Path of the Dragon: The Story of Gohan

by zzEclipse

Quirkless young Gohan is 15 Years Old when a dormant, mighty power within him awakens and sends him on a journey to discover what it means to be a hero. But to save the world and those he loves, he must shatter past his doubts and limits and go beyond - Plus Ultra! ((Major AU set in the MHA World with elements of DBZ/S))

34. Season 1 Finale Part 2- Sparks of Legend

A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend! Here is the final chapter of Path of the Dragon: The Story of Gohan – Season One.

Review Responses at the end, as usual!

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Opening Song:
"Mukoku" by My First Story

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Gohan's bare feet slapped along the prickling soft grass as he ran up the hill at an incredible speed with his hands stretched out behind him. As soon as he reached the top of the hill, he pushed off, leaping high into the sky where Bardock was waiting for him, and the two clashed in mid-air, sending a shockwave from their impact rippling back down to the ground.

After exchanging blows at blinding speed, one of Bardock's punches slipped through Gohan's defenses and struck him in the face. The force of the blow was so powerful that it sent Gohan hurling back to the ground. But Gohan twisted his body as he fell and landed on the balls of his feet.

His tail swayed firmly, increasing Gohan's balance and agility. With a swift move, Gohan pounced back up towards Bardock with his left arm reared back. Barodock pivoted downwards and responded with his own punch, and the two clashed again in the afternoon sun.

Bardock's fists rained down towards Gohan's face, chin and stomach, but rather than trying to simply block the blows, Gohan would parry them and attack with his own, until finally, he caught Bardock in the chin with a quick jab. Bardock was stunned for a second, but it was all Gohan needed. He reached out and grabbed his grandfather by the straps of his green/dark blue armor and fell backwards, swinging Bardock up and over, sending him flying back down to earth.

Bardock hadn't even hit the ground when Gohan brought felt a needle-like tingle run up his spine from the base of his tail. He swiveled around in time for Goku to appear directly behind him in his base form, flying out with a kick aimed at Gohan's waist.

"Kaioken Times Four!" Gohan shouted, and his muscles surged in size with the tinge of red power shooting out from Gohan's torso. Goku's kick landed, but didn't even faze Gohan.

"Crap!" Goku gasped, wide-eyed as Gohan grabbed him by his blue boot and spun him around, tossing him back towards Bardock, who had cratered the ground below.

This is it – my chance! Gohan thought victoriously as Goku crash landed on top of Bardock. It was now or never. He had to hit them with everything he had. Gohan summoned all of the energy he had within him for one final blast.

"Kaioken Dragon Fist!"Gohan shouted, swinging the charged golden beam in his fist. A golden light burst out from Gohan's torso in the form of the head of a golden serpent-like dragon with scarlet eyes and a red aura around it, aiming at the two downed Saiyans. Gohan grunted under the exertion as the Dragon Shenron's jaws formed under his belly and above his back, becoming the actual head of a dragon, but he kept his focus on the Saiyans as the ground rushed up to meet him like a hammer.

Goku saw the incoming blast and brought two fingers up to his forehead and teleported out of the way. But Bardock didn't run. The oldest Saiyan picked himself up off the ground and stood there, watching the giant roaring dragon diving straight towards him, jaws snapping.

"Heh, a Kaioken spin on the Dragon Fist, huh?" Bardock smirked, bringing his hand up to his side. "You really are amazing, kid. But only the wolves who bare their fangs against fate can change the future!"

Bardock brought his fists by his side and leaned down on his knees in a squat, summoning massive power from within. The world shook and the skies darkened as golden sparks shot out from Bardock's body. A great explosion of power surged out of Bardock like a livened flame igniting a wick. His hair stood up in golden spikes and a teal glow shot out of his irises. Before Gohan's very eyes, Bardock transformed into a being of blinding golden light.

Bardock glanced up at the incoming Dragon and smirked.

"Now, where were we?" He said, swinging a hand to his side, palm facing upwards. A smoldering white and blue orb charged in the palm of his hand and grew violently "RIOT JAVELIN!"

Bardock swung his hand forward and the orb in his hand whined and whistled through the air, growing in size as it collided inside the dragon's open mouth, just before its jaws could close around Bardock's body. The blast tore through the Dragon's hide and struck Gohan like a wall.

Gohan cried out in pain as the blast sent him reeling back. Bardock then shot forward as a teal aura burst out from his body. His power level surged and his teal irises blazed red, like the Oozaru's eyes.

"Let's finish this!" Bardock roared. The thunderous, mighty roar of his Oozaru form resounded off of his own battle cry as he charged straight into the mouth of the dragon after Gohan. Gohan hadn't even recovered from the painful sting of the Javelin when Bardock's megaton punch sank into his abdomen.

Gohan screamed as Bardock's punch sent him flying backwards, bursting out of the dragon's golden scaly hide. Immediately, the Dragon's body dissipated in a shower of sparkling lights and explosions. Bardock appeared directly in front of Gohan's barreling trajectory and slammed his interlaced fingers on top of Gohan's body, sending him plummeting back down to earth. With a final swing of his arm, Bardock shot off another teal blast that finished Gohan off with a massive explosion.

When the dust settled, Gohan had been cratered into the ground below, curled into a ball in defeat.

As Bardock powered down from his golden form, Goku dropped down from the skies and landed next to the panting boy who was barely awake, struggling not to succumb to unconsciousness.

"Get it together, Gohan," Goku said, furrowing his eyebrows and placing his fists on his tattered blue belt. "You're still consuming too much energy with the Kaioken multipliers. Even if it gives you an edge, you won't have enough strength left to beat us."

Gohan's arms trembled and threatened to give out under his weight as he struggled to get back up. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he collapsed back on the ground.

"It's the only way… that Ican…keep up with you guys," he shouted, gulping for air and resting his forehead on the soft blue grass, eyes closed tightly. "I'm not strong enough on my own… I'm too exhausted."

"This is Image Training, boy," Bardock scoffed. "Exhaustion exists only in your mind, like everything else here. Now, get up!"

Gohan gritted his teeth and dug his knuckles deep into the soil of the ground, forcing himself to stand back up. But his tired legs gave out and he crumbled to the grassy ground below, feeling like his entire world was spinning.

"I can't-" he panted again. "I'm at my limit."
"Push past it! Break those limits, Gohan!" Bardock shouted from mid-flight above.

"I'm… trying!" Gohan yelled back.

Goku held his elbow with the palm of his other hand and scratched his cheek, thoughtfully.

"Hmm, I dunno Bardock, it looks like Gohan really has run out of steam," he said. "He was barely able to keep up with Kaioken Times Three, so to take it up another level must've really done a real number on him. Not to mention your Super Saiyan-level attack."

"Grr! That's because you're going about this the wrong way, Gohan!" Bardock growled, irritated, floating down to stand beside Gohan. "You're relying too much on your Quirks and not enough on your own strength."

"But isn't that the point of having Super Powers?" Gohan asked, opening one puffy, bruised eye.

"No!" Bardock bit back. "Well… yes and no. Our Quirks multiply your base power, this is if you don't increase your base power, you will continue to remain bound to your limits, but if you take that step beyond and break past them – then, nothing will be able to stop you."

"My base power…" Gohan repeated, rising to his knees shakily. "My base power!"
His eyes illuminated with this new understanding of his two Quirks and their functions. With a rush of air, he powered down from his Kaioken form onto his base form. The reddish tint dissipated away from his clothes and his hair, and his muscles shrunk back to their regular size.

That's right! He thought excitedly, staring at his fingers which were dug in around the soil below. Ever since I got my Dad's Quirk, I've been relying on it to get me out of sticky situations, and that's really taken a toll on my body. But the more I increase my physical stamina, speed and strength at my base level, then I won't have to reach dangerous levels of Kaioken, because my Quirk will have more to work with, more to double up. Why didn't I realize this before?!

"Heh," Bardock said with a smirk. "I recognize that Son smile on his mug."
"That's the idea, Son!" Goku cheered. "Now you know what you've gotta do once you wake up. Work on strengthening your base. Remember, it's not so much about the power of the Quirk, but more so the strength of your core that counts."

"That's why I never started fights out in my Super Saiyan Form," Bardock said, placing his hands on the hip guards of his green and dark blue armor. "What's the point of getting into a fight if not to test your strength and grow as a fighter? Only if I can't beat them on my own, do I take it up to the next level."

"A Super Saiyan…" Gohan repeated, recalling the blazing golden form that he had brought him down at his strongest level with just two hits and a couple of ki blasts. "Is that what that form was?"

Bardock nodded.
"That's right, Gohan. It's a Golden Form of Saiyan legend. There used to be a time when the Super Saiyan was just a children's fairy tale – a righteous power that only surged once every thousand years, to be wielded by the mightiest of Saiyan warriors. But that was before we discovered the secret to unlocking this power, and the reason why generations of the most powerful Saiyan elites could never grasp it."

"What was that secret?" Gohan asked, eyes wide with interest.

Bardock smirked.
"It's not a form that you can achieve by raising your power level," he said.
"The power comes in response to a need, not a desire," Goku added. "You have to create that need, if you want to reach this level, Gohan."

"Create the need…" Gohan rubbed his chin in thought. "But isn't that the same thing? Isn't creating a need the same thing as desiring it?"

"That's something you need to discover on your own, Gohan," Bardock said, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a warm grip. "When the time comes, you'll know it. For now, focus on the lessons we've taught you in this short time we've had together. Do your best to strengthen your body and your spirit and your mind. And always remember, if you bare your fangs against fate, you can forge your own future."

"Thank you," Gohan said, taking in the smiling, proud faces of Goku and Bardock. "I'll make you both proud."

"I know you can do it, Son," Goku told him. "You can do anything you set yourself out to do, if you believe in yourself. Ever since you were a little boy, I always believed that you were destined for greater things, and when the time would come to take on the world, you would be strong enough to bear that responsibility. And now look at how far you've come, Son. I'm so proud of you, Gohan."

Gohan's eyes watered and his lips trembled with emotion. Unable to contain the trembling in his stomach, Gohan lunged forward and hugged his father.

"I love you Dad," Gohan said, clenching his teeth, but unable to contain his tears. "You have no idea how badly I've missed you."

"Heh! Hey, come on," Goku said softly, stroking his crying son's shoulders. "What's with the water works?"

"Sorry," Gohan apologized with an embarrassed laugh. "I just never thought I'd see you again."

"He's certainly Gine's grandson," Bardock grumbled, unstrapping his armor and swinging it over his shoulder, revealing a muscular body full of scars.

"Gine?" Gohan asked. "Is that-"
"That was Bardock's main squeeze, isn't that right, Bardock?" Goku teased, poking Bardock on the ribs playfully. Bardock's face turned red and he swung his free hand down on top of Goku's head, eliciting a pained howl from him.

"Don't talk about your mother like that, Kakarot! Show some respect!" He scolded him.
"Oww, but it's the truth!" Goku complained, rubbing his head.

"Gine is my grandmother?" Gohan asked excitedly. "Is she here, too? Can I meet her?"

"No, she's not," Bardock said, turning around and walking away towards the camp without another word.

"The only reason you can see us is because our consciousnesses are contained within our Quirks, which are a part of you now," Goku explained as they watched Bardock walk off. "There are four more Quirks that you will get before you unlock your full potential, your very own unique Quirk that you will one day pass on to the next generations. Unfortunately, Gine was killed, and her Electricity-based Ki Quirk was never inherited by myself or your uncle Raditz. So her consciousness is just… gone… Poor Bardock."

Gohan sighed as he watched his grandfather walk off in the distance, remembering a quote from an old book he had read once before.

We live among men, yet we die alone.

"Time's almost up," Goku said, turning to face Gohan. "Why don't we get cleaned up and get something to eat? This is going to be your last night here, Gohan, so make the best of it. Tomorrow, when you wake up, you'll be in your world again."

"My last night…" Gohan repeated. He felt a twinge of sadness tug at his chest. No doubt he wanted to wake up and get to work on strengthening his body to put this training to good use but this was the first time that he had spent any real time with his father and grandfather. Was he ready to let go?

"Hey, what are ya staring at, Son?" Goku askedcuriously. "Quit daydreaming and go wash up. I'm starving!"

"Right," Gohan said, shaking himself from his thoughts. Bardock was right. He still had one last afternoon to spend with his father, and he was going to make the best of it.

…

The Son's decided to go fishing one more time at the lake next to the camp that Bardock had set up. Bardock had fashioned a meek, but comfortable campsite in which they would turn in for the night.

While Gohan and Bardock used their tails to attract the bigger fish, once it bit, they would swing it up into the air, where Goku would wrestle with them and get them ashore.

"Whoa! Nice catch, Son!" Goku shouted happily as he wrestled with the giant fish in midair and refused to let it slip back into the water. "Look at how big he is! He's a whopper, all right!"

Gohan laughed happily as he splashed shirtless in the water, helping Bardock bring two more giant fish back to the camp.

"Oh boy!" Gohan said. "We're gonna eat good tonight!"
"I'd say you earned it, kid," Bardock replied, tossing the giant fish onto the ground with a grunt.

Soon afterwards, the sun in the distance cast a reddish orange blanket over the clouds, and the smell of grilled fish filled the air.

Gohan brought in more firewood for the fire pit and fed a few logs into the flames, stoking them to life over the fish that was hooked on a wooden stick right above it.

In the distance, he saw Goku, sitting cross-legged as Bardock flipped the fish over the grill on top of the bonfire, so he went over and sat next to his dad and the two Sons stared off at the sunset.

"Ahh, this sure brings back good memories of Mount Paozu," Goku said with a nostalgic tone in his voice. He leaned over and rested his chin on one hand, propped up on his crossed knee, fist against his chin.

"It's beautiful this time of the year," Gohan agreed. "I think Goten would love it, honestly; all the open fields, fresh air, the mountains and the rivers and the animals…"

"Goten?" Goku asked. "Who's that?"
Gohan smiled, leaning back on his arms to watch the sunset.
"He's my little brother; your youngest son, Dad," he said.
"Whaaaat?!" Goku shrieked. "I have another son?! I can't wait to meet him!"
"That's right," Gohan said. "And he's just like you, Dad! Down to the last hair in his head. He's Quirkless right now, but if he gets your Quirk, he'll get to see you right? Although on second thought, Goten with Kaioken sounds like a pretty scary thought."

The two shared a laugh.

Bardock looked up to see Goku and Gohan laughing, deep in conversation, sitting cross-legged a few feet away. Bardock smiled and though he was only a shadow of the man he once was, in his own consciousness, he thought of Gine and how lovely it would have been for her to be here with them now.

The Saiyans feasted on the grilled fish and as soon as they were finished, Goku immediately fell asleep. Twilight crept in fast here, and before they knew it, the night had fallen.

Gohan walked over to sit next to his grandfather, who was leaning back on a rock, watching the flames of the bonfire dance in the night.

"Hey, Bardock?" Gohan asked, sitting next to him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Bardock asked, swiping at a grain stalk in the grass, and gnawing on it. He glanced over at Gohan and the boy was holding onto his own tail, staring down at it.

"Back when we were training, even though it was really hard to keep up, I… I could sense it, Bardock," Gohan said, eyes glued down on his tail. "Your moves, I mean. It was like a chill that traveled from my tail up my spine – sort of like a warning radar whenever something was coming my way. Is that part of our Quirk?"

"Yeah, that's a good way of putting it," Bardock said with a half-open mouth. His voice came out distorted due to the grain stalk rubbing against his tongue. "It's an effect from the Oozaru Quirk, called Wild Sense. Consider it a sixth sense, sorta. It works like an animal's instinct. Whenever trouble's around, especially if the danger is coming towards you, you'll be able to sense it."

"That's incredible," Gohan said in awe. He looked back up at his grandfather, who had placed his hands behind his head and had laid back down. "No wonder you were able to escape death again and again."

"Hmph," Bardock gave off a poignant scoff. "They called me the Wolf of Kansai, because wolves-"

"-bare their teeth against fate, right?" Gohan finished for him with a mischievous grin. Bardock chortled, amused.

"That was until I met Gine, that is," he said, staring into the night. "Then I started ignorin' it. Got reckless, and that's what got me killed."
"Why?" Gohan asked.

"I wanted to keep her safe," Bardock said, staring off at something distant and haunting. "To keep them all safe – Fasha, Shugesh, Leek, Tora…"

"Were they your friends?"
"They were my family," Bardock said. "But in the end, I couldn't save any of them. They were killed by the same monster who later killed Gine and Kakarot and me."

"All for One," Gohan breathed.

"Yes. I saw it coming, and I could've gotten away, but I couldn't leave Gine behind. So I took them all on – One for All, Gigantomachia, King Piccolo and over a thousand of their soldiers, until finally, I was struck down."

He glanced up at Gohan.
"Love comes with a price. It makes you do stupid things and in the end, it could even get you killed. I know what you've been experiencing lately, these new feelings for your little classmate…"

Gohan gulped against his dry throat and looked away, flustered.

"…but if you don't put these feelings aside right now, they can be a weakness that your enemies will not hesitate to exploit, and it will destroy you the way, the way it destroyed me."

Gohan sighed. What his grandfather had gone through was horrific, watching his friends and family murdered; to see his death coming, but choosing to lay down his life for his loved ones. Part of what he said made sense. After all, the purest kind of love was the love that compelled you to sacrifice for those you love, but isn't that what heroes were supposed to do anyway?

And if it came down to laying down his own life in order to save Ochaco, wouldn't he do it without hesitation?

"Gohan," Bardock said. "You are the Seventh Star of Sadala – the one who will defeat All For One and avenge the innocent lives he's taken. But until you're ready to manifest all of your powers and achieve your true ultimate form, you will be vulnerable. But we believe in you and in your judgment. Just promise me that you'll be careful. I can't watch any more of our family die at the hands of that monster."

Gohan stared at his grandfather's eyes and slowly nodded.
"I promise, Grandpa."

(…)

"One… For… All…" An ominous deep booming voice woke Gohan up from his sleep. His eyes flew open, the hair in the back of his neck sticking up on its end and cold perspiration rolling down his shivering brow.

Gohan glanced around, but Goku and Bardock were nowhere to be found. He found himself alone in the middle of the tiny camp and at first, he assumed he had just woken up from a nightmare.

But then he heard the voice again and a sense of dread filled Gohan's veins, realizing that he was wide awake.

This was real.

"One For All…" The voice moaned again, emanating from the flames of the campfire. Gohan gasped at the sight and pushed himself up as the fires grew and grew, glowing with an unnatural blaze.

"What are you?" Gohan asked, raising his hand and clutching at his wrist with his other hand. Light swirled into a basketball sized ki orb in his hand, glowing with power, lighting the dark surroundings as Gohan aimed it at the flames.

The flames parted and a smoldering shadow creature floated out from within the curtain of smoke, floating in the air like a man hanging from a noose. His black tuxedo was emitting smoke and his fleshy, inhuman face held no eyes, nostrils or ears. A wide smile gave the chilling creature a ghoulish appearance.

"Hello, Gohan," the creature said, its voice an echoing moan. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Look at you, all grown up. And here I thought I'd lost my perfect weapon all those years ago."

The cold tingling sensation of Wild Sense ran up Gohan's tail and up his spine, and Gohan clenched his teeth, narrowing his eyes.

"Who are you? How do you know my name? And what have you done with Dad and Grandpa Bardock?!" Gohan shouted. The ki orb in his hand spun faster and grew in size as the creature approached him.

"Dad? Bardock?" The mechanical voice roared with a gasping cackle. "HAHAHA! Young fool. What you've been living for the past three weeks isn't real! The consciences stored within their Quirks are just shadows of the men they were. Dreams, ideas, and nothing more. The real Bardock, the real Kakarot… they are corpses now. I destroyed them."

Gohan's eyes narrowed as the monster drew nearer, floating in the air like a wraith.

"You…" Gohan's heart started beating loudly against his chest and his throat suddenly became dry. "You're… him, aren't you? The one who killed our family!"

"Go on, say it, boy!" the voice boomed. "Say my name."

"All for One."

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR – SEASON ONE FINALE PART II: SPARKS OF LEGEND

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"You made a contract with me, Gohan, years ago. A soul for a soul. That's what my Mark represents," he said, his voice blaring loudly in Gohan's head.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Gohan said, balling his fists and digging the balls of his feet into the soft grass below. "But if it's a fight you want-"

"We are beyond bravado and empty threats, boy. And I am beyond patience," the monster cut him off brusquely. "Kneel!"

All for One lifted a hand and tiny orbs of white light shot out from his palms. Gohan leaped back, but not in time to avoid them. The orbs swirled around his body and flashed a light in his face, and suddenly, a white-hot pain seared against Gohan's forehead.

"AAAAHHHH!" Gohan screamed out in agony, collapsing to the floor. He writhed around in absolute pain, clutching his forehead as the creature smiled.

"Do you understand now, Gohan?" It mocked. "You belong to me, now. You are a Soldier of the Army of Villains. When your Master calls, you obey."

"NOOOOO!" Gohan shouted, slamming his head so hard against the ground that he broke skin and drew blood as the stylized Mbegan to carve itself upon his forehead. "Leave me ALOOOONE!"

"You exist only to kneel before Shigaraki."

All for One's voice was now in Gohan's head, in his thoughts, in his desires, screaming out at him to obey one singular command.

"One for All… bring it to me!"

"I… am…" Gohan grunted in pain, opening one eye and staring up at All for One defiantly. "NOT YOUR SLAVE!"

More white orbs flew out of All for One's palm and bathed over Gohan, compelling him to submit to the brainwashing Majin Mark.

"You will kneel!" All for One vociferated.

"Never!" Gohan shouted. He shot his hand up and unleashed a volley of ki blasts at the villain. The blue blasts collided with the villain's form and All for One, disintegrating him immediately.

Gohan doubled over on his hands and knees, feeling a surge of liquid running up from his stomach. With a nauseating choke, he vomited out a dark blue liquid onto the grass below.

…

"What's happening to him?" All Might asked in a panic.

Gohan's body was swirling violently within the Rejuvenation Chamber and the computer screens that monitored his vital signs were blaring loudly.

Vegeta's jaw clenched, but he didn't move from where he was standing.

"It's happening," he said in a somber tone, eyes glued onto Gohan's writhing body. "He's been in there for too long. The Rejuvenation fluid is poisoning his body now."

"Don't just stand there!" All Might bellowed. "GET HIM OUT!"

"But sir," the lead doctor said from her computer console. "If we disconnect him now, he won't be able to breath on his own."

"But you don't know that for sure," All Might argued. "Vegeta, listen to me. If we leave Gohan in that tank, he's not going to come out with a Zenkai; he's going to die, do you understand that? We have to give him a fighting chance."

Vegeta's teeth bared and a bead of sweat streaked down from his hairline down over his clenched jaw.

"VEGETA!"

"Sir?" the lead doctor asked, staring up at the Saiyan monarch with pleading eyes.

Vegeta stared at Gohan's twisting body one final time and sighed.

"Do it," he commanded firmly. "Disconnect him. His fate is in his own hands, now. There's nothing more we can do for him."

…

Gohan stumbled forward, crawling on his hands and knees as he struggled to breathe. His muscles burned with fatigue and his stomach was convulsing with cramps. Cold sweat streamed from Gohan's face and his vision began to blur.

W-what's happening to me? Gohan thought drowsily. All for One's voice still boomed in his ears, adding to the dizzying state he was in. Am I… dying?

He lurched forward and collapsed face-first into the grass.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was laying in the office of Advance Finance, where his Quirk had manifested for the first time.

Three villains with gun Quirks were holding everyone in the office hostage at gunpoint, and Gohan could feel the sweltering heat of flames rushing up towards him. He tried to move, but he couldn't, as a heavy pillar had fallen on top of him.

I need to get up. I need to save them! I'm not the same Quirkless kid anymore. I've had training now, and I'm much stronger than ever before. So why doesn't this pillar MOVE?!

Gohan pushed with all of his strength, but the fires reached him, enveloping him in a blinding flash. And then, the ground underneath him opened up and Gohan felt his stomach rush up to his throat as he fell down a bottomless pit. When he finally landed, he was no longer in the offices of Advance Finance. Wherever he was, the floor had been completely leveled. Fires raged all around him, illuminating the dark room.

"Onii-san!" A little voice called out for him in terror.

"V-Valese?" Gohan moaned, stirring. "Are you hurt? Where are we?"

"You are in Hell, Hero! Isn't it lovely" A tall, slender villain gave off a cruel laugh as he walked towards them with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his fiery blue eyes glowing with power.

I have to get Valese out of here! I've got to save her! I've got to save them all!

"You know, my old man is a Hero, too," the villain said with a grin. "He wears the title like a name. All of my life, I wanted to be a hero just like him. But do you know what happened when he saw that I could never be the perfect little hero he had envisioned? He cast me out. That's when I learned the truth – this hero society is rotten. I'm going to burn it down with my flames. But first, I'm going to show the world what a perfect little weapon my father created."

"No! I won't let you hurt them! I am going to stop you!"I just need – more power!

"All you so-called Heroes are so self-righteous and overconfident. I bet you told yourself you were going to save them all when you got here."

I did. And I will. That's why I have these powers. So that I can make a difference in this world! And save those who can't save themselves, from monsters like you!

The fires grew even larger, casting away all shadows.

"Do you think they heard you saving their neighbors upstairs and thought for a second that they might be getting out of here alive? How sad, only for you to fail them in the end…"

"No! What have you done?! All of those explosions…"

"...were people you failed to save, hero."

Gohan's anger flared with the fires around them as the fire villain's cackles echoed.

Gohan could vividly feel the heat, and the icy fear that rushed through his veins and the tiny grip of Valese's hands as she curled her legs around his back, sobbing into his neck, as the fires consumed thirty-two souls around him.

"If only…. If only I were stronger, back then! I could've done it! I could've saved them all!"Gohan growled, his power surging out in a scarlet aura that glowed and began to turn faded green in color. His irises were trembling uncontrollably.

The whispersin his head began to yell out to him, getting louder by the second. They were voices he recognized, voices that he'd heard before…

"What is he?! He's a monster!"

"No stay away! I won't let you hurt Goten!"

"He's a demon!"

"What? Do you just want to give up, then? Is that the kind of man you are, Gohan? A quitter and a coward?"

"You do realize they will blame you for what happened here tonight, don't you? The authorities will look for you. They will hate you, because you're not playing the game on their terms."

"It isn't right. He should've done something. He should've been there!"

"And I will! Heroes are supposed to protect people!" Gohan yelled back. "No matter the cost!"

"Those are the words of a boy who doesn't know any better. Idealism never saved anybody. Thanks to you, the fight spilled out into the main roads and destroyed the entire Marketplace!"

"My father was up on the eighth floor. The heroes almost got to him, but he was killed in the explosion that the villain and this vigilante caused during their fight. My father would still be alive if it weren't for this punk!"

"I tried!" Gohan's tears burst outand he tried to lift his body up on shaking, drowsy arms. His tears rolled freely down his cheeks like rain, dripping down on the grass below. "I really, really tried to save them all! But I couldn't-"

"Spare me, please!" Endeavor scoffed. "You vigilantes all have the same tired script."

"Tell it to someone who gives a damn!" Piccolo said, dismissively.

"You know, if you just stopped crying like a little girl, and just grabbed life by the horns, bad stuff wouldn't happen to you." Videl mocked, scornfully.

"Only a child closes his eyes when he's scared. Only a child runs away when he's cornered." Piccolo retorted.

"Please don't kill him." Ochaco begged."Don't let them turn you into a monster!"

"A Saiyan from the Demon Clan?" Ojiro scoffed in disgust. "I hate that the most. Does your Clan even know that you're a Saiyan? I doubt it. After all the Namekian blood that was spilled by the hands of the Saiyans… I think they might even excommunicate you from the Clan."

"An entire village – wiped out. Those poor souls… It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Where was he? Now that folks need him the most, he was nowhere to be found. What could he have been doing that was so important?"

"What on earth were you thinking Gohan? Risking your life like that, and dragging your classmates into this – so reckless!"

"You're a Saiyan too, right? You, too, could have the powers of a God, if you weren't so damn soft!"

"It's too late now, boy. Your friend's going to die – and it's all yourfault!"

"Gohan, you've failed. Gather your things and go home."

"Run home to your mother, little Saiyan!"

"Then you will die as you lived, a complete and utter failure!"

"You see? This is why heroes always lose!"

"No…" Gohan whimpered, slumping forward, resting his head on the ground. "No…"

"You see, boy?" All for One said, approaching Gohan from behind. "You're no hero. You're a scared, weak little boy. So why waste your efforts on people who will hate you anyway? If you continue down this Path, you will only find pain and failure – and in the end, I'll kill you the way I killed your father and your grandparents. Either way, I win."

"NOOOOO!"

The fires burst out from underneath the floor to surround him once more, revealing flashes of Gohan's life in which he could've made a real difference if only he had been stronger.

Bodies, including his father's, strewn amid the rubble, like lost and broken dolls.

An ice-shaped fist crashing against the side of his mother's face.

Guns pointed at the quivering, innocent hostages of Advance Finance.

Chi-Chi and Goten staring horrified into his face when he lost control of his power.

A gun held tightly against the side of Ochaco's head as she stared at him, terrified.

If only I were stronger…

Valese's sobs and her quivering shoulders.

The sinking feeling in his chest when he failed to save all of those people who burned to death in the apartment building.

The dead weight of the Zero Pointer in free fall, barreling towards his friends.

The dread he felt when his application to UA was rejected for the first time.

Aizawa's icy glare as he was being scrutinized by all of the UA Teachers.

Back then…

The bitter sting of failure on his very first day of class.

Vegeta's iron fist crashing against the side of his face when they fought in West City.

The glowing eyes of the tiny androids that swarmed toward him and his classmates.

Ojiro's cruel taunts when they faced each other in the Combat Trials

When I needed it the most!

The pandemonium in the marketplace brought on by the League's declaration of war.

The desperate cries of his classmates as they were ambushed in the USJ.

Aizawa, Eighteen and Thirteen's pained grunts as they were mercilessly beaten by the villains.

The evil glow of Nomu's dead red eyes.

The fear, the rage, the utter terror he felt as he watched himself transform into a monster that killed and devoured anyone in his path.

All for One was right. He was no hero.

He was a failure, and all his efforts had resulted in hurting the ones he loved…

As Gohan began to feel himself slip away, the M on his forehead etched down on its final arch, the Majin transformation almost complete. All for One's laugh sounded off in Gohan's head.

"That's it, my boy!" He called out happily. "Kneel! And take your place at my side!"

Gohan finally stopped resisting and felt himself drift away in a current of that dark blue liquid that filled his lungs… and suddenly, Gohan heard another voice, muffled by the distance.

"It's going to be alright, kid…"

Gohan's eyes opened slightly, barely gripping onto consciousness.
"All… Might…?"

"Everything is going to be alright." All Might said, soothingly. "And you want to know why? Because I am here!"

"All Might!" Gohan called, reaching out towards the voice, an ember of light amid the great darkness that surrounded him.

"Lies!" All for One bellowed. "Nothing can stop the inevitable now!"

But more and more voices began to cry out behind All Might's, filling Gohan's head, drowning out All for One's voice.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're giving up already, Son. You have more than enough power to beat this guy!"

"He did it… He saved us!"

"This young man's a damn hero, is what he is!"

"Your father believed, as I do, that if you have the power to make a difference in this world, you have the obligation to do it. And I'm telling you Gohan that you have the power to become the greatest hero anyone has ever known, and it all starts with this first step.

"Onii-san saved me. I never got the chance to thank him. Onii-san, I'm alive because of you. You're my Hero!"

"I've lived in Namek all of my life. I've seen the crime in this city go from bad to worse over the years. There ain't enough goodness in the world these days. But this young man gave me hope that… well, that maybe there's still a little good out there, after all."

Gohan slowly picked his head up off the ground, tears still running down his cheeks, but he swiped at them with his arm. The voices were his strength, his bulwark, his pillar, pulling him back from the abyss.

"Gohan… In case I don't make it into the Hero Course with you… Promise me you'll keep working towards your goal, okay?"

"That was very noble, Gohan. It's important to set the example of what UA High stands for."

"You're him! You're the Dragon of Namek! I knew you would save us!"

"Just imagine how proud your Mom's going to be when she finds out her son is a top student at UA High? I know I am!"

"Good luck, Gohan! I'll be cheering for you!"

"PORUNGA! PORUNGA! PORUNGA!"

A power burst out of Gohan with newfound life, like nothing he had ever experienced before. A dull green aura shot out, brightening around him.

"You're an amazing guy, Gohan. You deserve this win. Go on, take the win, and with it, my respect."

"You know, Gohan, that's one of the main things I find so attractive about you. You have such a huge heart and you want to save everyone, even obnoxious jerks like Bakugo."

"You know, for someone who's been through so much, you sure have a lot of faith in people, and... that's a good thing. You've got a good heart, I guess."

"I think it's great that there's a hero in Namek. Everything thatyou've been doing has been giving hope to a lot of people. And I want in."

"You risked your life to save our classmates, while I cowered behind the rules. You've proven yourself a much worthier candidate for Class Representative – and you're a far greater Hero than I am. So don't feel guilty because today, we're all getting a chance to earn our stripes. We are Class 1A. Where one of us goes, the rest will follow – united."

"You're my hero, Gohan…"

"You saved us. You don't have to fight anymore. You can come back. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

"I've got you, sweetheart. Please come back to me. I love you, Gohan."

The fires were no longer burning his flesh. No – the fires were his, now. They were swept up with the rushing current of wind that swirled around Gohan's body, raising his hair into spikes as his irises began to radiate with a cyan glow. A burst of golden light shot out from within Gohan's core, erasing the Majin Mark from his forehead and with it, All for One's influence.

"You impertinent child!" All for One howled. "You may have resisted this time, but in time, you will kneel!"

"Don't you see? I am not your slave, All for One." Gohan said, balling his fists and rising to his feet. "I am Son Gohan, the Dragon of Namek, the Seventh Star of Sadala, a Z-Fighter like those before me. And one more thing – I'm my father's SONNNNNN!"

…

A slow rumble started from the base of the pod. Vegeta felt it first, before the doctors or their devices could detect it – a violent surge of power rushing out from Gohan's pod. The ground began to tremble, and some of the tiles cracked and shot upward, suspended in midair by the sudden discharge of energy.

"What's happening now?" All Might asked, unfolding his arms and dropping them down to his side in surprise. "Where is that massive power level surging from?"

The blue liquid inside the tank began to swish back and forth violently inside the pod and Gohan's hands balled into fists. His eyebrows furrowed downward into a fierce scowl and the boy tucked his knees in towards him. A low purr rippled out of him, sending a frenzy of oxygen bubbles rushing to the surface of the tank.

His muscles flexed and grew, as rings of brilliant golden light began to emanate from the boy's body, exiting the tank and creating gusts of wind that blew papers, pencils and other small desk items around wildly.

"Lord Vegeta!" One of the nurses called from the Power Level monitor. "You really need to see this!"

"What is it, woman?" Vegeta barked over the howling winds. "What do you see?"

"His power levels… They're… They're…!" The screen flickered into static and burst with an explosion of sparks and smoke. The nurse yelped in surprise. The other monitors in the room began to beep hysterically and explode, one by one.

"WHAT?!" Nappa roared, staring into the last monitor as Burnin held onto the giant, stocky Saiyan for balance. "There's no way that can be right!"

The entire building was convulsing now, shaking violently down to its foundations. Monitors toppled over and crashed on the floor, along with some of the doctors, nurses and heroes that lost their balance. The rays of light were shooting off wildly from Gohan's body, painting his hair with a vibrant golden light that glowed like the sun and his scream filled the entire room.

Gohan's eyes flew open, and two glowing cyan irises blazed in his eyes. With one final blast of energy, the glass pod exploded sending shards of glass and Rejuvenation Liquid flying everywhere.

Vegeta covered his face with an arm and used his free hand to blast away the lose debris that was flying in his direction with one powerful, fiery ki blast.

And then, just as soon as it started, it was over. An eerie calm fell over the entire room.

Vegeta felt it long before he saw it.

This heat… It was the kind of sweltering, draining ardor that devoured everything in its radiant blaze. Vegeta slowly moved his hand downward, and at first, the blazing light from Gohan's aura blinded him. After a few moments, Vegeta's vision grew accustomed to the blinding light and he could finally make out the figure emerging from within the ruptured pod.

The hair in Gohan's body was a blazing gold color and the muscles in his slim, teen body were chiseled and bulging. The soft brown hair on Gohan's tail had also turned golden in color, and a fiery blueelectricity ran up and down his body, holding his spiky hair up.

"What… what is that?" Nappa asked. Several drops of sweat rolled down his face and he wiped at them angrily. He glanced over and a potted plant sitting on top of one of the doctor's desk shriveled up in an instant of fiery black smoke. "Do you feel that heat? This… this is a completely different type of Saiyan power."

"Ahh! Ah!" Vegeta stared in wide-eyed wonder. "G-Gohan is a…?"

"Gohan…" Toshinori stared, his mouth wide open. "You're… a Super Saiyan?"

And just like that, the power evaporated in a flash of golden light. Gohan's spiky hair dropped back down to normal and the vibrant green glow dissipated from his irises. Exhausted and heaving for air, Gohan collapsed forward.

Toshinori dashed forward and caught the boy in his arms. Gohan's eyes were tightly shut, and he struggled to regain his breathing.

"It's okay, Young Son," All Might said quietly. "You're safe now. I've got you."

Slowly, Gohan's eyes opened, taking in his surroundings.

"All… Might?" He uttered weakly. He blinked several times and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Where… am I?"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Vegeta laughed, a tone of pride roaring out from his belly. A proud, excited smile formed over his lips. "Gohan, you dog! That's it! You actually held such power within you this entire time and didn't think of bringing it out even once?"

"My… power…?," Gohan groaned. All Might helped him stand to his feet and Gohan glanced back at the destroyed Rejuvenation Pod.

This golden light… was this his legendary golden formthat Bardock had shown him? But it had vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. The form hadn't even lasted thirty seconds before dissipating away.

Clearly, he wasn't ready to wield such power yet, but he had gotten a taste of just how limitless his true potential was. A wave of joy and utter relief washed over him, and he couldn't stop himself from throwing his head back and laughing with joy.

I did it! Dad, Grandpa! I really did it!

"No way!" Nappa shouted, stupefied. "He was practically a vegetable just five minutes ago! And now he's gone and activated a new power? He's supposed to be dead!"

"Sorry about the mess, sir, but I wasn't about to die in there like that. Besides…" Gohan said, rising to his feet andshooting Vegeta and Nappa a confident smirk. "Don't you know that wolves bear their fangs against fate?"

The words stoked the Saiyan Lord's excitement.

All Might gasped. That had been one of the very things that Bardock had taught him when he first began to befriend him. So this entire time, Gohan had been under yet another Kanassan Hallucination…

All Might looked up as Vegeta turned to face Burnin, who was completely paralyzed by the power she had just witnessed.

"Woman, prepare the training chamber, at once!" He shouted at her, lifting a finger to Gohan. "And get this Saiyan warrior some battle gear. It's time, Gohan. It's time to show us all what you're really made of!"

At the entrance to the Rejuvenation Chamber, Shoto Todoroki had been watching the encounter transpire ever since he felt the enormous burst of ki. Out of concern for Gohan's wellbeing, Momo had begged him to check up on his condition after class, and she just wouldn't take no for an answer.

But now,seeing how excited Vegeta was to spend time with Gohan ignited a fire in Shoto's belly; it was flame he had ignored for a very long time.

"Bastard," Shoto said through gritted teeth. His eyes shifted over to Gohan and his eyebrows tightened. Up until that point, he had regarded Gohan as little more than a strong rival, one whose true power was hindered by foolish idealism and attachments to one classmate in particular. And admittedly, a small part of Shoto had even started to admire Gohan's courage and his strength. But seeing the utter joy in Vegeta's face, and the beaming pride for someone else's son… it really pissed him off!

Son Gohan… You can have Endeavor's love. I'll show you both that I reject this cursed Saiyan blood and I will beat you with my mom's power.

Without a word, Shoto swiveled on his heel and left the building.

"No, Vegeta," All Might was saying, sternly. "There'll be time for that later. Right now, Gohan needs to go home. He'sbeen away from his family for long enough as it is."

"This is a Saiyan affair, All Might," Vegeta spat. "Stay out of it! The boy has barely tapped into a far greater power than you could possibly understand. Without guidance-"

"I know what a Super Saiyan is, Vegeta," All Might replied, annoyed.

"Mister Toshinori's right," Gohan said firmly, eliciting a growl from the Saiyan Lord. "Look, I know the implications of this new form, Vegeta. And I know that right now, you're the only one who can help me master it. I promise, I'll be back. I want you to train me. But there's something I have to take care of right now."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, but he folded his hands over his chest again.

"Fine," he growled. "Do as you please."

"All Might," Gohan said, turning to his teacher as the large man draped his cape over the teen's trembling shoulders. "I…saw them."

"Who?" All Might asked.

"My Dad and my Grandpa Bardock. I saw them as clearly as I see you and Vegeta now. And also…" Gohan trailed off. He paused for a moment before looking back up at All Might's concerned eyes. "All for One came to me in a vision."

"All for One!?" All Might repeated.

"Yeah," Gohan nodded, looking down at his hands. "He did something to me – gave me a 'mark' and said I was one of his soldiers."

Gohan reached up to his forehead, but thankfully, the Mark was gone.

"I think he was trying to control my mind," Gohan said. "Back at the Marketplace, when the League of Villains declared war on us, the two fighters they used had the same marks."

"That's a Majin Mark," All Might said with a heavy sigh. "It's an ancient Quirk that offers limitless energy and regeneration in exchange for your mind. You accepted the Mark when you were a kid to save Piccolo, and the only way to stop it was by sealing its influence away with a mental block until the connection could be purged."

"Which is why it stopped again when I transformed into the Oozaru," Gohan said thoughtfully. "Or now that I unlocked this new power…"

"We'll find a way to purge it completely, one way or another. But did All for One say what he wanted?"

Gohan sighed and paced back and forth, rubbing his chin.
"He mentioned something called 'One for All'. He seemed really obsessed by it, actually. He wanted me to find it and bring it to him."

All Might gasped and Vegeta turned at the sound of One for All.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" Gohan asked them.

"Yes," All Might responded. "It's a long story, and I promise, I'll explain everything soon, but for now-"

All Might reached out and brought Gohan into an unexpected hug. Gohan froze, caught off guard by the affectionate move.

"I'm just so relieved to see that you're safe, Gohan." All Might said.

"All Might…" Gohan said, feeling a rush of emotions as the giant man held him in his arms. After a few moments, All Might finally pulled back.

"Sorry – it's just that we were this close to losing you and I guess I just… what I mean to say is, it's that I'm so proud of you, Young Gohan. I'm proud of the way you stepped up to keep everyone safe during the USJ attack and for holding on for this long inside that tank. You truly embody what it means to be a UA student, and a hero."

"Thank you, Mister Toshi, sir," Gohan said with a smile. "But there's something I need to tell you, something I should have told you about me a long time ago."

"Yes, go on, boy," Vegeta taunted with a mischievous grin. "Why don't you share with All Might how you've been using your gifts by parading around as The Dr-"

But All Might held a hand up, interrupting Vegeta's taunts.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure Gohan can handle it," All Might said. "Besides, you said it yourself, Vegeta. Saiyan Affairs are of no concern to me, isn't that right?"

Vegeta growled, his face reddening noticeably and he turned away immediately.

"Argh! Nevermind the training gear!" he shouted as he walked away, his red cape swaying behind him. "I've got villains to hunt."

Gohan turned back to All Might nervously.

He gulped, feeling a heat rise up to his cheeks as All Might turned to him.

"Mister Toshi, I can explain-" He began, but All Might cut him off.

"Understand this, Young Gohan." Toshi interrupted again with a soft tone. "This Path is your destiny, son. You walk down this path you're in, and don't you dare turn back, do you hear me? No matter where it leads, I'll be with you every step of the way."

All Might's encouraging words pulled on Gohan's heart and he couldn'tcontain the rush of emotions puffing up in his chest. He reached up and wiped his face with his arm and then gave All Might a bright, happy smile.

"Thank you, All Might," he said with a chuckle. "I'm gonna do my best!"

"Now," All Might said with a heavy sigh. "It's time for you to head home. I'm sure Piccolo and the others are worried sick about you. Once we resume classes on Monday, I'll pull you aside and explain everything regarding the relationship between All for One, One for All, and our family."

…

The wind howled gently at Ochaco's window, waking her from her sleep. Ochaco's eyes fluttered open and she removed the scouter that was still on her face, and after tucking it back under her pillow, she began to lie back down, when suddenly a dreaded thought woke her. She had slept through the entire afternoon and now it was a quarter past nine in the evening.

"THE TRASH!" Ochaco shouted. I can't believe I forgot to take it out!

Ochaco leaped out of bed and floated over to her closet to look for a raincoat. Already, light drizzle was beginning to pelt and scurry down her window. Glancing up at her clock, she saw that she was still within the window of time to take her trash out, if she hurried. She found a jacket and pulled it out, giving it a quick glance first.

It was the black and white jacket that Gohan had bought for her on the day of the UA Entrance Exam. She rubbed her thumb over the material as a slew of memories ran through her head in an instant.

"Well?" she had asked him as she exited the changing room wearing the outfit. "How do I look?"

"You look great, Urara-chan!" Gohan smiled before proceeding to choose the ugliest green tracksuit in the world for himself…

Ochaco chuckled at the memory, feeling a twinge of nostalgia bubble up through her chest. Oh, Gohan…

But she had very little time to reminisce. She quickly put on the jacket and grabbed the plastic bag with her recyclables and after putting on her shoes, she ran out the door.

The rain wasn't quite thick yet, by the time Ochaco got outside, but these spring showers would quickly turn into heavy rain without warning. She needed to hurry. Rather than taking the three flights of stairs that lead down to the alley between her building and the next, where the city workers would pick up her apartment block's trash, Ochaco decided to float down instead and save herself time.

She climbed up to the ledge, set one foot forward onto the railing, and paused.

This is the exact spot where I met Gohan, she realized as the drizzle pelted the white towel he had rolled over her head to keep her hair dry. Back then, he had just arrived into town looking for his family and thought that I was trying to hurt myself. He caught me in his arms and 'saved' me…

Ochaco sighed again and shook her head. Why was everything in this cold rainy night reminding her of Gohan? Ochaco activated her Quirk on herself and flew down slowly towards the alley, where she placed the bag of plastic bottles in the appropriate bin. A sudden gust of wind flew in through the alley chilling her rain-soaked body.

Yep, just as she expected, as soon as she turned to leave, a thick blanket of rain began to pour down over her head mercilessly.

"Great, just great," Ochaco grumbled. "I'm gonna need to take another warm bath so I don't catch a cold now…"

Rubbing her arms for warmth, Ochaco prepared herself to fly back up towards her apartment on the third door when a shadowy silhouette stopped her in her tracks. The strong, slender build and the familiar spiky hair was unmistakable.

Ochaco brought her hands up to her mouth, unable to contain tears of surprise and relief at the sight of him. The rain had drenched Gohan's growing spiky hair and his simple T shirt and jeans.

"Ochaco – HEY!" Gohan shouted cheerfully, wiping the back of his hand over his rain-streaked eyes.

"Gohan!" Ochaco shouted and ran towards him, throwing her arms around Gohan's body and burying her face in his chest, sobbing with joy and relief.

"What on earth are you doing, standing in the rain like that?" He laughed. "You're gonna catch a cold or something."

Ochaco felt so relieved that the rain was covering her rain-soaked cheeks.

"Waiting for you, ya big jerk," she said, tucking her head under his chin, her lower lip trembling. "You're about three weeks late to our dinner date, ya know."

"Wha-? THREE WEEKS?!" Gohan shrieked. "That's how long I was out?"

"Yeah! We were so worried about you, Gohan. We were beginning to think that you weren't going to…"

Ochaco's voice trailed off into a whimper.

"Oh, Gohan!" She cried, burrying her face into his soaked shirt, clinging onto him tightly. Her shoulders began to heave and Gohan could hear her faint sobs over the pouring rain.

"Heyyy," Gohan said soothingly with a half grin, wrapping his arms around the girl's trembling shoulders. "Don't cry, Ochaco. I'm okay. Really – I'm fine! See? All of my scars and bruises are gone. Plus – I've got this awesome new tail now, too!"

Gohan's furry brown tail lifted up behind him and wiggled over, brushing Ochaco's cheek tenderly before wrapping over his waist again. Ochaco sniffled and brushed a wet hand over her reddened eyes. She looked up at him and nodded with a bright smile.

"I love it. It's soooo cute! Especially when it wiggles like that," She said as a bubbly expression brightened her face. "Sorry. I've kinda been an emotional mess ever since the USJ."

"Oh yeah? Well, I know just the thing that will make you feel better," Gohan said, lifting up his right arm and showing Ochaco a pair of bagged boxes. "I know it's super late, but I'd like to take you up on that dinner date we planned, if it's okay. I bought some pork curry from Coco Ichibanya on the way over here. We just need to reheat it. Hungry?"

"YESSS!" Ochaco salivated, staring glassy eyed at the bagged bento boxes of food. "Come on, let's get inside."

…

The two teens got inside and took turns taking a quick shower. Thankfully for Gohan, the outfit-switching watch that Melissa had made for him still held one of his casual outfits, a black sleeveless tank top and dark blue joggers.

By the time he got out of the shower and changed, Ochaco was reheating the food on the gas stove, and its warm aroma was wafting along the cozy apartment. Gohan breathed in the scent of the cooked meal with a sigh.

Man, it felt sooo good to finally be out of that damned rejuvenation chamber. His stomach grumbled loudly in anticipation for some hot food!

Ochaco and Gohan sat down next to each other in front of her bed to wait for the food to finish heating up.

"We were so worried about you, Gohan," Ochaco sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. Gohan glanced down at her. "I called Melissa and Midoriya. They're so excited to see you, that they dropped everything to head on over here. Iida, Ashido and Kirishima are coming, too. You know, kinda like a mini reunion for the whole Musutafu gang! They should be getting here any minute now."

"Hey yeah! It will be so nice to have dinner together. I missed you guys, too," Gohan confessed with a smile, taking a sip of water from his cup. "You know, when I was asleep in that Rejuvenation tank, I dreamed a lot about people in my life, the places I've been, the things I've seen. I even dreamed about you."

"M-Me?! That's so s-sweet!" Ochaco stiffened, wide-eyed for a moment before relaxing with an embarrassed blush. "If I'm being honest, I've been thinking about you, too… a lot, actually."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah… Hey, that's right!" She said, perking up suddenly, her face lighting up with a smile. "There's something I'd been meaning to give you. I promise, I took really good care of it while you were recovering."

She reached her hand under the pillow and fished out the white-shelled device.

"Here ya go!" She chirped.

"Hey! That's my Scouter!" Gohan said excitedly, taking the device from her hand. "I was so sure I'd lost it at the USJ."

"Well you did, when you…" Ochaco trailed off. She looked away, biting down on her lower lip. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Gohan said, shaking his head. He smiled at her. "Really. It is. I'm learning how to control my new powers. As a matter of fact, this tail helps me keep it under control. Whatever happened back there – that… monster… What I remember the most is seeing you stepping out into the plaza with Koda and Tokoyami. I saw you, but I couldn't stop myself at first. It was like my body was moving on instinct or something. And my worst fear was that I was going to do something terrible to you… But you saved me from it. Even though you were risking your life."

"Duh!" Ochaco said, closing her eyes and leaning back with a cheerful smile. "You're my best friend; saving you is officially my job, okay?"

The shared a short laugh.

"Uhh, right," Gohan nodded. "And that's why I wanted to come see you before I made my way back to Namek City, so that I could say – thank you, for always being there for me. It means a lot to me."

"...you…mean a lot to me," Ochaco said, her voice dropping down to a serious tone.

A serious silence settled between the two teens, a pause in which nothing and everything was said between the two at the same time. The soft glow of the television's screen danced around Gohan's handsome features and Ochaco couldn't stop staring into his dark eyes.

"Oh yeah," Gohan said, breaking the silence, reaching into his pocket. "There's something I've been meaning to give you, too. But don't get mad, okay? Can I see your hand?"

"Y-yeah?" Ochaco asked, her mouth turning into a blushing thin line and reached out to him. "Ok. Promise. What is it?"

Gohan dug in his pocket with his other hand and pulled out a slim, round metallic band with his signature on it. Ochaco gasped as Gohan gently clasped it shut around her wrist. It was the point tracker from the Entrance Exam. Ever since they had passed that impossible exam together, the tracker had become something of a "good luck" charm for her.

"Gohan, this-"

"When you gave it to me, just before the Combat Trials, you asked me not to do anything stupid, remember?" Gohan said, squeezing her hand in his gently in his. "Well, at the USJ, I should've stayed back with you guys instead of trying to take on Nomu and the other villains. That was… pretty stupid."

"That's because you're a real hero, Gohan. You've always been there for us… for me," Ochaco breathed, staring down at the metal bracelet that Gohan had signed the night after the Exams and every memory of all of the crazy things they'd gone through together came rushing back to her in an instant.

When he rescued her from getting mugged or kidnapped twice.
When he helped her learn how to fly using her Quirk.
When he helped provide for her basic needs, especially when she had no money.
When he believed in her potential, when he encouraged her, and protected her.

Gohan had always been there when she needed him the most.

She looked up at him with a smile, her cheeks blushing bright pink and her eyes glazing over with emotion.

"Ochaco?" Gohan asked, concerned.

"Thank you, Gohan," Ochaco breathed. "For everything. But now that you've given this back, I think it's only fair that I do something pretty stupid, too."

"Huh?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean-"

With her hand still in his, Ochaco stretched up towards him, closing her eyes and tilting her head to her side, slightly.

"Ochaco?" Gohan breathed, wide-eyed. But Ochaco was completely swept up in the moment and the sea of rushing emotions.

Gohan was alive, he was going to be okay. She didn't lose him after all… and now she had the chance to show him how she truly felt – these beautiful, terrifying, exciting new feelings that she'd started to have for him ever since he had fought for her in the Namekian mountain village tournament. That was the moment she had realized that she was in love with him.

"Ochaco…?" Gohan's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. Her face was so close to his now that she could feel the warmth of his lips and his shallow, nervous breaths brushing against her cheek. Almost there… just a little more!

Gohan's heart was pounding in his ears, and his mind filled with his grandfather's warning about falling in love so soon, but a film of static buzzed, turning off all reason. His first reaction was to pull back, to retreat and to make sense of everything that was going on. But he couldn't.

He couldn't pull away, and he definitely couldn't deny his feelings for Ochaco any more.

She had always been the one that lifted him up in his low moments, especially when he was lonely.
She had always been the one that encouraged him to keep growing, to never give up.
She had always been the one that could bring a genuine smile to his face.
She had always been the one that would defend him, believe in him, save him.

She had always been the one.

Ignoring his buzzing mind and drumming heart, Gohan leaned down and pressed his forehead against Ochaco's. Ochaco resisted the urge to open her eyes and stare into his, to search for the same intense emotions that were riveting wildly in her heart. Gohan smiled and reached up to give her left cheek a gentle, intimate caress. He inclined his lips to finally meet hers and Ochaco held her breath, ready for the moment she had been waiting for, for so long and then, finally, their lips met–

The door to Ochaco's apartment suddenly flew open and Melissa stumbled in, with Izuku, Iida, Kirishima and Mina all landing on the floor beside her in a comedic sudden crash made Gohan and Ochaco jump away from each other with a surprised yelp, ending the moment immediately.

"DO YOU TWO NOT REALIZE THAT THERE'S SMOKE COMING OUT OF YOUR KITCHEN WINDOW?!" Melissa yelled, pointing at the tiny kitchen area around the corner.

"Huh?" Ochaco froze one second before the charred, smoky musk hit her nose.

"AAAAAHHHHH YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN' ME!" She shouted in anger and disbelief that herprecious moment with Gohanhad just beenruined by the rude intrusion and the smell of burnt curry that now filled the tiny apartment, forming a cloud of black smoke above them. Ochaco turned to face Gohan with an expression of shock and fear in her eyes.

"The curry!" They shouted in unison and jumped to their feet. The seven teens allran over to the kitchen in a stumbling stupor to remove the burning food away from the stove.

"Holy whoa, it's toast!" Izuku shouted frantically.
"Why didn't you stir it?"
"Because I left it on low heat!"
"Low heat is still heat, Uraraka!"
"I didn't even know you could burn curry."
"Neither did I!"
"…Melissa! It's not shutting off!"
"What do we do, Red?"
"Hit the valve, man! Hit the valve!"
"That's the wrong valve, Deku!"
"No, not that one, thisone – twist it all the way!"
"Oh – Just move the blasted pan!"
"I'm trying!"

One by one, the lights in the neighboring apartments flickered on, awakened by the teens' commotion.

---

Ending Song:
"Let Me Hear," by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

---

"Brother, Gohan just called. He's alright! He's coming home!" Nail said, excitedly, but Piccolo didn't move. His eyes remained glued onto the shady Yakuza who, for the past three weeks, had been showing up to Papaya Island's rings. His attention certainly seemed to be fixed on Rappa Kendo, as he would only show up to watch him fight and then leave as soon as his fights were over.

"Brother?"

"Sorry," Piccolo responded. "That's great news, Nail. I knew the kid wouldn't go down like this. He's got the indomitable spirit of any Namekian, after all. Let me know when he's back."

Nail nodded and walked over to stand next to the taller Namekian.

"What is it?" Nail asked. "Trouble?"

"I don't like him," Piccolo said without turning. "Him and his ilk give me a bad feeling."

"Shie Hassaikai. They're the new boys in town, ever since the Dragon of Namek took down the Triads that were bludgeoning the streets before. These Hassaikai guys are more business-minded and less prone to street violence," Nail said. "I say they're more or less relics of another time than actual threats."

"Heh, so are we, to an extent, yet here we are," Piccolo responded with a smirk.

"Don't worry," Nail smiled back. "If he or any of his beak-nosed cronies get out of hand, I'll handle them."

"Hmph."

The crowd went wild as Rappa Kendo emerged from backstage to make his way to the ring. Piccolo caught him just as he passed his VIP box.

"Hey, Kendo," Piccolo called out as the giant man with the iron fists made his way to the ring amid clamorous applause. Kendo turned around to face his boss, who nodded at him. "Looks like you've got interested parties scouting you out. Give us a good show, won't ya?"

"Sure thing, boss!" Rappa replied, lifting a giant fist in the air. "Besides, I got my two babies, Valese and Itsuka watching from the ringside. I won't let you down!"

Down by the ringside, Valese jumped from her seat with joy as she saw her father enter the ring, ready to face off against another world-class fighter, Hercule Satan.

It was a match of the ages, and the crowd's roar was deafening as the two fighters went up to face each other in the ring and yell taunts at each other through the microphone, stoking the drama of the fight.

From around the corner of their VIP box, Valese caught sight of her big sister apologetically making her way through the crowded rows of seats towards her carrying popcorn and sodas in her enlarged hands.

"Onee-san! Hurry!" Valese called as her big sister got to her seat. "The match is about to start!"

"Sorry about that. Here you go, Val," Valese's sister said breathlessly, handing over one of the popcorn bags and a soda to Valese. From behind them, a woman from her dad's entourage tapped the redhead proudly on her muscular shoulder and leaned in close so that she could hear her voice over the roaring crowd.

"Pay close attention, Itsuka," she said. "You've got that UA High Sports Festival in two weeks, right? Who knows, maybe you're gonna have to fight Mister Satan's daughter in the ring!"

Itsuka Kendo swiped a hand across the messy spiky bangs that framed her cute face and emerald green eyes. She smiled back up at the woman and nodded.

"I know! I seriously can't wait for the Sports Fest this year!" She said with an excited grin, lifting one of her fists up in the air. "I don't care if I have to fight the Dragon himself, I'm gonna bring home the win!"

(… )

The rain-soaked streets of Hosu City glowed with the light from Dabi's flames. It was amazing how one could find such beauty in something so simple as fire.

Dabi liked to think of himself as a simple man.

Gone were the childish dreams he'd clung onto about becoming a powerful villain who would one day challenge and destroy his bastard of a father, and take his place as Lord of Saiyans.

Lord Todoroki… ha!

That dream had died a long time ago, along with Touya Todoroki.

These days, physical strength and power meant nothing to Dabi, nor did destiny nor honor nor glory nor any of the other nonsense he had been raised to believe in by the Saiyans and their spineless, sycophantic ways in which they clung onto the past. Dabi had found true strength through purpose.

His soul – that is what Stain had gifted him.

All that mattered to him now was the Cause. Despite what the media said about them, they didn't just target false heroes. They had their share in taking out the trash, as well.

After all, that's what a true hero does, right?

In this case, for instance, the writhing, sobbing, sorry lot that moaned at his feet were villains who had participated in the USJ Incident and had managed to escape Endeavor's wrath.

Dabi's eyes closed in concentration as the violent, roaring flames in his palm slowly materialized and solidified into fiery blue orbs.

"Heh," Dabi grinned, his cheeks pulling against the staples holding his face together. "If only my old man could see me now…"

He swung his arm downward and unleashed the fiery ki blast on his victims, who had been paralyzed by his Master, the Hero Killer Stain. The fallen villains wailed in distorted agony, but only for a moment, before the blue fires consumed them completely.

The blue flames highlighted the glint in Dabi's blue eyes.

"…he'd see that his boy turned out to be just like him," he finished.

The flames weren't meant to completely incinerate all the remains of the dead villains. Sooner or later, Endeavor would find this lair, along with the charred and twisted bodies. This was a message to him; a sign of greater things to come.

"Let's go," Stain hissed at him, bringing his arm up and sliding his bloodied blade into its sheath on his back. "The night is young, and we still have much more work to do."

"Okie dokie! I was able to suck up so much blood from these guys, it's so beautiful!" A blonde schoolgirl wearing a bloodied, oversized yellow sweater cheered, flailing around playfully. Her puffy sleeves were covered in blood and she swung a bloody knife around precariously. Her demented, dark underlined golden eyes glazed over in pure bliss. "Come on, Mister Stainy, spill! Who do we get to cut into itsy bitsy little pieces next?"

Dabi eyed the schoolgirl with a scoff. Himiko Toga was a lunatic who was wanted for several murders. She had wondered the streets, homeless until she stumbled upon Stain's handiwork. Stain saw potential in that maniac and invited her into the Fold. She was crazy, but effective. The girl idolized Stain and his righteous goals, so Dabi chose to tolerate her psychotic presence for just a little while longer.

As Dabi turned to follow Stain and Toga, a sheet of newspaper flew towards him with the breeze, and Dabi caught it in his hands. The headline read "High School Heroes Save the Day – Why Japan Needs the Z-Fighters!" by reporter Kuri Shimamura. The photograph accompanying the headline showed Gohan lifting up Spopovich's limp body over his head in the aftermath of the League of Villain's attack on the Marketplace, just before the USJ Incident. Ochaco could be seen in the background, staring up at him in awe.

Dabi's eye twitched and for the first time in a very long time, his eyebrows furrowed with anger.

It was him. That was the kid who fought him off in Namek City and turned him into… this.

The Dragon of Namek.

Dabi had sworn he would get him back for crossing him way back then, and even though he was a simple man now, dedicated to Stain's cause, he still yearned for revenge.

"Something wrong, Dabi?" Stain asked, suddenly next to him like a shadowy wraith.

Dabi set the newspaper on fire with his fingers and tossed it over his shoulder.

"These High School heroes – these new Z-Fighters…" he smirked, stuffing his charred, stapled hands into the pockets of his dark blue trench coat and walking away. "…they are so cool, aren't they?"

"What they did was brave, but the minute they embrace celebrity, they seize being heroes," Stain said, stabbing the tip of his sword into the burning photograph and lifting it up to examine the burning image closer. "False heroes must be culled to set an example for the rest."

"Oooh!" Toga sighed dreamily. "He's a real cutie! Totally my type. And so is she! I can't wait to get a chance to cut her!

(…)

Footsteps echoed down the long empty halls of the GeroShield Labs in the floating city of I-Island.

"Another late night, Sam? I thought you'd be calling it in, by now," The gray-haired janitor asked, absentmindedly, passing a mop across the floor as a portly scientist passed by him for a third cup of coffee for the night. He wiped his tired eyes with a lazy yawn, but returned the greeting with a nod.

"Oh, don't you know it, Mitch," Sam responded, taking a sip from his coffee cup as he headed back to his lab. "The I-Expo is just a mere three months away, after all. Now's the time that we start getting personal visits from Murphy's Law, you know. A slip up now could ruin everything."

"Of course," Mitch responded with a warm smile. "I know all that hard work will pay off at the Expo. I can't wait to see what you and Doctor Shield came up with this year. A new line of Androids, perhaps? They might as well hand over the top prize now and save us all some time, eh?"

"Believe me, Mitch," Sam said with a smile. "I've got the perfect surprise for everyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really should get back to work."

"Sure thing," the older janitor replied, going back to his mopping. "If I don't see you again before I clock out, have a good night, Doctor Gero."

Samuel Gero entered his lab and sealed the door shut behind him. The bright white lights illuminated his table and his supercomputer ignited with digital life, showering the room with colorful data charts projected from the cylindrical tank just off to the left.

Gero reached for the phone by his desk, but paused.

There, on his desk, was a framed picture of himself when he was a younger man, holding baby Gevo in his arms as Lapis and Lazuli hugged onto his legs when they were children. How different things were back then, before the Red Ribbon army found them and stripped his children of any normal life. His jaw clenched.

What he was about to do now would change everything, would even brand him a traitor and a monster, but it would be all for the children that his kids once were. David would never understand it. He still had his daughter.

Sam picked up the phone and proceeded to dial a number.

After a few moments of ringing, somebody picked up on the other end of the line.

"It's me," Sam said, leaning back on his chair. His eyes shifted over to the tiny green tailed larva that was bobbing up and down in the bubbling green waters inside the tank.

"I've taken care of everything. We'll make our move on the night of the gala, just before the premier of the I-Expo. Once I have my device, I'll wire over the other half of the money we agreed to. Be ready, you won't want to miss this."

---

A/N: Thank you for reading Path of the Dragon – The Story of Gohan; Season One.

I hope it brought back some memories from previous chapters. It certainly made me nostalgic and glossy-eyed to revisit some key moments from my fic. Good memories, and some pretty cringe ones, but hey, that's part of the fun. And how about that – two new powers for Gohan to try to master for the next Season! He's gonna need them for what he's going to encounter then.

I apologize for taking so long in getting this chapter out. I apologize if it's dizzying to follow, with all the flashbacks and quotes, but I hope you were able to enjoy it.

We have some exciting stuff in store for Season Two, as you can see and I can' wait for everyone to read it!

Thank you again x bajillion!

You're the best!

Onto the Review Responses, then! I actually took the time to respond them in order this time hehe

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X3runner chapter 33 . Nov 17

Nice chapter I really liked how you conducted toshinori(have had the hardest time writing the name down) to goku even furthur I also like how vegeita is showing intrest in gohan here. I mean the guy shows a lot of respect and intrest in him canonically always talking him up even after seeing literal gods. Also the whole ochako bit was sweet. I wonder if we are going to have vegi head pull what he did for cabba with gohan. Also would izuku feal guilty if he find out being given his quirk allows him to see gohans grandma some of the little remaining (kinda) family his frind has. Also I'm curious to see what you do with chichi now that she can't be found anywhere

Thanks, X3! Yeah, I envisioned them being super close, especially because Toshi is such a kind and caring young man and Goku, although rough and grumpy as a baby, he becomes the sweetest little boy afterwards, and I wanted to build on that foundation.

And as for Vegeta, I find it so interesting that he went from bullying Gohan in the Namek Saga, to holding a deep respect for his power, no doubt stemming from his prowess shown during the Cell Games. I am going to try to incorporate some of that for the Endeavor Arc to try and redeem our favorite Vegi head.

And it's funny you should mention Cabba, because in canon, he's a Sadalan Saiyan so… well, I'll just leave the Sadalan Saiyans for the next season hehe but yes, Gohan will intern with Vegeta and Izuku will intern with Master Roshi. And as always, you have your finger right on the pulse of this fic regarding Gine's relationship with Izuku, and how Izuku will feel when he discovers Gine is actually the grandmother that his best friend never had.

And as for Chi-Chi, she is getting her own episode in Chapter 37 – "Episode of Chi-Chi", which will explain her life up until that moment. ;)

Thanks for your review as always, X3! I always enjoy reading them and seeing how you always predict where my fic is going. You're like the Nostradamus of FFN! Hehe

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Elchico 64 chapter 33 . Nov 18

Hey, Eclipse! Wow, the finale of the first season is coming to an end. You must feel real proud for what you've done, really, it demostrate that you're able to go beyond even if thing are bad, you never stop and that's something no all of us are capable.

I got emotional for a second in Toshinori's flashback. He was such a young and careful brother, they are so alike, no wonder you decided to bond them. And Gine, geez, I don't wanna her to go, man. When that happen Im gonna cry XD.

Gohan training with Goku and Bardock in his mind is awesome. Its kinda weird though. Because we never seen Goku and Bardock interact before, Bardock is more like a tool for the fanservice of Dragon Ball Heroed now. But it looks very cool that they transmit their knowledge to Gohan. Wonder if he can go Oozaru without tansforming, y'know, like Broly DBS.

Oh, and the joke of quarantine for COVID-19, could not be miss. Brings some 2020 memorys...

Anyway, that's all for now. I hope that the finale part comes soon, but with your time. 20,000 words is toooo much, I can't go that deep hahahah! But you sure can! Stay amazing as always.

PD: I hope that I get a notification from my e-mail next time, I got lucky when I search a Xover DBZ&MHA and see that you update. Huh, weird, but it happens a lot lately.

Hey Chico! I know dude! It's so hard to believe that we've made it this far together. I definitely feel proud, if a little nostalgic as well. This fic is very different from the one I originally set out to write, and with some of these flashbacks, it's like glancing for a moment back in time to where I was when I wrote those chapters. It's bittersweet, no doubt about it. But definitely worth it! And as far as the word count, Dude! It ended up being almost 40,000 words, so yeah, it definitely needed to get split up into two chapters!

Yeah, I love Nana Shimura's relationship with Toshi, and when she sacrificed herself in the short film, All Might Rising, you could really feel how much she loved Toshi as her son, enough to give her life to protect him from All for One, even though she no longer carried One for All within her and couldn't protect herself from AFO's attack. And then later, when we see Toshi mourn and confess that she was the mother he never had – I wanted to capture it all with the kind Gine. I really love their dynamic and don't worry, we will still see her guiding the next generation as her vestige passes on to Izuku.

And same with Toshi's relationship with Goku. Even though Goku was a mean and grumpy baby, he grew up to be a kind and sweet boy, so definitely, we can see how these two would become best friends/adoptive brothers.

Yesss! Inari form – that's definitely something that I want to give Gohan, whether that's in the form of its separate Quirk or a combination of Quirks, I still have to figure out. Actually, while I was trying to find a way to combine the Quirks "Kaioken" and "Oozaru", I came up with this awesome form where you keep your human form, but Oozaru hair grows all over the body and turns red like Kaioken – oh, wait, that's just Super Saiyan 4! So I ended up discarding the idea hahahaha

And regarding the consciousness of Bardock and Goku interacting, even though it's father and son, I imagine they would have a very DBS Vegeta/Future Trunks type of relationship, since Bardock doesn't seem like the sentimental type the way Gine was. More than anything, they'll be there to guide Gohan in learning how to master his new powers, as well as aid him in different situations the way the vestiges help Izuku.

And yeah, it really sucks about the email opt in feature that FFN didn't tell anybody about, except the Twitter followers. I hope everyone has opted in by now, otherwise they won't get updates via email.

Thanks again for your reviews, Chico! They've kept me motivated to keep writing and your kind words help out aloooot for sure! Thank you thank you thank you!

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NacNak chapter 33 . Nov 18

Oh mai, what's this? Is that a shred of redemption I see in the proud prince of the saiyans? Surely I must be seeing things. XD

On that note, Vegeta keep yer mouth shut! Don't go spilling Saiyan Secrets! Hahaha!

You've got the suspense kicking up, I hope Gohan recovers before the pod has negative effects on him.

Outstanding chapter Eclipse, I look forward to the next one.

Hehehe yep! Gonna see a lot more little moments especially in the next season, where Vegeta will start to get molded into the Vegeta we know and love now, and less of a homicidal maniac we see from the Saiyan/Namek saga. I'd say on the anger/murder scale, compared to canon, I'd place Vegeta's temperament somewhere around the Android Saga – still enjoys killing and is generally a bully to everyone around him, but at least he's not a threat to the good guys right now hehe

And yes! Shaddup Vegeta, nobody likes snitches!

Thank you soooo much for your reviews, NacNak! I really appreciate them and it always gives me that little boost of morale to keep on going!

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JustinCase chapter 33 . Nov 19

Sheeeesh Eclipse! When I said take your time I wasn't expecting you to take a whole month to post the next chapter! Glad to see this back

Ooof that flashback with Toshi and Goku/Gine hit me right in the feels! That line that Gone taught him "just because the ones we love are gone doesn't mean they aren't with us anymore" bruuuh ngl it made me tear up a bit. Stop doing this to me, Eclipse!

And then the bit with Ochako going through Gohan's home videos was pretty sweet, also the part where Gohan spends time with Goku and Bardock, even if it's a dream or whatever. That lead me to wonder, does the Nomufied Goku see Bardock too?

It's cool to think about Bardock guiding Gohan while Gine guides Izuku. Imagine if they fused! That would be epiccccc

I'll be waiting on that next chapter, Z. Please don't let it take a whole nother month please

Yeah, that was the highlight of the chapter for me, where I feel like I poured my entire soul into writing that sequence. I'm glad it paid off! And yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to take a whole month. Ahh, just stuff that happens in life man, it saps your motivation to write sometimes. I'm really sorry about the long wait.

That is a great question regarding Nomu! I would say no, because the Majin Mask has him brainwashed, though he does get lapses where he remembers who he is, but not enough for him to access the consciousness of his father or anyone else, I'd say. Good question!

Oh yeah, that would be epic, wouldn't it? A fusion… Gozuku? Or Izuhan? Which would sound better? Hahaha thanks for your reviews, as always, Justin! Thank you thank you thank youu!

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Brandon Dupere chapter 33 . Nov 20

Super chapitre Eclipse. Même s'il n'y a pas beaucoup d'action, ça fait toujours du bien d'écrire un ou deux chapitre où les personnages prennent une pause après de dure combats. Pour ce qui est de la rencontre de Raditz avec son fils, je vois deux possibilités. Soit qu'il essayera de le convaincre de le rejoindre, comme il avait tenté de faire avec Goku dans le canon, soit qu'il voudra se battre contre lui, pour opposer son alter au sien, tel le saiyan assoiffé de combat qu'il est. Hâte au prochain chapitre.

Salut Brandon ! Merci pour votre avis ! Et concernant votre commentaire sur Raditz et ses inévitables retrouvailles avec son fils, Koten, désormais connu sous le nom de Tomura Shigaraki, ouais ! Je peux confirmer, les deux vont certainement se rencontrer, je dirais peut-être dans la troisième ou quatrième saison. Étant donné que Raditz remplace le supervillain, Nine, du film "Heroes Rising", il affrontera également Izuku et Gohan dans sa quête pour remporter le prix qu'il a toujours recherché, One for All. Je ne vais pas gâcher la fin de cette rencontre, mais je dirai que ce sera un chapitre émouvant pour Tomura, car, comme mentionné dans le chapitre précédent où Raditz est apparu, il est le père de Tomura, qui a assassiné la mère de Tomura, sa sœur Nana, son grands-parents du côté de sa mère ainsi que grand-père Gohan.

Il y a donc tellement de blessures à vif qui doivent être traitées. Comme je l'ai mentionné à un autre critique il y a quelques chapitres, je voulais faire une version méchante de Raditz, contrairement à ce que font la grande majorité des histoires, en donnant à Raditz un chemin vers la rédemption. J'espère que ça marche.

Merci beaucoup pour votre avis, Brandon! J'ai également hâte de lire la suite de votre histoire alors que je me rapproche de plus en plus du rattrapage hahaha

That's it for the Review Responses, everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time in lending me your thoughts, I always enjoy reading them and of course, it does help keep the motivation up to keep writing! Until next Season, then!