broadcast on the television split, allowing for a third party to connect to the video conference call. It was a teenage boy, tall, with a smart pair of circular glasses. His gray UA High jacket did little to hide his strong upper build.
"Hey! Hey! What the hell is the meaning of this?!" Shigaraki screeched, pointing a pale finger at the screen. "How did you get in here?!"
The UA Student straightened up his red necktie, smoothing out the edges of his jacket and giving Shigaraki a menacing smile.
"What, are you deaf?!" Tomura howled. "Talk! Or I'll kill you!"
"Why Tomura, threatening our guest here with violence?" The Master chided. "I raised you better than that. This Vice Representative from UA High wishes to join our cause, and he comes bearing a gift. Just listen to what he has to say. Then, if you deem him an unworthy piece in your game, I'll dispose of him myself."
"Argh! I hate Heroes!" Shigaraki hissed, annoyed. "But… fine. You better not be wasting my time."
"Save your threats, Villain," the student replied, stiffening up to his full height. "There is a tender opportunity that has just surfaced."
There was an uncomfortably long pause.
"Go on," Shigaraki said, finally.
"You really need to pick your lackeys more thoroughly. The skinny one spilled the beans on your 'master plan' as he was being hauled away by the Police Force. However bold, or stupid your intentions are, one thing is certain – your Declaration of War was premature, to say the least. If you want to deal a blow where it really hurts, then this is your chance. There will be a special training class in an isolated facility, far past the outskirts of the main city. All Might will be there alone, teaching class… Think of the effect it would have on society to lose its Symbol of Peace and a class full of fake heroes. It will destroy them. I can provide the exact location and time, but I need to know – do you have what it takes to kill All Might?"
"Of course we do!" Shigaraki shouted. "That and more! So our Declaration of War was premature, eh? How would you feel if an army of a hundred Majins attacked at once?! And we've prepared our own special weapon to kill All Might."
Shigaraki glanced to the farthest edge of Club Dark Black. There, in a shadowy corner, floating in mid-air, toes pointed downward like a man hanging from a noose, was Nomu, the bio-engineered anti-Symbol of Peace in his base form. All Might would never be expecting this. Nomu will break his golden heart, and then kill him.
"Very well, then," the UA student said. "I have your contact information. I'll forward the details discreetly."
"So…" Shigaraki mused. "The time has come to raid the End Boss's castle. But tell me something, Vice Rep. Isn't it a little harsh for you to turn on your classmates, knowing that some of them will die, including yourself?"
For a moment, the traitor paused, moving his eyes from side to side as if in thought. Then he looked up at Shigeraki with a smirk.
"Tell me, Villain," the traitor scoffed. "How does one cure a limb that has been infected with gangrene?" He brought his hand up to his face and pushed his eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger.
"You don't," he said. "The only way to survive is by cutting off the useless, infected flesh. Those cretins have no right to call themselves heroes, let alone form part of our prestigious school. So I'll lead you to them, like wolves to the flock."