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))

43. SportsFest V-Fight on, Pint-Sized Heroes

A/N: Don't be alarmed! The actual word count is "only" 14k. The other 5k words are all Review Responses. Just wanted to clarify that.

I swear this is the last chapter I write that has little to do with the main plot. In the next chapter, we'll get into the full swing of the UA Finals Tournament!

Review Responses at the end, as usual.

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Opening Song:
"Vandalize" by One Ok Rock

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There was an internal flight of stairs that lead to the private VIP seat boxes where Chi-Chi was sitting. Piccolo had peeled away from All Might and Chi-Chi as they neared the exclusive seats. As All Might and Chi-Chi got closer to the exit of the private stairway, the rambunctious cheering and applause from the crowds that had been muffled a moment ago were now loud and clear.

All Might had to be careful not to be seen by the Sports Fans so soon, or else he would get absolutely mobbed and would steal all of the attention from the Sports Games and the Junior League Tournament.

"This is as far as I can take you. After the tournament, I'll be presenting the First-Place trophy and handing out the medals. That's when I'll get a chance to meet all of the contestants personally," All Might was saying to Chi-Chi as they reached the exit. "Ooh! I'm just dying to meet the little guy!"

"Ha! Believe me, Toshi, meeting you in person will make Goten's dream come true!" Chi-Chi said with a smile. "See you down at the stage after the tournament, then?"

"You bet!" Toshinori nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

"Deal. See you then." Chi-Chi waved goodbye and exited the internal flight of stairs that lead to the Capsule Corporation VIP seating box. Toshinori waited for Chi-Chi to find her seat and then he turned to walk back down the stairs. He had taken a few steps when a cheerful voice called out to him.

"Hey, yo! Homeboy! Are you really gonna leave without saying hi?" Bulma called out happily. All Might froze in his tracks and turned to see the blue-haired young woman walking in towards the stairs after him. "All Might, in the flesh! You're a sight for sore eyes!"

Bulma was as beautiful as ever. Her cascading blue hair fell down to her waist and her sideswept bangs framed her delicate face. She was wearing a short red dress and an orange handkerchief was tied around her neck. Her eyes shined with excitement at seeing him.

"B-Bulma!" Toshinori stammered with an embarrassing voice crack. He cleared his throat and brought his hands together, smiling nervously at the smaller woman as she approached him. "Umm, wow! It's so good to see you again! How long has it been?"

"About eight years," Bulma responded dryly, crossing her arms in feigned anger. "That's almost a decade, Toshinori! Not a single call, not a visit, not even a 'fuck you', 'how've you been?' 'what do you need?' Nothin'!"

"S-Sorry!" Toshinori apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been super busy lately. I've barely had a chance to even visit the old agency in Minato recently. And I just recently ran into Dave and Tights a few days ago. I didn't mean to disappear on you all. There's just been… Well, there's been a lot going on lately, as I'm sure you've heard."

"Relax, bud. I'm just teasin'," Bulma said with a wink. "I know your hands are full. It's crazy to think that after all of this time, the old Army of Villains is back. What do they call themselves now? The League of Villains?"

"Yes. And they are a very real threat," All Might said, tightening his fist. "But the Police Force is working hard to bring them to justice."

"And we've got you on our side, so there's not really anything to worry about."

"…right…"

Bulma huffed a heavy sigh and placed her hands on her hips.

"Soooo… how've ya been, Toshi?" She asked. "You look great! Still following that old pervy geezer's workout plan, huh?"

"HAHAHAHA!" All Might laughed. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to give Master Roshi a call later on today. But I'll tell him you said hi."

"I will literally murder you, Toshinori," Bulma threatened with a sudden violent aura.

"Okay okay, just kidding," All Might laughed. "I've been well, thank you very much. How about yourself? You look… well, you're as beautiful as ever. Have you been well? Going green now, are we?"

"I have, thank you," Bulma answered, passing a hand across her blue-green hair with a girlish chuckle. "Eh, I got my hair highlighted when I found a few gray hairs, but I think that's natural when you have a son like Trunks. He can be a handful sometimes, like his father…"

Toshi smiled and nodded understandingly.

"You have a truly gifted son, Bulma," he said. "From what I've seen, Trunks is talented and tenacious, and he has the heart of a true hero. You should be proud of him."

"Yeah, I am," Bulma said with a smile and a nod. "I've had to raise him on my own, which isn't easy, but I've been trying my best to raise him right. And he's always looked up to the Symbol of Peace, of course."

"Hmm," Toshinori hummed. "I ran into Vegeta a moment ago and he told me everything. I'm… I'm sorry to heart it. If I had known earlier, I swear I would've reached out to you sooner. Listen… If there's anything I can do to help, please, reach out to me or the school. I'm here to help, after all."

"I know, Toshinori," Bulma said and an awkward silence fell between them for an uncomfortably long moment. After a long pause, All Might nodded.

"Well… it was so good to see you again, Bulma. Unfortunately, duty calls!" He said with a nervous chuckle, breaking the silence. "You know how it is, the life of the average overworked and underpaid teacher can be anything but dull. Be seeing you, then! Buh-bye!"

All Might gave Bulma a friendly wave and he turned towards the stairs quickly.

"Toshi…" Bulma called after him. All Might froze, but didn't turn around. His large hand tightened around the hand rail for a moment, but then his broad shoulders relaxed.

"Yeah?" He asked, with his back turned to her.

"Um… Would you like to stay a little while, maybe?" Bulma asked, rubbing the back of her hand nervously. "Catch up a little? Drinks, on me?"

Toshinori's jaw clenched, but he couldn't turn around to see her. He couldn't. If he did, Toshinori just knew he wouldn't be able to say no to her.

"...Please?" Bulma pleaded, stepping aside and holding her hand out. "Maybe we could talk about things; mend some old wounds, for old times' sake?"

Old wounds…

"I'm sorry," Toshinori said with a heavy sigh, "but no. Perhaps another time, Bulma. As I said, I still have a lot of work to do."

And he meant it. All Might really did have a lot of work to do, and very limited time to do it. His muscle form was lasting even less time than before, ever since he fought Nomu- no, Goku. And though he found it very difficult to leave, it was even more difficult to stay.

Bulma sighed, but nodded sadly.

"Yes, work…" she said. "I get it. The world still needs the Symbol of Peace, doesn't it, Toshinori? I guess that even after all of these years, some things just never change."

Toshinori stood silently for another moment.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "Maybe another time."

"Yeah," Bulma said with a laugh. "For sure! No prob! Maybe another time, then. Go save the world, All Might!"

Toshinori spared a moment and glanced back at his old flame.

"See you around, Miss Briefs," he said with a melancholic smile. With that, Toshinori forced himself to tear his gaze from her and walk away. Bulma stared at All Might's back as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and made his way downstairs, disappearing around a corner.

The moment was charged, to say the least. Toshi never was good at hiding his emotions, and Bulma herself had always walked around with her heart on her sleeve. There was so much that they still needed to settle between them. The only time they had met again after Bulma's incident with Vegeta was when she had joined the old Z-Fighters in their search for Gohan, after he had been kidnapped by the Army of Villains eight years ago.

After that, they parted ways and hadn't crossed paths since. Toshinori had always kept busy with his goal of shining a light to this world, but ever since that day, he had become even more elusive than ever. And now, there he went again, off to work, off to the next great adventure, off to save the world like always, leaving her behind.

Bulma and Toshi had never made their true feelings known to one another, but throughout the years that they had spent together in America and beyond, through every crazy adventure they went through together, there had always been that unspoken thing developing between them. It was impossible to deny that she had feelings for him back then, and those feelings had been discreetly reciprocated by him. But Toshinori had always been a hero on a mission to change the world.

He had always been All Might.

It was his nature. Bulma couldn't fault him for it, but still, the loneliness that came with that was partially what pushed her into making a rash and stupid decision, by seeking comfort in the company of a certain arrogant Saiyan Prince under the pretense of acquiring a piece of ancient Saiyan tech… How stupid.

Vegeta never cared for her, nor did sleeping with him comfort her at all. In fact, the only thing it did was bring her even more problems and heartache. After Toshinori discovered that Bulma was sleeping with Vegeta, who was not only a married man, but also his major rival, no less, it broke his heart and their relationship was never the same again.

Nothing was ever the same again. If only Bulma had known the extent of the fallout from that decision… But that was years ago.

Bulma returned to her seat to the thunderous roar of the crowds as little "Bullseye" Mai blasted her opponent away with a rifle that fired off blue electric blasts that hit her target squarely in the chest. The boy danced in a comical manner as the taser ball jolted through him, releasing tufts of yellow feathers from his costume before finally dropping him onto the mat, unconscious.

"Oooh! Ouch! Captain Chicken is K.O.!" Midnight announced as the child in the bird costume laid on the mat, twitching. "Bullseye Mai wins!"

"Who on earth thought it was a good idea to let a minor with a gun participate?" Inko said with a worried frown, holding a mini fan to her face to cool down from the afternoon heat.

"Seriously, Inko? Haven't you seen one of the teachers? The one dressed up like a cowboy, walking around with multiple guns in his belts," Mitsuki huffed. "What do you think the S on his hat stands for? Snipe? More like School Shooter!"

"Mitsuki!" Chi-Chi gasped, horrified at her friend's dark humor, which only elicited a snorting laugh from Mrs. Bakugo. "How insensitive! Mister Snipe is a good man who risked his life to save your son, remember?!"

"Ohhh, I'm just kidding!" Mitsuki said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Anyway, I wouldn't worry about her. Goten and Trunks are always training with those damned laser-shooting flying bots. A little girl with a taser shotgun ain't gonna be much of a challenge for them, right Bulma?"

"...Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked, looking over at the young mother who's waist-long blue hair had fallen over her eyes. Chi-Chi lowered her voice to a discreet whisper. "Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?"

Bulma shook her head and wiped her eyes.

"N-Nothing's wrong, you guys!" She said cheerfully, looking away, masking her rushing emotions with a smile. "Just ran into an old friend, is all..."

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CHAPTER FORTY-THREE – THE SPORTS FEST V: FIGHT ON, PINT-SIZED HEROES!

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The rest of the matches in the Round of Sixteen were less than spectacular. Although a couple of the young contestants did show some semblance of skill and determination, for the most part, the young fighters were knocking each other out by accident, running away or giving up in a crying fit after the first serious blow, all to the great delight of the sports fans in the stands, who were charmed by the innocence of it all.

It was endearing, in a way, watching how these young future heroes assumed their own personalized hero identities and came up with creative ways of using their Quirks. These were the young, aspiring heroes that would some day become the protectors of tomorrow.

But for now, they really were just children in costumes.

In the ring, the boy with the dog quirk, Shu, squared off against Scratch, a thin, wiry girl with a feline Quirk. Her costume was a furry, white bodysuit that covered from her neck down to her hands and feet. Her long cat tail waved around, helping the cat girl maintain her balance. Two short feline ears poked out from her shoulder-length white hair. Black mascara outlined her beautiful glowing blue and green feline eyes.

Scratch hissed, swinging at Shu with her sharp claws as Shu did his best to block the blows with his sword.

"Come on, Shu!" Mai cheered for her friend, her voice electronically distorted by the face shield on the helmet she was wearing. "Get her!"

Shu whimpered as one of Scratch's claws managed to graze his snout.

"Owww!" he cried. The pain forced him to loosen his grip on his sword for a moment and Scratch did not hesitate. She twisted her body and slashed out at the blade with all four of her paws in a spinning flurry. Shu's grip slipped and the blade flew up from his grasp, spinning in the air to bury itself on the grass outside the ring.

"Ohh no! With a twisting aerial attack, Scratch has disarmed Shu!"

"Gotcha! And now for my finishing move!" Scratch shouted with a victorious smile. She jumped up into the air and spun herself into a ball. "Ultra Hellcat Hairball!"

"Get out of the way, Shu!" Goten shouted desperately. "Dodge it!"

Scratch was spinning with such speed, flexibility and agility that she transformed into a spinning white ring that landed on the ground and zoomed towards Shu, who was completely paralyzed with fear. The cat girl spun directly towards Shu and struck him head on. Shu cried out in pain as the speed of the impact lifted him up from the ring and into the air.

"Shu!" Mai shouted, running to rail at the edge of the dugout.

Once he was floating in air, Scratch leaped up and spiked the dog boy out of bounds. Shu flew like a rocket over the edge of the ring and crash landed on the grass below.

"RING OUT – Shu is out of bounds! Scratch wins and advances to the Quarter Finalsalong with our previous winners, The Future, Chomper, Mai,Il Falcon, Stalacmight, and Princess Hiss!"

"Shuuu!" Mai called as she ran over to her friend, who had started to pick himself up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry, Mai!" Shu whimpered sadly, sitting up and hugging his knees. "I really tried, but I let you and Emperor Pilaf down."

Scratch heard him and sat down on all fours at the edge of the ring.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," she said with comforting purr. "You gave it your best shot – that's all that matters. For a first timer? Not too shabby! Train some more and come see me for a rematch next year!"

Jealousy flashed through little Mai's dark eyes and she placed herself between her friend and the cat girl.

"Don't worry, we will be back!" Mai said, helping her friend stand up. Scratch giggled at Mai's blatant jealousy.

"Emperor Pilaf?" Goten asked, scratching his cheek. "Who's that?"

"You've never heard of the great Emperor Pilaf?" Shu asked. "Why, he's the Emperor of Diablo Desert! He may be in kindergarten right now, but once he grows up, he's going to take over and rule the entire world!"

"That's right," Mai joined in. "And he's hired us to be his loyal servants!"

Scratch's eyes widened and she stared at the two kids, stunned.

"Uh… So you're taking orders from a kindergartner who claims to be the ruler of some kingdom in the desert?"

"And in the future, the entire world!" Mai said with pride, bringing her fist to her chest. "Then he promises he will reward our service with tons of cash!"

"Wait… you're doing all of this on the back of a promise of someday maybe getting paid?" Scratch asked. "...and you believe him?"

"Of course we do!" Mai shouted. "We're his loyal servants! And he doesn't ask much. His first commandment was for us to bring him the First Place trophy, and that's exactly what we're going to do!"

"Hey, if he's bossing you around without paying you, does that mean you're his slaves?" Goten asked innocently.

"N-No, it means that we're… shut up!"

As the quartet argued, Trunks walked over and grabbed Shu's sword, pulling it off from the ground and resting the blade on top of his shoulder as he walked over to them.

"Trunks!" Scratch moaned with an enamored sigh as soon as she saw him, cupping her cheeks with her paws. "Did you see me win? What did you think of my new move?"

"Yeah, you were pretty cool, I guess," Trunks said with a shrug.

"You guess?!" Scratch gasped, heartbroken.

"That was an admirable attempt, Shu," Miss Midnight said, walking up to the group of children huddled around Shu. "But do you know why Scratch beat you?"

"Beat me?" Shu asked with an angry growl. "She practically mopped the floor with me!"

"Heehee! Sorry about that!" Scratch meowed, licking her paw.

"Why don't we ask our Champion?" Midnight turned to Trunks and brought the microphone down to his face. "Trunks, what do you think? Shu is a little bigger than Scratch, plus he brought along a weapon. So why do you think he lost?"

"It's because he relied too much on this thing," Trunks said into the microphone, lifting up the sword and tossing it in the air. Shu screamed in fear and ducked, holding his hands over his head. The sword spun in midair and landed inside the sheath that Shu wore on his back, sliding in safely with a whistle.

"Ugh! He's so dreamy…" Scratch squealed to herself, covering her eyes in bubbly, girlish infatuation.

"You have a dog Quirk, Shu," Trunks said, crossing his arms. "Sure, Scratch hasa one-up when it comes to speed and agility, but you're a Dog, for goodness sake! You've got strength, endurance, bite force, better center gravity and stronger bones. But you're trying to win with just a sword? Look, ever since I've known her, Scratch has been honing in on her Quirk because she's trying to join the Wild Wild Pussycats one day. You're not using everything that makes you special, and Scratch is.That's why she won."

"And there you have it, everyone," Midnight said with a chuckle. "Thank you for your analysis, Trunks. Take it to heart, Shu. Find what makes you special, and strengthen it. And hopefully we'll see you again next year."

"Hmph, little kid's got experience, and it shows!" Mic said. "How clever!"

"There's a reason why he's the Champ," Aizawa added.

"So wise," Hercule cried, wiping a tear from his eye. "I mean… I, uh, taught him that quote, over lunch! HEH! HEH! HEH!"

"Hmm… you may have a point," Mai conceded, giving Trunks a short nod.

"I guess you're right," Shu said, standing up and looking down at his paws. "I need to use what makes me special…"

He looked up at Trunks with a new, determined look in his eyes and nodded.

"Thanks for the advice, Champ! I'll do my best to train and meet you all back here next year." He turned to Scratch. "Hey, let's have a rematch next year, Scra-"

"Just call me Felicia!" Scratch said with a wink, rubbing her paw up against her cheek. "And sure! You bet! Let's meet again next year."

"I don't think I'll need this sword anymore," Shu said, falling to one knee and offered it up to Trunks. "Here. You take it, Champ."

"What?! I don't want it!" Trunks said, raising his hands up in front of him and taking a step back.

"Wow! A sword? Neat!" Goten gasped.

"You should take it, Trunks!" Felicia said with a giggle. "It really suits you!"

"Hey, return to your seats, children," Midnight said gently. "And no weapons dealing during school hours!"

"Yes, Miss Midnight," the five children said and returned to their seats.

Up in the 1A seats, Momo glanced over at Shoto with a smile.

"What is it, Yaoyorozu?" Shoto asked, noticing her stare.

"Oh nothing," Momo said quickly. "Just thinking about what little Trunks said. If we don't use what makes us special, we're not going to win…"

"You want me to use to my old man's Quirk, is that it?" Shoto asked with a serious tone, dropping his friendly expression. "I already told you, I'm not using my right side; those damned Saiyan flames…"

Momo's smile faltered with a nod and she looked away.

"Right," she agreed with a sad nod, hugging her elbows. "Whatever you think is best, Shoto. I'll support you."

The two went back to watching the stage, unaware of Izuku Midoriya's discreet stare from the row in front of them. Izuku heaved a heavy sigh and tapped his eraser against his chin thoughtfully.

And with that, we reach the final fight of the Round of Sixteen! We have a first timer in the house!" Mister Satan sang. "You can't help but adore the little guy. He's four feet tall and full of pudgy, innocent cuteness! Let's hear a big welcome round of applause for eight year old Goten, his hero moniker? The MIGHTY MASK!"

Goten seemed a bit intimidated by the crowd as he made his way to the stage, but it seemed to dissipate a little when he heard Izuku and Melissa calling out his name, cheering for him.

"Ah! It's Goten!" Ochaco squealed with excitement, going over to join her classmates.

"Hey, there you are Ochaco!" Izuku said. "Finally! I was afraid that you were going to miss the entire Junior League tournament."

"And miss a chance to see cute little Goten fight? No way!" Ochaco responded, taking her seat next to Izuku. "But I got mobbed by some of the American cheerleaders for autographs on the way back. It's kinda embarrassing. I'm still not used to having a fan club!"

"You deserve it, Ochaco. Uhh, the fame, not the mobbing, I mean," Melissa said with a chuckle. She twisted in her seat to look behind Ochaco towards the stairs. "Hey, where's Gohan? I thought he went to go look for you?"

"Did he? I didn't run into him at all," Ochaco said, looking back over at the stairs.

"Are you suuuure?" Jiro teased from three rows behind with a wink, eliciting a giggle from Mina and Toru.

"Y-Yeah," Ochaco squeaked, blushing. "Swear!"

"If you're looking for Class Rep Son, don't worry," Iida said, leaning over from his seat next to Melissa. "I spoke to him a few minutes before the tournament began. He said there was something he needed to get before the Finals Tournament started."

"Hmm, he said the same thing to me," Izuku hummed, rubbing his chin. "Whatever it is, it must have been something important. I hope he gets back soon."

"And here to give lil Goten a warm lovin' welcome to the Junior League is last year's runner up, fourteen year old Ikosa – the wild Tiger of Orange Star City!"

"Heads up, gang!" Melissa said, gripping Izuku's arm. "Their paring him up with a teenager!"

"Last year's runner up, no less," Izuku muttered, biting his thumb anxiously.

"Oh no! Goten!" Ochaco gave off a worried whimper, taking her seat. "That is so not fair. He's just a little kid!"

"This certainly seems to be an uneven match," Iida agreed, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly. "I wonder who approved it."

Goten was joined by a skinny, tall fourteen-year-old kid with a conniving glint in his brown eyes and a strange, matted mullet that ran down between his shoulder blades. He was wearing a plain white sleeveless karate gi, tiger striped pants and his arms were wrapped in athletic tape.

"Hey! You're that scrawny lil punk my boy Takuto was talkin' about, right?" Ikosa mocked, pointing a finger at Goten.

"Hi, I'm Goten!" Goten said happily, bowing towards the taller kid with his hands clasped together.

"Chyeah that's what I thought!" Ikosa laughed, slamming his fists together. Smoke and embers burst out from his knuckles, revealing his fiery Quirk. "Name's Ikosa. I'm the wild tiger of Orange Star City!"

Reaching around to his back, Ikosa ripped off his shirt, revealing a teenage body chiseled with muscles. A large tiger tattoo reached from the base of his skull down past his waist.

"Ew," Hagakure gagged, disturbed the sight. "What kind of parent lets their thirteen year old get a tattoo? People from Orange Star City are so weird."

"HEY, I heard that! What's that supposed to mean?" Videl growled, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the invisible girl.

"Eek! Not you guys, though, V!" Hagakure apologized quickly, clasping her hands together. "Definitely not!"

"Don't worry, Videl," Ojiro muttered dryly, rolling his eyes and looking up at Mister Satan. "Your parent's aren't that weird. Nope, not at all…"

Down at the ring, Goten gasped as Ikosa turned and flexed to show off his tattoo.

"Yeahhh!" Ikosa taunted, bringing his arms up and jumping around from foot to foot. "What's the matter, punk? Scared now?"

"Heh...hehehe….hehhehehehe!" Goten couldn't stop giggling, even after slapping his hands over his mouth. "AhahahAHAHAHAHA!"

"Huh? What are you laughing at?!" Ikosa roared.

"Sorry – but did you know," Goten couldn't stop laughing, "that your tiger's head is up your butt?"

Goten pointed at Ikosa's back. The tiger's head was indeed cut off by his pants' waistband. The entire stadium roared with laughter, charmed by Goten's innocence and childish laughter. Ikosa's face bloomed bright red with rage.

"Yeah, very funny! But you won't be laughing for long! Get ready to eat dust, kid. After I wipe the floor with you, I'm gonna take Trunks out, too! Because I'm Ikosa, the wild tiger of Orange Star City!"

"HAHAHA! HA! Ha! Okay Ikosa, sounds good to me. Let's both do our best!" Goten said with a grin, finally bringing his fists up with a quick snap of his wrists.

"For a spot in the Quarter Finals – Mighty Mask vs Ikosa! Ready? CLASH!" Midnight yelled and immediately, Ikosa surged forward towards Goten with a right hook. The taller boy's fist exploded into a fireball, burning bright orange and black.

"Tiger Fang attack!" Ikosa shouted as his fist transformed into an explosive, fiery image of a tiger's head, roaring as it shot out towards Goten. Goten's smile slowly dropped down to a confused frown and he let his arms drop to his side. At the last moment, just when Ikosa pounced forward to deliver the fiery punch, Goten lifted up one finger and caught Ikosa's fist with it. The fiery tiger disappeared with a whimper and the flames died off.

For a long moment, Goten and Ikosa stared at each other with a blank expression. The teen's fist trembled against Goten's chubby finger, but failed to get through.

"What? H-How did you stop my Tiger Fang attack?!" Ikosa shouted, jumping back to put some distance between himself and Goten.

"I dunno," Goten shrugged innocently. "It was slow… and kinda weak, too."

The stadium again laughed at the boy's honest response, fueling Ikosa's rage.

"Alright, ya scrawny punk!" Ikosa shouted, slamming both fists together and charging them up until they were glowing like molten lava. "Weak, huh? Try this one on for size!"

Up on the screens, Ikosa's power level surged as he pounced towards Goten again, who didn't even make an effort to run or dodge.

"Goten, watch out!" Izuku cried, jumping up from his seat.

"DODGE!" Ochaco yelled beside him. "PLEASE!"

Ikosa lunged forward with a wild flurry of strikes aimed at Goten's smaller frame. Without even taking a step back, Goten simply brought his hands up, effortlessly parrying each of Ikosa's strikes with the palms of his hands. Ikosa gritted his teeth and intensified his attack, but he just couldn't get past Goten's well balanced defense.

"This is your ultimate attack? Hey, stop kidding around," Goten said, dropping his hands to his side. "Let's get serious already."

"Aha! An opening!" Ikosa howled victoriously, slamming a powerful right hook against Goten's pudgy cheek. He leaped back and flung his other arm forward and began to pummel Goten's exposed face. Goten's head bounced slightly from the impact, but Ikosa's swift punches didn't appear to faze him.

"What are you doing, Goten?!" Inko shrieked from the Capsule Corp box. "Put your hands up, Baby! Block! Please!"

"Damn, this is hard to watch," Mitsuki said, with a pained look in her eyes. "Why isn't he blocking?"

"Ha, I'm not worried!" Bulma said proudly. "If Goten's anything like Son Kid, I give that Tiger boy ten more seconds at the most!"

"Come on, Goten," Chi-Chi said to herself, clutching onto the railing tightly. "You can do this! Show us what you've got!"

The tremors of impact from each punch began to take a toll on Ikosa's stamina, and he began to slow down. His dancing feet turned into a low-energy shuffle and his controlled breathing had turned into ragged gasps for air. Slowly but surely, Ikosa's punches lost all power to them.

"Amazin' performance from Mighty Mask!" Hercule howled with delight. "That boy's got a jaw of steel! Just look at him tank all of those punches like a true pro. Talk about an immovable object!"

Ikosa leaped back and caught his balance with his hands on his knees, gasping for air. His face and mullet were drenched in sweat as he heaved heavily.

"What's the matter, punk?" Ikosa taunted. "Not even gonna throw a punch? If that's the case, then just quit while you still can!"

"Well, it seems like you're done already. But if a punch is what you want," Goten shrugged, rearing his arm back. His innocent gaze dropped down to a concentrated scowl. Rings of light began to emanate from a focal point within his tiny fist. "Take this – a taste of mini justice! DETROIT SMASH!"

Ikosa leaped back, but Goten's fist hammered past his blocking arms, cracking against Ikosa's head. The bully's face contorted comically in slow motion before a mighty flash of light picked him up and sent him hurling over the stadium. He landed on the grass below, out cold.

Goten bowed one more time, eliciting cheers from the crowd.

"It isn't good manners to not bow to your opponents, you know," Goten said, walking past him back towards the dugout. "No matter how weak they are."

"Another ringout! Ikosa is knocked out and out of bounds!" Midnight called. "Mighty Mask Wins!"

"WHAAAAT?! WAS THAT AN IMITATION OF ONE OF ALL MIGHT'S SPECIAL MOVES?! SENSATIONAL!" Hercule cheered, and the stadium roared. "A quick, controlled thrust of his fist, and the Iron-Jawed Mighty Mask became a One Punch Wonder!"

"Hold on!" Mic shouted. "But what about all that stuff Midnight said about Power Levels? Mighty Mask's level was nowhere near Ikosa's, so what gives?!"

"Mighty Mask concentrated all of the energy of his Quirk into a single point in his fist," Aizawa commented. "Then he unleashed it all at the last minute. The ensuing blast did more damage than the punch itself. Very clever… This kid – there's definitely something more to him, in spite of that blank, innocent stare. Also, I can't put my finger on it, but there's something awfully familiar about him…"

"Advancing to the Quarter Finals, give it up one more time for newcomer MIGHTY MASK!" Mic said, and the stadium cheered once again as the tiny boy waved at them happily and returned to the dugout.

"Boy, Trunks! That was a lot of fun!" Goten told Trunks, who was still fighting to keep Shu from shoving his sheathed sword in his face. Goten took a seat on the bench next to him. "Is it always this easy?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Trunks said, shoving Shu out of his face. "Usually, nobody here really puts up a fight, and then I win everything. But it'll be nice to have some actual competition for once. Good job, by the way. That punch was amazing."

"Thanks, Trunks!" Goten said happily. "You were really cool in your fight, too! It was really nice of them to give me an easy match, since it's my first time."

"Yeah, no kidding. Ikosa always makes it to the final, but I've been beating him since I was four… not to brag or anything." Trunks crossed his arms and smiled proudly. "Anyway, after this fight, the idiots from our school will stop seeing you as easy prey now."

Takuto came back from the nurse's office with a patch on his cheek, sniffling. Trunks feinted at him with his fist and the bully crumbled away with a shriek, running away to the other end of the bench.

"Trunks, no bullying, hon" Fuyumi said, gently, not taking her eyes off of the next two fighters who made their way to the ring.

"See?" Trunks said with an evil smirk. "It just gets better from here, Goten. Trust me."

…

The sounds and lights beaming from Tomura Shigaraki's computer were the only thing that cut through the darkness of his bedroom in the back of Club Dark Black.

Tomura slurped on some ramen, careful not to place all of his fingers on the chopsticks to keep them from disintigrating in his fingertips. Beside his computer, five used bowls had been piled up as a testament to his Saiyan hybrid hunger.

Kurogiri entered the room discreetly, wearing his butler outfit and removed the used bowls, placing a newly filled bowl down in its place. Tomura slurped down his ramen and stared at the action in the screen as Goten and Trunks fought their way up the tournament ladder, defeating every opponent in their path.

"Keep your eyes on those two," said the mechanical voice of Tomura's master through a speaker. "They could one day prove to be a challenge for you. The Son of Endeavor, and an obvious follower of All Might…"

"Tch!" Tomura responded, placing the empty bowl of ramen down and picking up the new one. "I'm not afraid of a bunch of little kids!"

…

The fights that followed weren't any more spectacular. Although all of the children who had made it into the next leg of the competition were talented and had amazing Quirks, they lacked the experience to actually put up a fight against Trunks or Goten.

Trunks earned himself a spot in the Grand Finals by defeating the Winged Avenger, Il Falcon in the Quarterfinals and Scratch in the Semifinals.

Meanwhile in his Quarterfinal match, Goten faced off against Chomper, a boy who had the ability to create toothy, chomping balls of iron that floated around him in a purple aura. After defeating him, Goten advanced to the Semifinal against Mai.

Although the girl was skinny and taller than the other girls that had joined the tournament, her No Recoil Quirk allowed her elbows to absorb the blows from the recoil of her shotgun, giving her a steady aim to fire off an unending stream of tasering blue discharges.

Goten's incredible speed allowed him to skip around them in huge leaps, dodging the blue orbs that shot past him. In his mind, Goten recalled the hundreds of miles he had spent skipping through forests to deliver milk jugs with his mother as part of Master Roshi's grueling training.

All of the hard work was starting to pay off now! Skip! Two-Three-Four! Skip! Two-Three-Four! Skip! Two-Three-Four!

Goten dove into a devastating drop kick that connected with Mai's chest. Mai shrieked in pain as the force of the blow lifted her up and sent her sliding over the edge of the fighting stage, knocking her out of the tournament.

"Attaboy, Goten!" Chi-Chi yelled, pumping her fist into the air proudly. "Way to put your training to good use!"

"RING OUT! Bullseye Mai is out of bounds and eliminated!" Midnight announced. "MIGHTY MASK WINS AND ADVANCES TO THE GRAND FINAL!"

"YEAH!" Izuku and Ochaco cheered happily. Goten panted and brushed the sweat from his face with his forearm, feeling the heat of the afternoon begin to get to him. He raised his left fist in imitation of All Might's victory pose and showered in the praising cheers of the stadium around him. He put his hands together in front of his chest and bowed.

Before making his way back to the dugout to take a seat, Goten ran over to a refreshment stand for a bottled water. As he drank it on the way back, he noticed a girl staring at him from the stands. She had brownish red hair and hazel green eyes that captivated his interest immediately.

Goten choked on his water as he realized that she was smiling at him. The girl gave him a timid wave and Goten felt the shock of a new emotion that he'd never felt before shoot up from his chest into his neck. He waved back and quickly tore his gaze away and ran back to his seat next to Trunks, who had finally accepted Shu's sword and had strapped it onto his back.

"Trunks! Trunks!" Goten whispered, grabbing the collar of Trunks's denim jacket and shaking him frantically.

"Whoa dude, easy on the threads!" Trunks said, clutching Goten's trembling hands. "What's up?!"

"I… I…" Goten couldn't even formulate words. He stared down at his shaking hands. A red streak shot across the bridge of his nose and colored in his cheeks. "There's a cute girl that keeps staring at me and I can't stop my knees from shaking. It's making me so nervous, for some reason!"

"What?" Trunks said in disgust. "Where?"

Goten put his arm around Trunks and pointed up in the direction of the girl who sat next to an enormous man built of pure muscle, whom Trunks assumed to be her father. Sure enough, the tiny girl wasn't even watching the fight between Scratch and Mai. She was leaning against the railing, her hands under her chin, watching Goten intently.

"Seriously, Goten?" Trunks said, wrinkling his nose. "That's who you're nervous about? She's so tiny – she'd never stand a chance against you! Besides, she doesn't even look like a fighter-"

"That's not what I'm saying, Trunks!" Goten shouted angrily, a red blush exploding over his cheeks to cover his entire face. "I would never hurt her – she's… she's so cute!"

"Dude, snap out of it," Trunks said, clutching Goten's costume by the collar and giving him a firm shake. "You're Mighty Mask! You're married to justice, and in love with Plus Ultra, not some dumb girl! Remember what the Top G always says! Focus on the Bugatti first, man!"

"I don't care, Trunks!" Goten shouted back. "She's so cute!"

"Goten, DON'T!"

"I think I wanna… I wanna go talk to her, Trunks!" Goten confessed at the top of his lungs.

Fuyumi had been listening in to the child's innocent confession and she slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. That's too freakin' cute!

"Ah!" Trunks dropped Goten and clutched at his hair dramatically. "Stop being so weird, Goten! I got trapped in a room full of girls, remember? There's nothing cute about them, alright?! They're weird looking monsters! They love hiding their faces behind tons of makeup, they love spending money on useless things like clothes and jewelry and they love getting naked together, apparently! They've got a butt on their butt and a butt on their chest, they're sooo annoying, and the weirdest part? They don't have any… any… any… uhh…"

Goten looked up to see his friend entranced, staring out at the fighting ring.

"Huh? What happened, Trunks?" Goten asked, standing up and directing his attention to the fighting ring. "Girls don't have any what?!"

Mai was returning from the ring after receiving minor care from the nurse android juniors, tossing up a Recovery Bean in the air and catching it. As she walked towards them, she unbuckled the strap underneath her chin and removed her helmet and face-shield, revealing a cute face underneath – the cutest that Trunks had ever seen.

Her silky, waist-length raven black hair shined in the sun as it poured out of the helmet and her serious big black eyes scanned the group. She slipped the bean into her mouth and munched on it, staring at Goten and Trunks, who were absolutely shocked by her youthful beauty.

"Girls don't have any what, Trunks?" She asked, annoyed, tossing her hair back with one hand.

"...flaws!" Trunks stuttered, blushing.

"What are you two staring at?" Mai asked, swinging the helmet under her arm and placing her free hand on her hip.

"Whoa… Sorry! It's just that I didn't know that you were…" Trunks gulped. "Uhm…"

"A girl?!" Goten shrieked, causing Mai to plop down to the ground. When she came back up, she jumped up and slapped her hand over Goten's head, making him recoil with pain, rubbing his head.

"Ow!" Goten cried. "What was that for?!"

"What do you think?" Mai huffed. "That's for kicking me in the chest, you perv!"

"What's a perv," Goten muttered.

"SHUT UP!" Mai shouted and stomped away with a red blush on her face.

"Huh?" Goten was left stunned, rubbing the spot on his head where Mai had hit him. "Boy, you were right, Trunks. Girls really are weird."

"You really didn't know that Mai was a girl?" Trunks asked, his eye twitching.

"Not really!" Goten said defensively, holding his hands out. "It's kinda hard to tell with that costume she's wearing. Also, she kinda looks and fights like a boy."

"Why you little-!" Mai growled, but was drowned out by the booming sound of Hercule's voice.

"This is it, folks!" Hercule announced. "The moment you've all been waiting for – the final fight that will decide this year's Junior League Champion!"

The crowd surged with excitement as the screens around the stadium flashed with Trunks and Goten's faces in costume across the screens.

"Will the final contestants kindly make their way to the colored corners of the fightin' ring?"

"Guess this is it, huh Trunks!" Goten shrieked happily.

"Sure is, man," Trunks nodded. "Good luck! May the best man win!"

The two best friends bumped fists and Goten bounded off happily towards the ring, but Trunks stayed back for a moment. He glanced over at Mai, who had gathered her things in a fuming rage and was getting ready to join Shu and Scratch at the edge of the back row.

"Hey, Mai…" Trunks called. The girl growled and looked back at him.

"What do you want now?" She asked, turning around to glare at him, annoyed.

Trunks swung the sword that Shu had given him from over his shoulders and extended it out to the girl.

"Mind holding onto this for me?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head and looking away shyly.

"Just leave it at your seat, or get Shu to come get it!" Mai protested, turning to leave.

"Yeah, but I want you to hold onto it for me," Trunks insisted, scratching his cheek.

"Why me?!"

"Well, I was thinking… Maybe after I win the first place trophy, you and I can… you know… grab a bite to eat or something?"

"H-Huuuuh?!" Mai shrieked, stepping back and covering her mouth with both hands. Her face was completely flushed red by now, catching the attention of Shu. "You and Me? Fat chance! You're, like, three years younger than me, kid!"

"M-M-Mai!" Shu shouted, pulling his friend apart to whisper to her. "This might be the last chance we get of bringing the First Place trophy to Emperor Pilaf! What do you think he'll say if we show back up to school empty-handed?!"

"But…" Mai resisted through gritted teeth.

"It's just a date, for crying out loud!" Shu hissed. "It's not like you two are eloping!"

"I hate this job," Mai said with a defeated sigh.

"Look, you said you wanted the First Place trophy, right?" Trunks called out to the two whispering friends.

"Yeah, but-"

"So maybe… I'll win it for you," Trunks said with a smirk, stepping one foot out of the dugout and staring off at the trophy. "And then when I bring it to you, you can give me the sword back. What do you say?"

Mai gritted her teeth, but after a moment, she finally gave him a short, resentful nod.

"Alright, alright already!" Mai said, taking the sword and turning away from Trunks, embarrassed. "If you win the trophy for me then… then… I'll go out with you just this ONCE!"

"For real?!" Trunks said excitedly.

"But you better win or else there's no deal!" Mai shouted after him.

"YES!" Trunks shouted, pumping his hand in the air. "Don't worry, Mai! I'm not gonna let you down!"

Fuyumi watched her little step-brother run off towards the fighting stage with a fresh wind in his step after Goten and she rubbed her temples with a sigh. He went from hating girls to dating them, just like that. The boy is definitely Endeavor's son…

"Here we go, folks!" Hercule shouted. "This is the moment we live for – the Grand Finale of the Junior League Division of the World Martial Arts Tournament! Are you ready to watch the fight to end all fights, ladies and gentlemen?!"

The stadium shook with the boisterous applause and cheer from the crowds. Goten gulped, feeling the pressure of all the attendees watching him as well as the flying drones who were recording the entire scene. Trunks popped his neck to the sides, squatting down to a stretch, clearly accustomed to the deafening roars from the crowds.

As the two boys met on the mat, Ochaco heard footsteps running up the stairs. She turned to see Gohan emerge. His hair was a mess and his clothes were wrinkled, and he was slightly out of breath.

"Gohan, what happened to you?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah," Izuku added. "You missed almost all of the Junior Division League. We were about to send out a search party!"

"Sorry about that, you guys!" Gohan apologized, gasping for air and brushing a hand over his wildly unkempt black hair, smoothing it down. Two prominent, forward facing bangs shot up rebelliously. "I went home to get something and I got… um… held up!"

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you just flew all the way to Namek City and back in two hours?!" Videl gasped.

"Heh, well actually, it was two hours and eight minutes," Gohan corrected her sheepishly.

"Oh, my bad," Videl retorted sarcastically. "Let's not forget the eight minutes…"

"What did you get, anyway?" Izuku asked.

Gohan reached into his pocket and brought out a white-shelled device. When he pressed the activation device, a rectangular, cracked green screen slid out.

"Whoa!" Melissa marveled at the device. "Is that what I think it is?!"

"Yep!" Gohan said cheerfully. "It's my grandpa's Scouter."

"Forgive me, Class Rep," Iida said, "but isn't it against the rules to bring elements of your costume out into the public without expressed authorization."

"Yeah, but I figured since we're still in school, it wouldn't be a problem," Gohan said with a shy laugh, scratching his head. "Besides, I'm not planning on using it during my fights. It's just something that's going to make it easier to watch the fights."

Gohan turned to Melissa and handed the scouter to her.

"Unfortunately, it got really damaged during the fight in the USJ, and I was hoping you could take a look at it, see if you can at least get it to connect to our network, at least."

"Sure. I've never worked on a scouter before, but let me see what I can do," Melissa said, taking the device and opening the external housing tenderly. "Yeah, circuitry's fried. I can fix it, but I'm gonna need my computer and some spare parts. In the meantime, though, I can get the camera feature working again so you can at least use the zoom and power level features."

"That would be great, thanks Melissa!" Gohan said.

"Alright! Lovin' the vibes, everybody!" Hercule was saying. "Now put your hands together and help me give a warm welcome to our finalists! On the blue corner, flyin' in all the way from the City of Tomorrow, West City, we've got the prince of Capsule Corporation, the Son of Tomorrow himself – he's the Mighty, the Unstoppable, the Four-Time Champion himself: "THE FUTURE," TRUUUUUUNKS!

"Yeahhhh!" Trunks hollered, waving up two peace-signs with his fingers and soaking up the admiration. "That's me! The Future is Here!"

The crowd roared with enthusiasm as Bulma's son waved at them.

"Yeah!" Bulma cheered. "Do your best, son!"

"Four time champion, huh?" Nappa said with a smirk, elbowing Vegeta's arm playfully.

"Hmph!" Vegeta scoffed, rolling his eyes and supporting his chin on one of his fists. "As if any of the other contestants offered any sort of challenge. Since when is stomping on insects a sign of strength or bravery?"

"And from the red corner, originatin' from the peaceful Mount Paozu is a boy with a neverendin' smile and a heart of gold – or should I say, emerald? He's been dominatin' the competition and winnin' the hearts of the crowd. Ladies and gentlemen put your stinkin' hands together for Goten, the MIIIIGHTYYYY MAAAAASK!"

"Woohoo! That's meeee, the Mighty Mask! Yeah, alright!" Goten hopped around, making the bunny ears on the hood of costume bounce.

Gohan and Melissa were configuring the Scouter when Ochaco gave him a gentle nudge in the arm with her elbow. Gohan looked up from his concentrated scowl, giving her a questioning look.

"Hey," he said with a smile, wiping the sweat from the tip of his nose. "What's up?"

Ochaco pointed down at the ring where the two mini heroes were facing one another. Goten swept the green cape from over his shoulders, making it sway behind him with the breeze. He placed his fists on his hips and gave off a smile so wide, his teeth shined in the sunlight.

Trunks gave off an excited chortle and lowered into an offensive crouch, with his feet spread apart, ready to pounce and one hand over his face, balancing himself with his right arm by his side.

"It's too bad you missed the fights earlier, Gohan," Ochaco said. "But take a look at the finalists. You see the one in green?"

"Hmm," Gohan said, squinting his eyes and focusing on the caped, pint-sized hero with green bunny ears dangling from a hood on his head. "The one who looks a mini fusion of All Might and Deku?"

"Mhm!" Ochaco nodded excitedly. "His name is Mighty Mask. Why don't we keep our eyes on him for this match, hmm?"

"Sure, okay," Gohan said, giving one last glance over to Mighty Mask. His eyes focused for a single moment, but then Melissa called his attention back to the Scouter and Gohan looked away as columns of fire on the four corner pedestals of the ring ignited.

"The Fight for the Title of the Junior League Division is here! The Future versus Mighty Mask!" Midnight announced, holding her whip in the air. "Ready? CLASH!"

Without wasting a second, Trunks lunged forward, a blur of motion as he delivered a barrage of lightning-fast punches aimed at Goten's face. Goten brought his arms up and blocked each strike with swift movements. The bursts of impact created gusts of wind that resonated in the air. Sparks flew as their fists collided, the force of their blows shaking the ground beneath them. Slowly but surely, Goten began to get pushed back.

Seeing that he had the upper hand, Trunks then unleashed a swift kick, aiming for Goten's midsection, but Goten gracefully dodged the attack, evading it by inches. The green-clad mini hero countered with a powerful uppercut that cracked against Trunks's chin, sending the denim-wearing hero spiraling backward and landing on his back.

"WOWZERS!" Mic yelled, pulling on his hair. "This is madness! Look at those two go at it!"

"Y-Yeah!" Hercule stammered, eyes wide. "Mighty Mask is really giving The Future a run for his money, huh? Just listen to that crowd goin' wild! Everyone loves an underdog."

The stadium shook with the crowd's ecstatic cheers.

"Holy whoa, you guys!" Izuku said in utter shock. "Since when could Goten fight like that?!"

Gohan's head snapped up from what the scouter, his eyes wide.

Izuku glanced over at him, realizing that Gohan was staring at him with a wild expression.

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked.

Gohan gulped and licked his dry lips and looked back down at the fighting ring where Mighty Mask was waiting for Trunks to get back up.

He looked back at Izuku and Ochaco, who was smiling at him.

"What did you say his name was?" Gohan asked.

Down at the ring, Midnight had begun the countdown on Trunks until the boy picked himself up and brushed a thumb across the small red gash on his chin with an excited smile.

"That's it, Goten!" Trunks said, bringing his fists back up. Goten mirrored his stance with an equally excited smile. "That's more like it!"

Trunks propelled himself back into the fray and Goten shot forward to meet him. Both boys clashed at the center of the ring.

Energy crackled around Trunks as he gathered his strength, his orange aura intensifying. He focused his energy into a concentrated blast and launched it towards Goten. The beam streaked through the air, hurtling toward its target with incredible speed.

Goten smirked and vanished in an instant, using the exceptional speed he'd developed from the Milk Runs to avoid the oncoming attack. He reappeared behind Trunks, a cocky grin plastered across his face. With an agile leap, Goten propelled himself upward and aimed a powerful kick at Trunks' back.

Trunks sensed the attack at the last moment and spun around, barely managing to block the blow. The force of Goten's strike sent shock-waves across the fighting stage, causing the ground to tremble beneath them. Determined not to be outdone, Trunks retaliated with a series of precise punches, each strike accompanied by a burst of energy.

This last attack caught Vegeta's attention, who finally inched forward in his seat with interest.

Goten skillfully evaded Trunks' onslaught, weaving and dodging with incredible agility. He countered with a series of rapid punches, landing a direct hit on Trunks' abdomen. The impact sent Trunks skidding across the ground, but he quickly recovered, using the momentum to jump into a series of backflips. Landing on the balls of his feet, Trunks surged forward again, catching Goten off guard.

Goten shot his arm forward, but Trunks dodged it, wrapping his fingers around the green cape and spinning Goten around, tossing him into the air. With a sudden surge of power, Trunks formed an orb of fiery ki that blazed with intensity in each hand. He charged up and jumped into flight, aiming at Goten with newfound speed, launching a volley of energy blasts that filled the sky with luminous explosions.

Goten cried as the blasts shot at him like missiles, blasting him out of the ring. But just before he landed out of bounds, Goten brought his hands forward and responded with a light barrier created by his ki that shielded him for a moment from Trunks's barrage. The air crackled with energy as the blasts clashed against the shield.

With a playful laugh, Goten landed back safely within the elevated fighting stage and shot forward again. Trunks met him once again in midair at the center of the stage, their punches and kicks creating shockwaves that tore through the fighting mat and cratered the elevated concrete structure below.

The battle raged on, their energy radiating in all directions. Goten and Trunks continued their fierce exchange, their powers escalating with every passing moment. Each blow they exchanged carried the weight of their training and the determination to emerge victorious.

"You're good, Goten!" Trunks said, locking his wrist against Goten's for a moment. "But I'm gonna be taking that trophy."

"No way, Trunks!" Goten said with a smile. "I can win, too!"

The intense clash of their energies created a cataclysmic explosion, enveloping the area in a blinding light. When the dust settled, both warriors stood, panting and exhausted, but unwavering in their resolve.

Their battle had reached its climax, but neither had managed to deliver a decisive blow yet.

Time to step it up, Trunks decided. Goten leaped towards him, and Trunks effortlessly dodged Goten's attacks, anticipating each move with precision. With a swift twist of his body, Trunks delivered a devastating kick that sent Goten crashing into the ground, creating a small crater upon impact.

Goten struggled to his feet, his body aching from the force of Trunks' attack. Determination burned in his eyes as he summoned every ounce of strength he had left. He launched himself at Trunks, fists clenched and determination etched on his face.

But Trunks was ready. He sidestepped Goten's assault with a fluid motion. With a swift spin, Trunks struck Goten with a powerful backhand blow, sending him reeling backward. Goten skidded across the ground, his body bruised and battered.

As Goten tried to regain his composure, Trunks seized the opportunity and pounced on the shorter fighter with a flurry of punches. Trunks's strikes were precise, each one calculated to exploit any opening that Goten inadvertently revealed.

Goten attempted to swing at Trunks, which created an opening for him. Trunks ducked beneath Goten's punch, seamlessly transitioning into a devastating uppercut that knocked Goten's head back.

Goten cried out in pain and staggered backward, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He could feel his strength waning, the toll of their intense battle blurring his vision and making him groggy.

Trunks capitalized on Goten's momentary weakness, his eyes narrowing with determination. He leaped up into the air and focused his energy, gathering it within himself, and unleashed a devastating attack.

"For my finishing move!" Trunks yelled, bringing the blast forward. A fiery orange-red beam of energy surged from his outstretched palms, hurtling towards Goten with unstoppable force. "SCORCHING BIG BANGATTACK!"

With a fierce battle cry, Trunks hurled the energy blast at Goten, the projectile streaking through the air like a comet.

Goten's eyes widened in realization, but it was too late to evade the attack. The blazing energy blast struck him head-on, engulfing him in a blinding explosion. The force of the impact sent Goten hurtling through the air across the fighting stage, crashing into one of the corner fire pedestals, shattering it with a bone-rattling thud. The impact created a shockwave that reverberated through the air, shaking the ring and sending waves of heat throughout the stadium.

As the dust and smoke settled, Goten was lying face down on the ground in a fetal position, groaning in pain. His costume had been completely tattered, and his green cape ripped off from his body, flying away and consuming with fire from Trunks' burning attack.

Unwilling to stay down, Goten pushed himself up, shooting Trunks a determined smile, like All Might always did. His vision blurred, but he forced his hands together as Trunks shot off a purple, burning blast that shot towards Goten. An orb of yellow light flickered to life in Goten's hands and shot off towards Trunks, colliding with the more powerful, blazing blast in the middle of the stage.

Up in the Class 1A box, Gohan was standing behind the rail, teeth gritted, watching his little brother struggle to get back up on his feet.

"He's almost at his limit, but he can still win this. If only… GOTEN!" Gohan cried, cupping his hands over his mouth and shouting as loud as he could. But the roar of the spectators and the pulsing violet blast of energy shooting out of Trunks' hands drowned out Gohan's voice.

Trunks' blast tore through Goten's weaker beam, splitting it in half and lancing straight onto the smaller child's belly. Goten cried as the power blast picked him up and threw him off his feet, burying him into a hole in the mat.

The crowd roared again at the sight of Trunks' might. Trunks patted his hands together with a proud smirk, walking towards Goten. With a swift snap of his hand, Trunks shot out a strong gust of wind that cleared out the dust that had settled between them.

Goten was lying on his side, panting and wheezing. His hair was disheveled and his green costume was torn and singed from Trunks' fire.

"Oh no!" Mic cried. "Mighty Mask goes down, and it looks like it's for good this time! Will he be able to beat the countdown and get back up on his feet?"

The world became a swiveling blur to Goten. The only thing he could focus on was the rubble in front of his face and the acrid, salty taste of cement dust he had inhaled from the destroyed stage. His hearing was blocked off by a violent, steady ringing that muffled out Miss Midnight's voice as she began to count down.

"One! Two! Three!"

"Get up, Goten!" Izuku yelled frantically.

"You can do this!" Ochaco joined in. "No giving up!"

"It's over, Goten," Trunks said victoriously, crossing his arms. "Just a few more seconds. Do me a favor and stay down this time. You put up a great fight and it's been tons of fun, but at this point, it's just sad. Come on, throw in the towel, already. I'll buy you a toy or something later to make up for it."

In his seat above, Vegeta huffed and brushed a white-gloved finger under his chin with an amused smirk.

"GOTEN!" Gohan yelled, but realized that it was futile. From all the way up in his classroom box, Goten couldn't hear him, much less see him.

Gohan clenched his teeth and looked around in desperation, racking his brain for an idea. Meanwhile, Midnight continued counting. In mere seconds, it would all be over…

Suddenly, Gohan's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Gohan…?" Ochaco asked as he glanced around their classroom seats. Without another word, Gohan bolted towards the back row.

…

Goten's eyes slowly focused on the pebble laying directly in front of him. As he regained consciousness, the world around him steadied and the roar of the crowd and the deafening music began to fade in.

A few feet away from him, Miss Midnight was still counting down and Trunks was standing beside her with his arms crossed.

No, I can't give up now, he thought. I need to get up. But… I'm so sleepy, and my body won't move…

Goten stirred, rolling over onto his stomach, facing away from Trunks. He planted his hands on the floor of the stage and tried pushing himself up, but a fire ran up his shaking arms and all he managed to do was whimper and collapse back onto the floor, panting for air.

Tears escaped his tightly shut eyes and ran down his cut cheeks.

Come on, stupid body! Get up! I wanna win and be just like Mamma and Mister Deku… Please!

In the back of his mind, like a ghost of a memory called out to him. It was distant at first. The voice echoed from a fog, but slowly got closer and more clear.

"Goten…!"

Goten froze and his eyes widened. That voice…

It had been so long since he had heard his voice, but it was unmistakable.

Goten opened his eyes weakly and glanced around, panting heavily.

"G-GOHAN?!"

"Goten! Can you hear me?!"

Goten forced himself onto his elbows, looking everywhere for the brother he could not see. The cushioned mat beneath them had been so thoroughly destroyed that cracks of exposed cement and gravel bit against Goten's skin, cutting him up, but Goten clenched his teeth and ignored it in a valiant effort to force himself up.

"...Seven!"

"Gohan!" He yelled as feverish, exhausted tears streamed down his cheeks. "Where are you?!"

"I'm up here in the Class 1A seats. Do you see me?" Gohan said, holding his hand against Koji Koda's back as the blocky student held his hand outstretched, projecting his Anivoice towards Goten, who was struggling and shaking to stand. Gohan lifted up one hand and waved it in the air as Goten turned to look upat him. As soon as they saw each other, Goten's eyes widened with joy. Planting his hands firmly down on the floor, he began to lift himself up off the floor.

"…Eight ...Nine!"

Trunks had turned around to face the crowd and lifted his left fist up triumphantly, and the crowd roared.

"Thank you, thank you-" Trunks began to say with a bow.

"Amazing!" Mic shouted. "Mighty Mask is back on his feet!"

"WHAT?!" Trunks yelped in surprise. He turned back to his friend. Goten had managed to beat the countdown, standing on shaky legs, facing Trunks, almost too tired to even raise his arms anymore.

"BROTHER!" Goten cried. His lips wobbled and his eyes spilled over with large tears. "Gohan, it's really you! And you're… you're a hero?!"

Gohan made a sound between a stifled sob and a laugh. He reached up to wipe his eyes with his sleeve and Ochaco got up and rubbed his back tenderly to comfort him.

"Yeah? Well, who's the one wearing the cape right now, huh?" Gohan said, gulping back his tears.

"Brother?!" Mic, Satan, Aizawa, Midnight, Shoto, Vegeta, Fuyumi, Trunks, Piccolo, Nail, and Izuku all shouted at the same time.

"Hold the phone!" Mic shouted. "What's this?! Could it be? YES! Our little Mighty Mask, Son Goten is, in fact, Son Gohan's little brother!"

"So he's Goku's kid, too…" Aizawa said, rubbing his chin, amused. "Ha! Of course he is. I recognize that innocent smile now!"

Izuku's jaw practically hit the floor. He stared, utterly flabbergasted at Gohan.

"Goten is… Gohan's brother?!" Izuku repeated to himself. He glanced down at the boy in the ring and in that instant, the boy's large eyes, the smile, the spiky hair – it all clicked! How could he have missed the signs? That remarkable strength, their shared resilience, their noble personalities and their unwavering smiles… It all made sense now!

"Well that answers some questions," Nappa commented. "So Kakarot's got two little rugrats. No wonder they're both incredibly powerful super-brats, right Vegeta?"

"So it seems," Vegeta growled, slamming his fist on the rail. "Trunks! Listen to me. Stop toying around and finish him – now!"

But Trunks ignored him, crossing his arms.

"Whatever, old man. I ain't worried. He's finished," he said with an arrogant smirk.

"You did great, Goten!" Gohan said. "I'm so proud of you! Look how far you've made it! I have so much I wanna tell you, little guy. But right now, you're still in this fight. What do you say? Do you have energy for one more big move? I'll help you."

"I'm almost out of energy but…" Goten cried, reaching out to him. "I… I'll try!"

Gohan smiled.

"There's something you have to know, Goten. Our father wasn't some Quirkless farmer. No, Dad was the greatest fighter ever, and we're gonna be just like him one day" he said. Tears streamed down his eyes as Gohan revealed the truth to his little brother.

"I know, Gohan," Goten said, straining to focus. "Mom told me about him. It's just like you told me a long time ago – he was a hero without the cape."

"That's right. His name was Kakarot. And he left us with a powerful Quirk. One day, I'll teach you how to master it and how to ascend beyond. But for now, gather as much energy as you can and block everything else out. Ignore the cameras, the music, noise, the crowd, the pain… block it all off. It's just you and your power now. Focus, and do as I do."

"Kakarot…?" Melissa gasped, staring at Gohan. "Goten and Gohan… They're Kakarot's sons!"

"Huh? You know their dad, Melissa?" Izuku asked, looking up from his notes.

"Only the stories that my Papa would tell me from when he was working with Uncle Might," Melissa responded. "Back when they were young heroes in America, Kakarot was Uncle Might's little brother. He didn't have a hero license, so Kakarot became the vigilante known as…"

"...the Scarlet Blur," Izuku said, breaking his pencil in two as his eyes dilated. "That was All Might's rumored vigilante sidekick. So Kakarot – Gohan and Goten's dad, HE WAS THE SCARLET BLUR!?"

"SHHHHHH!" Melissa shushed, pinching Izuku's cheeks. "Vigilantes are kinda illegal, remember?"

"Ahh! Sorry!" Izuku cried, covering his mouth. That's amazing! No wonder Gohan have so much power…

Gohan let go of Koda's back and crouched forward, bringing his hands together at the wrist. Goten watched intently through his one good eye. Then he closed his eyes and imitated Gohan's gentle movements. The air around him began to pick up as Goten summoned what little energy he had left. It responded by surging from the center of his back, through his body and traveled all the way down to the palms of his hands.

The energy pooled and amassed into a bright blue and white orb that began to whine and spin wildly under Goten's untrained technique. Goten's closed eyes winced from the strenuous effort, but he crouched forward and intensified his concentration.

"That's it, Goten," Gohan said. "Now, repeat after me and unleash your true power!"

"KAAAAMEEEEE-" Gohan began.

"HAAAAMEEEEEE-" Goten continued, bringing the enlarged ki orb down by his side. The orb responded by growing exponentially, bathing Goten in it's blue light.

Vegeta instantly recognized the high-pitched whine and blinding light of that sea blue blast. That move… that's the Kamehameha Wave! Only one man has used such an attack on me and won. Yes, it makes perfect sense now. That is Kakarot's son, no doubt about it!

"Hey, I know that attack!" Nappa spat next to him, stuffing popcorn into his mouth.

"Yeah," Burnin agreed, looking over at Vegeta discreetly. "Isn't that the move that-"

"Shut up, you idiots!" Vegeta shouted, leaping to his feet.

"TRUNKS!" Vegeta shouted, gripping the railing. His loud voice boomed across the stadium and Trunks glanced over to him for a moment. "Dodge it! DON'T LET THAT BLAST HIT YOU!"

Trunks's eyes narrowed.

"You don't tell me what to do, old man!" He shouted back.

"Insolent little brat!" Vegeta growled. "If he strikes you with the Kamehameha, that'll be the end of it!"

"As if you cared!" Trunks shouted back, turning away from Vegeta. "Maybe you're scared of it,Dad.But I'm not!"

"Do as I say, or else-!"

"Or else what?!" Bulma shouted from her VIP seat a couple of rows away. Her blue eyes bore down on the Saiyan prince and her teeth bared like a furious predator.

Vegeta grinded his teeth and locked eyes with the blue-haired woman.

"He is being foolish, Bulma!" Vegeta shouted, pointing at Trunks. "If he doesn't do as I say-"

"You just don't get it, do you Vegeta?" Bulma shouted back, pointing an accusatory finger at the Saiyan Prince. "You don't have a say, and that's that!"

"FINE!" Vegeta yelled, pushing himself off the rail and crossing his arms. "Let the little man learn his lesson the hard way."

With that, he paced back to his seat and plopped down on the cushioned red chair.

Burnin and Nappa shared a stifled, giggling glance at one another, amused by how the mighty Prince of all Saiyans had just folded.

Down at the ring, Goten was just about finished charging up the wave. The orb spun and splashed charged light that danced in his tiny palms.

That's it, you're doing it, Goten! Gohan said with a joyful laugh. Now, give him everything you've got. Scream it out from the depths of your heart!"

HAAAAAAAAAA!

"HAAAAAAAAAA!" Goten swung his arms forward, unleashing the devastating wave of power. The blast shot out from his hands and spiraled wildly through the air, lancing out towards Trunks with the thunderous roar of the sea. True to his word, Trunks didn't lift his hands up to block, didn't even move a single muscle to dodge. He kept staring at the Wave that shot out towards him like a tidal wave with a proud smirk, until it was too late to react.

The blast smothered him, detonating like a massive bomb that lifted dust and debris up into the air, blinding the audience with a sea of bright white light.

"Ahhhh!" Mic yelped, rubbing his eyes. "I can't see a thing!"

Satan's jaw fell to the floor as he stared at the ring with red, teary, bewildered eyes.

"I… I can't believe it!" He cried, clutching at his face. "Where did all that power come from?!"

"That blast…" Aizawa muttered, staring at Goten. "That was a Kamehameha Wave!"

"Incredible!" Izuku stuttered in awe, holding one arm out in front of his eyes while writing with his other hand. "So much power!"

At the opposite end of the row, Gohan watched as the dust began to settle, leaving only Goten standing upright, alone in the ring.

"That's it!" Gohan said excitedly, holding his hand to Koda's back. "Goten – you did it!"

"D-DAMMIT!" Vegeta shouted, gritting his teeth. "Damn that spoiled child's stubbornness! Trunks had it! He had the win in the palm of his hand and he threw it away!"

"Yeah, that's, uh, too bad," Nappa muttered awkwardly.

"Aww, how cute," Burnin teased her boss. "So Lord Vegeta does care."

"Losing, and to make matters worse, it was to Kakarot's son, no less," Vegeta fumed through gritted teeth. He clutched his hands into trembling fists and a huge vein bulged on the corner of his temples. "It's a complete and utter disgrace! No son of mine would ever find himself bested in combat to a lower class warrior!"

Down by the ring, the powerful blast had finished tearing Goten's mask and shirt off, leaving him shirtless and revealing his wild, spiky hair. His body was bruised, filthy and exhausted, and he leaned over to support himself on his knees, breathing in ragged gasps of air.

He looked up to see the wind carrying the smoke away and to his horror, an entire portion of the ring where his best friend had just been standing had been completely destroyed, obliterated to pieces along with the grass below, leaving a giant charred crater of dirt.

Goten's eyes immediately widened with fear.

"Oh no!" Goten cried, running forward towards the spot where Trunks had been standing. "Trunks!"

But three steps in, Goten felt something in his stomach ring out with pain, forcing him to fall to one knee. Goten ignored his own excruciating pain and focused his eyes around the stadium, looking for his best friend.

"TRUNKS!" He yelled desperately. "Trunks, are you okay?!"

A snickering giggle from above caught his attention and Goten's head snapped up. The heavy pillar smoke parted and disappeared. There, floating in the air, completely unscathed, was Trunks. His giggle turned into a playful laugh as he held one hand up in the air. Vibrant orange flames were pouring out from his raised hand, racing up into the air in a pillar of fire that encircled and contained Goten's still spinning Kamehameha Wave in the palm of Trunks's hands.

"I don't believe it! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! IT'S THE FUTURE!" Hercule shouted excitedly.

"Yo! What's up, Goten," Trunks said with a smirk that hid the strain in his voice. Trunks's arms shook from the exertion it took to keep the spinning orb suspended over his head. His lavender bangs floated wildly with the rushing winds of his flames containing the weaker blast, which showered Trunks with its blue and white light. "I think you dropped something."

"Ahhh!" Goten whimpered, unable to believe his eyes.

"Ah! AHHH!" Vegeta gasped from his seat, eyes and mouth wide open. "He… He…"

"He just…" Nappa stammered, stupefied by the spectacle.

"...caught it!" Burnin finished. "WITH HIS BARE HANDS!"

"He used his flames to form a barrier in his hands," Vegeta said. A smile crept along his face.

"Yeahhh, it was a good try." Trunks taunted with a smirk. "If you had started with this, your blast might have been strong enough to take me out. But in your state, it's hardly a challenge for me. So… you want it back or what?

Goten was so exhausted that colors had crept into his vision. He simply laughed and gave Trunks a big smile, one eye half closed.

"No… fair…" He laughed weakly. "You really are… so cool, Trunks!"

With that, Goten slumped forward to the ground.

Trunks raised the captured ki blast towards the sky and shot it off. The blast parted the clouds and dissipated harmlessly into the afternoon skies.

"Mighty Mask has been knocked out," Midnight announced. "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for our winner and still reigning Champion – "The Future" Trunks."

"Yayyy!" Bulma celebrated, jumping up and down joyfully. "Go, Trunks!"

"Not bad, little bro!" Fuyumi chuckled to herself from the dugout as her assistant danced with joy.

"Such strength from both of them…" Shoto whispered to himself, rubbing his chin.

"Oh, I could totally take them both on!" Kaminari joked.

"Take them where, Jambrain? Your grave?" Jiro teased.

Chi-Chi's eyes beamed with pride. Just a few weeks ago, Goten had struggled to keep up with her and Master Roshi as the elder martial arts master introduced them both into his challenging training routine. But despite his young age, there was a fire aglow in Goten's heart that kept him pushing onward, always. Going beyond, ascending past his limits – Plus Ultra.

Even though Goten had lost, he had shown the world the fruits of his labor. Yes, the hard work had finally paid off. Chi-Chi got up from her seat and headed towards the stairs to head down to the ring.

"Ahhh! That was such a close match!" Melissa breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve.

"Y-Yeah!" Izuku agreed. "Gotta wonder what they're feeding kids these days."

Gohan gave off a disappointed sigh and lowered his hand from Koda's back.

"Aww geez, sorry about your little brother's loss, Gohan," Koda said.

"No, it's okay," Gohan said, smiling at his little brother as the medical android juniors rushed to check up on him, along with Miss Midnight. "This is okay. Now he knows what he's capable of. Thanks for your help anyway, Koda."

"He is amazing, just like you, Gohan!" Koda said with a smile. "You should be proud of him."

"Yeah, I am!" Gohan said. He felt his eyes water with emotion. "My little brother… I've waited so long to see him again."

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go see him now!" Ochaco shrieked with high energy, pumping her fist in the air.

"What, you think they'd really let us on stage now?" Gohan asked, glancing back over at the wrecked fighting stage. "They're about to start the awards ceremony for them."

"You're the Class Rep. I'm sure they'll understand!" Ochaco said with a wink. She brought her fingers together and activated her Quirk on herself, lifting up into the air. "Come on! Let's go hug Goten and congratulate him for making it this far on his first tournament!"

Gohan gulped and nodded.

"Yeah!" he said, lifting up into the air and flying towards the ring with Ochaco.

Back at the fighting stage, Trunks panted as he slowly hovered back down.

"Uh… Goten?" He asked. He shot his best friend a concerned look.

Midnight got to him first and she cradled the child, feeding Goten a Recovery Jelly Bean.

"Mm-mommy…?" Goten moaned in a daze. "So… hungry…"

"There, there. Eat this and you'll feel better. You fought valiantly, pint-sized hero," Midnight said, brushing Goten's matted bangs with motherly affection as the child chewed on Recovery Girl's candy and swallowed it.

Goten's body shivered from head to toe as the healing candy took effect. With a quick succession of blinks, Goten slowly recovered his energy and his wounds began to heal. He sat up and gave off a cheerful giggle.

"Aww man! I lost!" He said and shrugged. "Oh well, it was a lot of fun. And you were really good, Trunks!"

"A round of applause for our runner up, Son Goten. Remember his name, everyone! He's the Smiling Mini Hero – the Mighty Mask!" Mic called, and the entire stadium cheered for the pint-sized hero.

"GOTEN! GOTEN! GOTEN!" Cheers and chants of his name poured in, as if he had been the winner instead of Trunks. All Goten could do was stand and smile gratefully. He brought his hands together and bowed one last time.

Gohan and Ochaco landed on the grass at the edge of the fighting stage as all sixteen of the young fighters were lined up.

"Goten!" Gohan yelled, climbing onto the stage and running towards his little brother. Tears slipped down from his cheeks as his emotions came rushing out, but Gohan didn't care. Not seeing him for over a year had left a dark void in his heart, but he was here now! As soon as Goten saw his older brother running towards him, he broke the line he was standing in and ran over, arms outstretched towards his brother.

"GOHAN!" Goten squealed. Tears fell away from his chubby cheeks and sparkled in the afternoon sun.

"Hey! Class Rep, get off o' the stage!" Hercule shouted angrily. "We're about to begin the awards ceremony-"

"SILENCE!" Midnight vociferated, swinging her whip. It cracked against the air, silencing Mister Satan instantly. "This is a precious moment – I allow it! Try to interfere and you'll find yourself in a world of pain! There'll be hell to pay, understand?!"

"Uhh… right… whatever you say, Miss Midnight," Hercule stuttered, clearing his throat. "Ahem. I'll, uh, give them a minute, then."

Finally, at the center of the stage, Goten leaped into Gohan's strong arms and Gohan embraced his younger brother, their bodies intertwining in a heartfelt reunion. The weight of the past year's absence vanished as if it were a fleeting memory. Goten, enveloped in Gohan's warm embrace, felt the familiar strength of their bond, a connection that no amount of time or distance could sever.

"Goten!" Gohan cried, burying his face in the kid's spiky black hair, crying.

Breaking the embrace, Gohan looked into Goten's eyes, his voice filled with admiration and love.

"Goten, you've grown so much," he said, his voice carrying a mix of pride and disbelief. "I can see the fire burning within you, the strength you've gained. I'm so proud of you, little brother."

Goten's eyes shimmered with tears, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Where have you been, Gohan?" he whimpered. "I missed you sooo much! I thought that you were… were…"

Goten shook and he couldn't contain his tears anymore.

His little fingers wrapped around Gohan's blue gym jacket and he buried himself in Gohan's chest, crying.

"It's okay, little guy!" Gohan said, rubbing his little brother's head to console him. "I am here now, and I'm never gonna leave you again. Listen to me, Goten."

Goten looked up and Gohan wiped his tears away gently.

"I've missed you too, little brother," Gohan said, his voice laced with tender warmth. "Seeing you grow stronger, like this, it just makes me so proud, Goten. You've become an incredible fighter."

Goten beamed, his eyes shining with gratitude.

"Thanks, Gohan. But I still have a long way to go before I can catch up to you!"

Gohan chuckled, ruffling Goten's hair affectionately and rising to his feet.

"Maybe so, but I have no doubt you'll get there. We'll train together, okay? There's so much I want to teach you now that we know the extent of your abilities. Would you like that?"

"YEAH!" Goten cheered as Chi-Chi and Ochaco approached them.

"Oh, this is a day I never thought I'd live to see in this life," Chi-Chi said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. "Seeing us all together as a family again. Oh, if only Goku were here…"

"Family?" Goten repeated, glancing at Ochaco as Gohan took her hand in his. "Wait, how do you know each other, Gohan?"

"Huh?!" Gohan gasped, letting go of Ochaco, who looked away with an embarrassed blush. "I mean, we're… she's my…"

"Is she your girlfriend, Gohan?"

"NO!" Gohan and Ochaco protested quickly.

"Aww, why not?" Goten insisted, crossing his arms in disappointment. "I want Ochaco to be my sister!"

"I mean, if Ochaco wants…" Gohan gulped and turned to Ochaco. Ochaco felt a blush burn across her face and she couldn't look Gohan in the eyes.

"Alright everybody, it's time to present the awards for the Junior League Division of the World Martial Arts Tournament!" Midnight interrupted, to Gohan's relief. "For that, we have a surprise for everyone! Here to present the awards is none other than the greatest hero of our time!"

"Aww, you don't need to flatter me so much! HEH HEH!" Satan said with a bow.

"NOT YOU!" Midnight shouted, then cleared her throat. "He's the shining Symbol of Peace himself! Please help me welcome to the stage – ALL MIGHT!

"AHAHAHAHA!" The all too familiar laugh boomed. A salvo of fireworks shot off into the afternoon sky as the booming laughter got close. A giant figure clad in deep blue tights spun in midair and landed on the stage.

The smoke from the fireworks settled and there he was, stepping onto the stage at his towering seven feet tall, the embodiment of strength and justice himself. All Might, with his broad shoulders and shining smile, commanded the attention of everyone in the stadium. Goten's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as he beheld his idol in person for the first time.

Chi-Chi stepped aside with a smile and All Might gasped.

Hiding timidly behind her leg was a miniature version of Goku, his long lost brother. It was like staring into a photograph. Goten sported Goku's kind eyes, his childish smile, those unruly black bangs in his hair and a charismatic vibe.

In that very instant, their gazes met. All Might's light blue eyes twinkled with warmth and kindness, his presence instantly putting Goten at ease. With a charismatic flourish, the hero approached the edge of the stage. The other children cheered excitedly for All Might as he approached Goten and Trunks. He paused in front of Goten and extended a hand toward the wide-eyed young fan.

"Hi there, little one," All Might said with a smile. "I'm All Might."

"I'm Goten…" Goten said, shyly.

Goten's heart raced with anticipation as he eagerly took All Might's hand, feeling a surge of energy pass between them. The hero's voice, rich and resonant, filled the air as he spoke directly to the young boy who stood before him.

"Young hero, I saw the spark of bravery in your eyes during your fights" All Might declared, his voice carrying a blend of encouragement and admiration. "But what I most admired about you was that you were able to keep smiling, even after losing. Smiling is important. In this life, those that smile through adversity are the strongest. I am honored to meet a hero as dedicated and passionate as you."

Goten's grin stretched from ear to ear, his voice filled with awe as he managed to utter, "I've always looked up to you, All Might. You inspire me to be the best version of myself, to never give up, and to always protect those in need."

All Might's smile grew even wider. He rested his massive hands gently on Goten's shoulders.

"And you, my young friend, embody the spirit of a true hero. Always remember that within you lies the potential for greatness, just like the countless heroes you admire."

In that magical encounter, time seemed to stand still. All Might placed the medals over the necks of Goten and the other children, and even struck a pose together for a picture.

As All Might walked over to Trunks, he handed him the shining First Place Trophy for the Junior League Division, eliciting a loud applause from the crowd. Trunks glanced over at Mai, who gave him a tired sigh but clapped and smiled.

As the cheers of the crowd echoed through the stadium, Trunks stood tall in the center of the arena, the taste of victory still fresh on his lips.

After handing Trunks the trophy, All Might extended a congratulatory hand, his eyes brimming with pride.

"Trunks, my young hero," he said, "allow me to offer my heartfelt congratulations on your outstanding triumph. You've demonstrated exceptional skill, unwavering determination, and the true spirit of a hero. You are a powerful warrior, just like your father."

"Uh, yeah well, thanks," Trunks muttered shyly as he clasped All Might's hand, feeling a surge of validation and admiration wash over him. This was the Symbol of Peace, the very embodiment of heroism, standing before him, acknowledging his achievements.

"All Might, sir," Trunks said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude, "Thank you. Your words mean the world to me. It's nice to have your recognition, especially when my own father doesn't see it…"

All Might's warm smile widened as he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of experience and wisdom. "Take this to heart, my young hero, victory is not solely measured by the trophies we hold or the accolades we receive. True victory is the embodiment of the values we hold dear, the compassion and bravery that guide our actions."

He paused for a moment, his gaze steady and resolute as Trunks looked up at him with a twinge of sadness in his blue eyes.

"In your triumph today," All Might continued, placing his hands on Trunks's shoulders, "I saw the unwavering determination to protect and uplift others. Even when your opponent was down, you did not attack him, but rather you gave him the opportunity to get back up again. That shows character and honor. You fought not only for yourself but for the principles of justice and the safety of those around you. That, Trunks, is what sets a true hero apart."

Trunks nodded and stared down at the golden trophy in his hands.

With a nod of affirmation, All Might continued, his voice carrying the strength of conviction, this time addressing all of the children who had participated in the tournament.

"As you all embark on your hero's journey, remember that true strength lies not only in the battles you win but in the hearts you inspire and the lives you touch." All Might said. "Embrace the responsibility that comes with your abilities, and always strive to be the hero that others can look up to."

Goten's heart swelled with an unbreakable determination, fueled by All Might's encouraging words and the belief that he too could make a difference in the world, just like his idol.

"All Might," he said happily. "When I grow up, I wanna be a hero like you – someone who smiles while doing good things for people!" Goten said. "Can I be a hero like you some day? I promise to work really hard and do good in school!"

All Might's eyes watered at the child's precious innocence. In his mind's eye, for just a second, he remembered the little voice of Goku from so many years ago, when Toshi himself had won first place in the First Year Sports Festival. Toshi, you look so cool! When I grow up, I wanna be a cool, strong hero just like you!

"Yes, Young Goten. You, too, can become a Hero," All Might said. He moved forward and swooped Goten up and sat him on his massive shoulder. Goten's eyes glazed over in utter fanboyish bliss.

"Take this to heart, young man," All Might continued. "You can be anything you want to be. If you keep that smile on your face, there's nothing you can't accomplish!"

In that moment, in that perfect, precious encounter, Goten had not only been reunited with his long lost brother and had met his favorite hero but had received a gift that would stay with him forever – a gift of hope, inspiration, and the unwavering belief that heroes truly do exist, both on the pages of comic books and within the hearts of those who strive to make the world a better place.

Yes, he would be a Hero, too…

---

Ending Song:
"Child -error-," by My First Story

---

Fu had spent the remaining time before the Finals Tournament in getting ready with Mei Hatsumei's tech that they were going to be presenting. As a result, he had missed the entire Junior League Division tournament, but he didn't really have any stake in that game, so it didn't matter to him.

As he was walking back to the stadium through the vendor area, he spotted a man with stark white hair, an All Might T-shirt and circular purple glasses. The man saw Fu approaching and finished his drink, smacking his lips to savor the flavor.

"Hey you! Great job at the Cavalry Battle! Can I have your autograph?" he asked, approaching Fu. Behind them, Mister Hound Dog, one of the teachers who was working security heard the man calling out to Fu and immediately intercepted him.

"Hey – don't accost our students! Meet and Greets are scheduled after the tournament's finished," Hound Dog barked, baring his sharp canine teeth as he towered over the man. "You'll have to wait until then."

"That's alright, sir," Fu said. "I don't mind. Besides, we all know the meet and greets are for the hero courses only. I'll give him his autograph and send him on his way."

"Hmph," Hound Dog growled. After a moment, he turned and began to walk away. "Fine, but make it fast."

"Gee, you're my hero!" the man teased with a smile that revealed three missing teeth.

"Shut up, Giran," Fu hissed. "You're not supposed to make contact until after dark. Are you nuts?"

"Nah," Giran said with a lazy wave of his hand. "Just bored. Hey, you're not a bad fighter, kid! By the way, that cute little blonde that's been following you around… that's Melissa Shield, isn't she?"

"What's it to you?" Fu asked, defensively.

"Sweet little thing, isn't she?" Giran chuckled. "She seems awfully into you. Does she know? It would break her heart to find out that-"

"That's none of your business," Fu cut him off.

"Aww, how sweet," Giran cooed, annoying Fu. "Whatever happened to 'She's just a means to an end?' You really do care about her, huh?"

"Enough about that," the boy responded with an icy tone. "Let's get this over with before we get caught."

Fu walked over to the white-haired man who smiled and held out a plain scarf for Fu to sign. As he did, Fu conspicuously slipped a small purple capsule into the man's hands.

"Here," Fu said. "I heard your boy's friend likes dressing up as a hero. He'll find that this mask is a far superior model than the last one he had."

"Oh, thank you so much, young man!" The man said with a wink. "My boy's been asking for a mask like this for quite a while now."

"Yeah, well tell your boy that this mask is only half of the outfit," Fu said with a glint in his eye. "If he wants the rest, he'll have to get it from me in person. Luckily for you, I'm free this weekend after school."

"Seriously? You actually want to meet him in person?" Giran asked, tucking the scarf away and lighting a cigarette.

"That's right. I need to know that my efforts here aren't in vain. He already screwed the pooch once, you know!" Fu barked.

"Ehhh, you know how my boy is, Fu," Giran warned, lighting his cigarette and taking a long, stressed drag from. "He's very prone to tantrums. We had a deal, here. He's not gonna like this."

"Maybe you all just need to have a little faith in heroes…" Fu said with a wink, pushing his circular glasses up the bridge of his nose with his finger. "See ya around, Giran."

"Heh. See ya around, Hero," Giran responded, tucking the capsule into his pocket and walking away.

---

We made it to the end of another chapter, friends! Now we finally get to dive into the main fights and all the character development that comes with it. Season Two is one of my favorites of MHA for this reason. I hope you'll enjoy what we have in store.

Okay, onto the Review Responses in chronological order!

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Brandon Dupere chapter 42 . May 26

Salut Eclipse, premièrement, je tiens à te féliciter pour le deuxième anniversaire de cette fic et de t'encourager à la poursuivre jusqu'au bout. Même moi je ne sais pas si je peux avoir la motivation nécessaire pour faire une fic aussi longue sans finir par en avoir marre... et c'est pour ça que je sépare mes fic en partie. Merci aussi pour la reconnaissance de l'amitié qui s'est fait entre nous au fil du temps et des chapitres de nos histoires respectifs, à force de nous donner des messages encourageant ainsi que de s'être inspirée l'un l'autre. Aussi, j'ai aimé le chapitre et la réaction de Satan en voyant sa fille en tenue de pom-pom gjrl était ce que j'avais imaginé. Et Trunks faisant subir sa colère sur cet abruti de Takuto avait un côté satisfaisant. J'ai hâte de voir la suite des combats de la ligue junior. Oh, et aussi, il se peux que je me trompe mais, cette moonlight might, est-ce que c'était Nana ou était-se quelqu'un d'autre?

Salut Brandon ! Merci pour les voeux d'anniversaire! Il n'a pas toujours été facile de suivre une si longue fic. En fait, il y a eu des moments où j'ai voulu abandonner l'écriture de cette fic, ou j'ai commencé à me désintéresser de l'écriture. Et c'est pourquoi, parfois, je me suis aventuré dans l'écriture d'autres histoires pour en quelque sorte me remettre à zéro quand il s'agissait d'écrire celle-ci.

Mais il y a toujours quelque chose qui a réussi à me retenir. Et bien sûr, tous vos commentaires me motivent à continuer. alors merci pour ça aussi.

Je sais qu'un jour, nous arriverons au bout du chemin, et qu'il n'y aura plus de chapitre après cela. Donc jusqu'à ce que ce jour vienne, je vais continuer à faire de mon mieux, pour que ça en vaille la peine à la fin, et je peux au moins savoir que ça a égayé la journée de quelqu'un en cours de route. .

Et tu as l'œil pour savoir qui est la femme de Nappa. C'est bien l'une de ces trois femmes, pour la raison que vous avez ajoutée. Tout ce que je vais révéler, c'est que c'était aussi le produit d'un mariage arrangé similaire à Vegeta et Rei. Vous le saurez bien assez tôt, cependant, et j'espère que cela a du sens.

Et pas de soucis, je comprends comment ce site peut être parfois. Chaque fois que j'ai besoin d'ajouter un commentaire supplémentaire à un chapitre, j'accède au chapitre via le mode incognito de mon navigateur et je continue en tant qu'invité, mais je le signe avec mon nom d'utilisateur, cela semble être la seule solution.

Merci encore pour votre commentaire!

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KaijuEmperor chapter 42 . May 26

Aaah it's nice that All Might and Chi-Chi finally reconciled with each other(now I just hate to be him when he has to break the bad news that Goku is alive but is practically suffering a fate worse than death) and so sweet what the girls did for Ochako by becoming cheerleaders with her(surprisingly half of them of their own free will or being the masterminds compared to canon)

I'm also surprised that Mai and Shu made a appearance in this arc or the fact they're kids since there are no actual wish granting orbs (yet)

And Holy Fuck Trunks went full savage on that fat gator little shit and I'm loving it, that's what he gets for talking shit about his mom and Goten.

Now all is left (before the official tournament) is the two brothers to finally have a tearful heartwarming reunion and please for the love of Christ don't cockblock us from it lol!

Hi KaijuEmperor! Thank you for your review. You know, in the original draft for this chapter, I had All Might revealing the truth about Nomu Goku in an effort to give Chi-Chi hope, but it actually ended really badly, and tore a giant hole in the arc, because who in their right mind (especially Chi-Chi) could just receive news that your husband was killed and basically frankensteined, only to go back to cheering a kid's sports tournament?

So I decided to be patient and wait for the perfect moment, and I actually found the precise, perfect moment for the horrible news about Goku (and Tomura Shigaraki / Son Koten's) true identity.

And about the girls, they just really wanted to show Ochako that she was really good at something, to cheer her up, like you said. Also, since we don't have Mineta in this story (yet), I had to move some pieces around. Hopefully it makes sense!

Oh, and as for Shu, Mai and Pilaf, I rewrote them into this universe's canon. Pilaf's basically a spoiled rich kid who bought Shu and Mai's loyalty with lofty promises. He's kinda like a wimpy scumbag version of Chaotzu, only without powers.

For some reason, writing the reunion between Gohan and Goten was harder than I thought it was going to be. Major writer's block here, but I hope it turned out fine. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Thanks for your review again! I really appreciate it, Kai!

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Brandon Dupere chapter 7 . May 26

Oh et aussi, si je devait faire une théorie, je dirais que la femme de Nappa est Miruko, Burnin ou, peut-être, Midnight. Car pour le cas de Miruko et Burnin, toutes les deux ont ce caractère qui attire les saiyans, et pour Midnight (paix à son âme), elle est un peu sadique à certain moment, surtout lorsqu'elle se trouve dans des situation où elle a clairement l'avantage. Et désolé de faire ce commentaire sur un ancien chapitre, car le site ne m'autorise pas à faire plus d'un commentaire par chapitre.

Ouiiiii! C'est l'une de ces trois dames, mais une fois révélée, cela deviendra évident. Nappa et ce héros ont deux filles, toutes deux hybrides Saiyan incroyablement puissantes. Vous les rencontrerez dans le prochain arc d'histoire, les stages, car les filles feront également un stage à l'agence Endeavour.

Et pour l'instant, les filles ne sont pas présentes au Festival des sports car elles ne fréquentent pas UA High, elles fréquentent l'Académie Ketsbutsu avec leur professeur, Miss Joke. Oh, et sans trop spoiler, nous rencontrerons également un autre personnage de l'élite Shiketsu High, qui fera également un stage chez Vegeta. Eh bien, tout cela dans l'arc de l'histoire qui vient après le Festival des sports. Je suis ravi de présenter ces personnages, car ils ajouteront de la dimension au personnage de Gohan et lui donneront une perspective différente sur ce que signifie être un héros.

Et vice versa!

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JustinCase chapter 42 . May 28

Gah! These wholesome little Kid Goku/AllMight moments are too fuckin adorable and I can see you building towards All Might and Goten.

Dont let Gohan find out that Deku got the hots for his ghost gramma though. XD But in all seriousness, it was pretty neat to see Gine encouraging Deku to stop holding himself back. My question now would be, is this what pushes him over the edge to damage himself so badly in his fight against Todoroki?

I especially liked the bonding moment the girls had. You managed to turn a fan service gag into something wholesome AF, with the girls trying to cheer Ochako up. Props to you my man! Even Videl showed some emotions OTHER than sourpuss rage

Fuck Takuto, so satisfying to see his ass get kicked after bullying Goten and the others. Trunks is a lil badass, right up there with Vegeta and Shoto.

And Kendo's backstory, duuude. She deserves to be happy. Best girl and best big sis for sure. Too bad, she seems to start realizing she can't compete against Ochako but on the flip, its going to make her a ferocious fighter in the Finals, knowing that her dad and lil sis are there.

And the final thought I have is, I kind of dig what you did with Rappa. He's got them hands, just like his daughter. Congrats on your second year anniversary of this fic bro! I can't wait for the next chapter!

LMAOOO, ew that's gross. And I thought All Might x Deku was a weird ship! Gine x Deku, well, actually… uhhh nevermind, let's not even go there! lmaoooo

Yep! All of the All Might and Kid Goku scenes growing up together were bricks that paved the way for an emotional encounter with Kid Goten, who looks exactly like Goku did at his age. And as for your question regarding the fight with Todoroki, I would say, yes and in a huge way. You'll see in about two chapters or so.

I'm really trying to give the girls more personality. From time to time, I re-read old chapters and end up feeling like I've done a piss poor job of giving the girls more depth, like you said, Videl is mostly just grumpy all the time. I'll do my best to work on that.

I'm so glad you liked "Future" Trunks! Badassery runs in the Vegeta/Todoroki fam for sure!

And as for Kendo, you know, sometimes we think we really want something in life, and are convinced that if we get it, we will be happy, but in the end we find out that it's not true at all. What we really needed to be happy was something else entirely, and holding on to feeble schemes and desires oftentimes leads us down the road of unhappiness. That's the case with our dear Big Sis Kendo.

Okay, I swear I ain't smoking! XD

And thank you for the anniversary wishes! To another year of writing!

Thanks for your review man!

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spaz1499 chapter 42 . Jun 1

just finished reading this keep up the great work be back in 6 months or so to read the next 10 chapters

Hi spaz! Thank you so much for your encouraging words! I will try to have more than ten chapters done by the time you're back around here. Stay safe and see you then, my friend!

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JediGamerX chapter 42 . Jun 2

Great chapter and congratulations on your two-year anniversary! I love how your story is unique not just as a crossover but as fanfiction itself. Here's to many more years to come!

Hey! Thank you so much! Can you believe the original draft only had 28 chapters?! Sometimes part of me wishes I would've kept it that way, but I'm enjoying the experience of having a longfic where I can do whatever I want like this. I know that one day I'll submit that final chapter and after that there'll be no more to this story, so I'm trying to savor every moment while I still can. The bittersweet life of a starving author, I suppose lmaooo

I haven't forgotten your fic either. We'll be patiently waiting for the next chapter, whenever you get a chance. Out of all the Vegeta fics, yours to me reflects his royal personality the best; one of my top favorite fics for sure!

Thanks for your review, man. Hope you've been well!

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Elchico 64 chapter 42 . Jun 2

Another chapter of PoD, huh? ...LETS GOOOOOOO! It was about time! It freaking sucks when your computer stops function normally and you have to send it to sopport while the work made is there... I think we all have been there, it sucks.

I loved how the girls help Ochako, I bet it was a piece of hard work. But all effort has it rewards. Still, I feel bad for Kendo for not have a chance with saiyan-chad, its obvious she will fight for him (even if Gohan has his heart only on Ochako). I like the fierce on her character development and how you connect the relation of her family as background to have something in common with Gohan's family. I love it!

Its funny how Yaoyorozu didn't get why Ochako was feeling bad, when she has an eye (in this fic I mean) on this stuff. Even so, you don't let any character outside. But I do wonder where is Fu, probably something dark as spy of AFO.

And yeah, Midoriya is becoming more like Todoroki when it comes to get suspicious xD

Quick Question, I don't know if someone already did; Towa or Miira are going to appear? I ask this for the existence of Fu.

And sorry for taking a bit long into reading this. I have a ton of work and study for the exams. I didn't even get the chance to write a single paragraph after my post on Twitter. I have to write something or I am going to SCREAAAAAAAAMMMMM- ok, I'll stop ('_' )

And dont have to thank me for anything, man. All this work- ALL this universe is because you had the balls to say "HEY, I HAVE AN IDEA AND I WILL DO IT" and you're still writing like a pro. So, Im hoping to read more about this AU.

Take care, pal! I will be there if you need any help. And I have to write, like, right now. Because I dont know when I'm gonna have this free time again, haha...

PD: Can't you believe I didn't favourite you? I just check up and I couldn't believe it myself. Have to correct that.

Hi, Chico! Thanks so much for your review, brother!

Yeah, I swear I really mean to get these out a lot sooner, but there's just so much I can do at the moment, plus there's always writer's block and stuff.

Originally, instead of having Ochaco get cheered up by her friends, there was going to be a long sequence of her competing against Kendo for Gohan's attention, but I felt that after the previous chapter, where it ended with Gohan clearly opening his heart and choosing her, it just wouldn't make sense to have them compete again at square one. At least not yet.

So I saved that scene for a later, more appropriate time. The rivalry won't end with the tournament, that I can promise you!

As for Yaomomo, it's true that she's been the active big sis of the class, and keeping a good eye out for Ochako, but at the moment, she's a little… distracted by Shoto. Oh, it's just like Mina said – "Ignoration by Association" lmao.

Oh for Mira and Towa, I'm not sure if I included them in last season's pre-finale where we traveled to the infamous villain prison. But I can confirm that they are both imprisoned in Tartarus, though Towa is not in Death Row. She is a level above Mira, Raditz, Moonfish, Lady Negant, and Majin Buu's cocoon, among a few other surprises kept in Death Row.

We will revisit the villains locked up in Tartarus again in the future. And with Fu… yeahhh, you were right. He's the Traitor that All for One has planted in UA High. What consequences this will have, now that Gohan and Melissa trust him, we shall see.

Oh and your next chapter looks great from what you've shown us on twitter so far. Can't wait to see the newcomers and how they interact with your Gohan. Sometimes it does take forever to find a good time to write, but once we publish the chapter, it's the greatest feeling ever! Definitely a unique kind of high!

Thanks again for your review, bro! I'll be looking forward to your next chapter.

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CryWolf chapter 42 . Jun 21

Happy belated anniversary, Eclipse, and great job on the season so far. I can't wait for Gohan to finally give Bakugo the ass whooping he's been asking for since Day 1. I feel like it's right around the corner now. Let's get it! The Cell Saga for the finale tho, that's what I'm most looking forward to

Hey! So good to hear from you again, Wolf! I didn't think I'd hear from you again, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Thanks! Can you believe it – two years dedicated to writing a story about cartoon teens fighting villains for free! Lmaooo but I'm proud of making it this far, and being able to make great friends along the way.

Ohhh yeah, that's a canon event that I'm not gonna change. Bakugo gonna get humbled big time! And the Cell Saga is coming. We still have the Endeavor/Internships arc sandwiched in between the Sports Fest and the Cell Games, but we'll get there, I promise!

Thanks again for your review, man! I really appreciate it and once again, really good to hear back from you again. When longtime readers comment, I can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia!

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Okay everyone, that's it for Review Responses!

Thank you so much again for reading another chapter, and for your patience. Until next time!