A/N: What's this? A Midweek update? Yep, got the idea and inspiration for this chapter at work today, so I decided to make a mini update. I'm planning on updating again at least once more this upcoming long weekend. Hopefully twice, but we'll see. Also, is anybody else hyped up from the DBS Super Hero and MHA Season 6 trailers that just dropped recently?
Seeing Gohan go full super hero in the DBS trailer, while wearing the Namekian clothes, just felt like watching my fic come to life for a few seconds, since that's his Dragon Hero outfit in this fic. Can't wait for that movie!
Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. Review Responses at the end.
Opening Song:
"The Beginning" by One OK Rock
After eating one final morning meal with the Dragon Clan, it was time for the students to return to Musutafu. The Sunday morning sun beamed brightly in the cloudless sky over Moori's Village, adding a pleasant warmth to the cool mountain air as Izuku and Gohan helped Dende load up everyone's bags onto his Capsule Car.
"That's the last one," Midoriya said with a sigh of relief, closing the trunk and turning to Gohan. "I can't believe it's already Sunday. The weekend was way too short. Not to mention, we have the Combat Trials coming up this week. It's going to be hectic, huh Gohan? …Gohan?"
Gohan was staring off in the distance where Ochaco was playing with some of the children of the Clan.
Necke, Cargo, and Esca, the three youngest members of the Dragon Clan ran around Ochaco, laughing joyfully as she played with them.
"Okay, cuties!" Ochaco said, cheerfully. "This will be the last time we get to do this until I see you again. So how about it? You ready to fly with me?"
"Yeah! Yeah! Let's fly!" they giggled excitedly.
"Okay! Three… Two… One… And liftoff!" Ochaco activated her Quirk and took Esca's tiny hand in hers. Esca held onto Necke's hand, who held onto Cargo's, as they hovered around the sky. The children began to squeal and giggle with Ochaco as she guided them around the sky.
Gohan couldn't contain the smile forming on his lips as he watched Ochaco flying around with the giggling kids. That girl sure is something else…
As Ochaco flew over them, she saw him staring up at her and smiled sweetly, extending her free hand to him.
"Come on up here, Gohan," she called. "Join us! The morning breeze feels great!"
Gohan nodded and took off into the air, slowing his ascent as he reached Ochaco's side. The soft breeze brushed Ochaco's hair away from her eyes and Gohan's heart skipped a beat. Ochaco… damn, you're so cute!
He reached out and took Ochaco's hand. Ochaco looked away as she felt his touch, trying her best to conceal a tiny smile.
"Okay, everybody" she said with a slight blush. "Let's go!"
Back on the ground, Melissa walked over to stand next to Midoriya, the two looking up at the giggling flying couple and the kids.
"What did I tell you, Deku?" she winked at Midoriya. "Lovebirds, indeed."
"I still can't believe they're not related," Midoriya sighed, shaking his head.
"Wow, the children sure have taken a liking to Ochaco," Tsu commented to Dende as she leaned against the car.
"Well, yes," Dende nodded. "This is probably the only time they'll get to experience having a mother, or a big sister figure."
The three students gasped.
"Really?" Melissa asked sadly, turning back to the flying kids. "But why?"
"You know," Tsu said. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any Namekian women around the village."
"That's true," Dende said. "That's because there are no Namekian women. Those of us that are direct descendants of the green-skinned Ancient Namekians reproduce asexually. Our fathers spit us out in the form of an egg, and we hatch nine months later. It's not that we can't reproduce with women the… let's say, the more conventional way… we can – but this is the way Ancient Namekians were born for hundreds of years. It honors the Ancient Way, as well as our fathers. Sorry, I bet it all sounds pretty weird, huh? Not really having a normal family and all?"
"Are you kidding?" Midoriya said. "No way! That's so unique, Dende!"
"I'm with Deku," Melissa nodded. "After all, the beauty of our world lies in the diversity of its people."
"And if we're being frank, which of us has a so-called normal family, anyway?" Tsu commented. "My parents are always working abroad, so I have to be the mom and dad to my little brother and sister."
"Yeah, in my case, I haven't seen my Dad since Junior High," Midoriya volunteered.
"And I grew up without my Mom in a floating island thousands of miles away," Melissa said, cheerfully. Gohan landed next to them and joined the conversation.
"And you already know my story, man. I don't even remember my Dad," he said with a sad laugh. "In fact, I think the only one of us that has a 'normal family' with two loving parents is Ochaco."
"Yeah," Ochaco said with a bright smile as she landed beside him. "My mom and dad are awesome!"
They all shared a light-hearted laugh together.
"Thanks, you guys," Dende said gratefully, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, that reminds me. In about five months, we're going to have a hatching ceremony to welcome the newest members of our clan. It would be a great honor to have you guys join us to celebrate the birth of the hatchlings… If you're available I mean."
"We'd love to come, wouldn't we, Deku?" Melissa said, excitedly.
"Of course!" Midoriya said. "Tsu?"
"Count me in, Ribbit!"
"Me four!" Ochaco said happily, patting the three children that were hugging her legs. "Plus, it would be so nice to see these little cuties again."
Dende clasped his hands with a smile.
"Great! Well, we should probably get going. We've got quite a drive ahead of us. Plus, I need to get back to work soon."
"Right. Okayyyy you three, let's get you back to the village," Gohan said to the kids, taking two by the hand.
"I'll come with you," Ochaco said with a smile, taking Esca's hand. They took the kids back to the entrance of the village, where their fathers were waiting patiently for them.
"Okay," Gohan said. "Time to say bye, now."
"Aww, but we want Big Sis Ochaco to stay!" Cargo cried.
"Yeah! Just stay here with us!" Esca said, hugging Ochaco's thighs. "You'll like it here."
"Awww, I would if I could cuties," Ochaco said, dropping to a knee to be at their eye level. "But I've got a home and a family to get back to, too."
"Then… then, promise you'll come see us again soon?" Necke begged, holding his tiny green hands together. "We're your family, too, right?"
"You are. And don't worry, I will," Ochaco said. "I promise, I'll be back soon and we can all play together again. Bye for now, cuties. Be good! See you again soon!" Ochaco said, waving at the children as she and Gohan started to walk back out of the village.
"Wait! You're not seriously leaving without receiving my blessing first, are you?" a voice from behind them said. Gohan and Ochaco turned to see an elderly Namekian walking up to them. He was wrapped in purple garments that held the symbol of the Dragon Clan in white and red kanji. He held a wooden walking staff on his right hand.
"Grand Elder Moori," Gohan said, bowing respectfully. "Sorry sir, but we really do need to get going now."
"Well, then. This will only take a few minutes," Moori said, turning to Ochaco. "I am Moori, Grand Elder of the Dragon Clan. Please, may I have a word with you in private?"
"Yes sir," Ochaco said, bowing respectfully.
"Okay, I'll head back to the car. Take your time." Gohan bowed again and walked away, waving at his Clan brothers one last time.
"Goodbye, Son. Go in Peace. Return in Power." Moori said to Gohan, reciting the ancient Namekian Farewell.
"Bye everyone! Hope you like the new place! I'll stop by again in a few weeks after the finals!" Gohan called out to his clan one last time before disappearing at the village gate.
"That boy sure is something special," Moori commented.
"Yeah," Ochaco breathed, holding her hands together. "He really is."
"Ochaco Uraraka," Moori said, turning to the girl.
"Yes, sir?"
"You arrived at our Sanctuary as a friend of Gohan's, but you're leaving as a friend of the Dragon Clan. Please know that you will always be welcome here. Your presence honors us. We look forward to having you join our Clan officially in the near future."
"Oh? Thank you, sir… wait," Ochaco paused. "You want me to be part of your Clan?"
"Yes, yes," Moori said, clasping his hands together with a smile. "I have no doubt you will make a fine wife to our beloved Gohan."
"W-w-wife?!" Ochaco gasped.
"Yes, of course," Moori said with a smile that showed all of his wrinkles. "Nail told me about how Gohan fought for your honor."
"Y-yeah, that's true," Ochaco said, looking down at the blue grass below. Her cheeks began to burn with a blush.
"I think it's great. You're just the kind of companion the boy needs," Moori continued, looking back at where Gohan disappeared from sight. "I've never met someone as committed to helping others as Young Gohan. You see, Namek doesn't have any Hero Agencies."
"Wow, really?" Ochaco asked, sadly. "I had no idea! How come?"
"Yes, it's true. Hero Agencies have to be paid for by the local government, but our local leaders had completely given up on trying to fix the violent crime and poverty of our beloved city. And every Pro Bono Hero has been killed trying to save the city. Occasionally, we would be lucky to have All Might visit and take care of some of the bigger gangs that terrorized the city, but of course, he couldn't stay for long. And as soon as he left, another gang popped up to replace the one that was defeated.
For a long time, it seemed like Namek was on the brink of collapse, until this boy showed up. In more ways than one, Gohan is saving the soul of this city. Him and Dende. They're inspiring others to be heroic in their own ways. He is reminding us what it means to have that indomitable Namekian spirit."
"That's Gohan for you," Ochaco said with a smile. "He's always so full of joy and positivity and focus and drive. He really is an amazing guy.
"And yet," Moori continued, "there are times when I sense a sadness in him; a loneliness within that none of us can fully understand. As descendants of Ancient Namekians, we are accustomed to living out our lives without romantic companionship, but Gohan doesn't have that same custom. Sometimes, I really worried about him. But now I can finally put those worries aside. You know, I've never seen him as happy as he is when he's spending time with you. You've returned to him a bright smile that I rarely used to see. I guess what I'm asking of you in many, many words is to please, continue to give him his smile, and always be there to support him. He needs someone like you."
"Really? He's… happy with me? I mean, that's-" Ochaco stuttered, looking away. "That's very sweet, Grand Elder, but Gohan's… well, he's my best friend, and I really do care about him. If I'm being honest, the more I spend time with him and the more I get to know him… the more attracted I feel to him. But I need to find out if my feelings for him are true first, before I let him know. I'm afraid that if I tell him too soon, and he doesn't feel the same way… I just don't want to lose him. I'm sorry if I'm disappointing you, but I don't know the first thing about… being… in love… with someone."
Moori nooded.
"You are wise beyond your years, Uraraka. The budding emotions you both have for each other are young and fragile, like the sapling you two planted together on Friday. But if you both dedicate time, attention and affection, and if you always protect it no matter what, then those feelings will blossom into something beautiful."
Ochaco smiled and bowed again.
"Then I'll do my best to protect Gohan's smile," she said. "That's a promise."
"Thank you so much for that reassurance," Moori said. "Now please, accept my parting gift and my blessing."
He approached Ochaco and laid his hands on her forehead, closing his eyes. His two antennae twitched and began to glow with power. The glow traveled down his arms and engulfed Ochaco in a blinding light. When it was finally over, Ochaco slowly opened her eyes, feeling fresh power flowing through her body.
"What was that just now?" she asked. "I feel… different; lighter."
The old Namekian patriarch laughed in a grandfatherly way.
"I possess an ancient Namekian Quirk passed down by all Grand Elders," Moori said. "You are young and far more powerful than you realize. So I have awakened your sleeping potential. This isn't an automatic power boost, it just means that the ceiling of your true potential has been raised. Your true power has been awakened. So do your best to surpass your new limits."
"I will," Ochaco said, excitedly, throwing her arms around the shorter Namekian's neck in a hug. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"
"Now go, my child," Moori said. "Go in Peace. Return with Power."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – THE CALL
Dende was supposed to drop Tsu, Ochaco, Izuku and Melissa off at the train station so that he and Gohan could get back to work at the Lookout, but after finding himself enthralled in conversation with Tsu and Melissa about his work on the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he decided to drive them all the way to Musutafu himself.
"The key mechanism for my Hyperbolic Time Chamber to work is to use the time-dilation effect of Special Relativity, which states that a moving clock appears to tick more slowly the closer it approaches the speed of light. I firmly believe this effect applies to all types of clocks, including biological aging."
"But how would a person be able to survive such a massive shift in gravitational acceleration without completely tearing apart at an atomic level?" Melissa asked, intrigued.
"Well, let's think about it," Dende said. "If one were to depart from the earth in a spaceship that could accelerate continuously at a comfortable force equal to the gravity at the earth's surface, one would begin to approach the speed of light relative to the earth within about a year. As the ship continued to accelerate, it would come ever closer to the speed of light, and its clocks would appear to run at an ever slower rate relative to the earth. Under such circumstances, a round trip to the center of our galaxy and back to the earth, a distance of some 60,000 light-years, could be completed in only a little more than 40 years of ship time. Upon arriving back at the earth, the astronaut would be only 40 years older, while 60,000 years would have passed on the earth."
"But still, such a device would pose formidable engineering problems that I can't even begin to wrap my head around," Melissa said, shaking her head. "Just the amount of energy required alone, even assuming a perfect conversion of mass into energy, would need to be greater than a planetary mass!"
"Which is why," Dende said, holding up a finger. "it's still in the developmental stages. I'm working closely with Doctor Bulma Briefs to come up with a way to increase the gravitational acceleration of the device without completely imploding-"
Ochaco and Tsu had fallen asleep on Gohan's shoulder in the back seat, and Gohan was slowly beginning to nod off when he was suddenly awakened.
"OH CRAP!" Midoriya shouted, making Dende swerve for a second before he regained control of the car.
"Deku, what's wrong?!" Melissa cried, her hair disheveled from the sudden swerve.
"It's Sunday and I totally forgot to go to City Hall to turn in my request form for the clothing allowance!" he said, holding his hands on his head. "Oh, crap! This is a disaster! I'm not going to have a costume ready for the Combat Trials this week!"
Melissa's stunned expression slowly melted into an amused smile.
"Don't worry, Deku," she said. "I've actually been working on some costume accessories of my own. You can burrow some for the exam if you want."
"You'd do that for me?" Midoriya asked, on the verge of tears.
"Yeah!" Melissa giggled. "I'll bring some over later on tonight and you can try them on."
She looked up at the rear view mirror at Gohan and winked at him. Gohan caught her glance and tilted his head quizzically. What was that all about? He wondered.
"Gohan," she said. "Do you mind waiting at Deku's place? I made something for you that I want you to have."
"For me?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, sure. No problem. I'll be there."
Melissa nodded with a smile and turned back to Dende.
"So, Dende," she said, picking back up on their conversation. "About the gravity machine that artificial gravity device that my Aunt Bulma is working on…"
(…)
Gohan now sat on the couch across from Izuku, texting with Ochaco as Midoriya talked with someone over the phone. Up until then, Gohan hadn't bothered with making his own social media account, no matter how much Eijiro and Mina had begged him to get one. There just wasn't any time. But when Ochaco found out, she practically forced him to download Line, the most popular social media app in Japan.
Gohan smiled like an idiot at his phone as he scrolled through all the pics that Ochaco had taken during the weekend at Moori's village. Some of the pictures showed Cargo, Esca and Necke, as well as capturing moments in the life of the Dragon Clan. Others showed Midoriya, Melissa, Tsu and Dende. But only one of the photos showed Gohan and Ochaco together alone.
This one's my fav, Gohan commented on the picture they had taken together while they were swimming in the hot spring. Ochaco's hair was dripping wet as she leaned her head against Gohan's bare shoulder, a dreamy smile on her face. Gohan was holding up a Peace Sign in his free hand, a happy lopsided smirk on his face.
Really? Y? Ochaco asked. My hair's all over the place, lol.
Because it's the one you're in… Gohan replied. I'm gonna make this my profile pic.
Noooo! Ochaco begged. Not a fan of how I look in that 1!
Why not? I think you're super cute!
U really mean that, Gohan?
Yep! Gohan responded, adding a winking tongue out emoji
Gohan… do u wanna, like… call me? I mean, u dnt have 2 if u dnt want 2
Gohan gulped, feeling his throat suddenly dry. Up until that point, he had texted Ochaco a few times, but he had never actually talked with her on the phone.
Oh crap, he thought. What do I do? If I say no, she'll think I'm just making fun of her. But if I say yes, I'll end up looking like a huge geek. I've never actually talked to a girl on the phone before!
He got up from the sofa and walked over to the kitchen for some privacy. He looked back at Midoriya, who was still in deep conversation with whomever he was talking with on the phone.
Okay, he thought. Now's my chance…
With his heart beating loudly in his ears and his fingers trembling, he dialed Ochaco's number. The phone rang for several seconds without any answer, and for a second, Gohan thought about hanging up. Then Ochaco picked up.
"Hey," she said, her voice sounding breathy, like she had just ran up a flight of stairs. "Sorry, I went to throw my laundry into the dryer downstairs and I forgot my phone." Gohan felt his stomach drop. His hand tightened around the phone. It's like she's whispering into my ear…!
"Gohan? Hello?"
"H-hey," he said. His throat felt clenched and his voice squeaked out.
"Hi," she said, happily.
"Hi…" I'm such an idiot! "Sorry, I'm not really good at this."
Ochaco giggled.
"It's okay. Me neither," She confessed. "I guess I just… wanted to hear your voice, that's all."
"Yeah?" Gohan stammered, his face turning red. "Um.. thanks? It's so nice to… hear yours, too."
Ochaco laughed nervously.
"I'm sorry," she said, letting out a breath. "I know this is probably really awkward, huh? I'll let you go-"
"No," Gohan said, quickly. "It's okay. I like it."
"Yeah?"
"Mhm."
"Okay. I just wanted to say thank you for letting me meet your family this weekend. I had a lot of fun."
"Yeah, they love you," Gohan said. "Especially Drum."
"Oh, stop it," Ochaco laughed. "I do wonder, though. What would have happened if you'd lost to him? Would I be forced to like… marry him or something?"
"If you were in the Dragon Clan about a decade ago, or so," Gohan said, "you probably would have. But the Clan's changed. At the very most, he would get the opportunity to ask you to court him, and if you rejected him, he'd still get the bragging rights of having fought in your name. But nobody's going to bother you like that again. I won, remember?"
"Yeah, you did. You were awesome," Ochaco said. "So does that mean you get to ask me out, instead?"
"Yeah…" Gohan gulped. "I guess it does…"
There was a long pause between them and Gohan could hear her nervous breathing on the other side of the call.
"Gohan?" she said at last.
"Hmm?"
"I'd really like it if we could walk to school together. Would that… be okay?"
"Yeah," Gohan said, feeling the blood drain from his face. "I'd like that very much."
"'kay," she whispered. "Want me to wait for you, or meet you somewhere?"
"I can pick you up at your place."
"Great," she said, her voice rising excitedly. "See you tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah! I'll be there."
"Okay, great! I'll make you some breakfast."
"Okay, looking forward to it."
"Okay, good."
"Okay… good."
The two teens burst out laughing.
"We're so not good at this," Ochaco giggled.
"But I like it, all the same," Gohan confessed. "We should do it more often."
"Yeah. We should... Okay, good night, Gohan. See you tomorrow!"
"Good night, Ochaco."
With two beeps, the call ended. Gohan slowly put the phone down, feeling beads of sweat rolling down the back of his ears and traveling down his neck.
Holy crap… why does talking to her make me feel so excited? he breathed. I definitely need some water now!
His phone vibrated. It was a notification from Line. Ochaco had just changed the name of their chat to something filled with hearts and stars…
Yep… definitely need some water now!
Gohan drank several glasses of water before he walked back into the living room. He noticed that Izuku was still talking on the phone.
"…and then I learned this awesome new move that lets me spread my power throughout all of my body so that I won't get hurt," Midoriya was saying excitedly. "I call it Full Cowling! I can't wait to try it out in the Combat Trials!"
"Look at you go, Young Midoriya!" All Might responded. "You're progressing even faster than I imagined! Even so, I want you to exercise extreme caution. By my calculations from the last time I saw you use your Quirk, you are capable of using only two percent of One for All, and even that's pushing it."
"What?! Just two percent, that's it?" Midoriya yelped.
"Hm?" Gohan asked as he walked past him. "Two percent of what?"
"Ahh! It's nothing!" Midoriya yelped, jumping up from the couch and fumbling with his phone. "Oh crap! I hung up on All Might!"
"All Might? Whoa! You were talking to All Might?!" Gohan gasped.
"Yeah," Izuku started sweating profusely. "Oh you know, just talking about school stuff and how I have to go update my Quirk information at City Hall and all that, just boring school stuff, that's all."
"Oh okay," Gohan shrugged. "So where's he been? I thought he was supposed to be our heroics teacher but it's been three weeks and he hasn't even dropped by to say hello."
"Yeah about that," Izuku sighed, sitting back down on the purple couch. "Since it's his first year teaching, he had to take a Teaching Course that just ended. We're supposed to see him this week. Hopefully before the Combat Trials, too. I could really use some pointers on my Quirk before I go any further."
"Ah, I wouldn't worry too much, Izuku," Gohan said, waving his head dismissively. "Your power's amazing. It kinda reminds me of All Might's, actually…"
To Izuku's relief, the door to the front opened up, catching Gohan's attention.
"Hi honey, I'm home!" Midoriya's mother called out happily. "Izuku, can you help me with the bags please?"
(…)
"That's the last one," Chi-Chi was saying as she helped Inko unload the bags of groceries from the trunk of Mitsuki's car and walked towards the door to her apartment. One of the bags fell and a green costume rolled out from it.
"Hey, what's this?" Chi-Chi asked Inko, picking the costume back up and stuffing it into the brown paper bag.
"Oh, it's just a little something that I asked Bulma to make for my son," Inko said, happily. "I took a photo of one of his sketches for his hero costume."
"Izuku, right? The one enrolled in UA High?"
"Yep, that's right. Ahh, I am just so proud of him," Midoriya said, her eyes filling with tears. "Like all kids, all my little Izuku ever wanted was to become a hero, but after his doctors told us he was going to grow up without a Quirk, I sort of gave up on his dream before he did."
"Yeah," Chi-Chi's gaze lowered to the cement below. "That must have been hard for him, I bet."
"It was," Inko continued. "Plus he started getting bullied at school for it… it was a mess. Then suddenly out of nowhere he woke up with a powerful Quirk, and the next thing I know, he's made it into the most prestigious Hero School in the country. He's become my inspiration."
Chi-Chi smiled sadly and nodded.
"You must be so proud of him," she said, her voice trailing off. "But aren't you afraid that becoming a Pro Hero will just put his life in danger all the time?"
"Oh, without a doubt," Inko said. "And I'm always going to be biting my fingernails, worrying about him every night. But you know what, Chi-Chi? This is my boy's dream, and even if I don't understand it a hundred percent, I'm going to support him a thousand percent. I owe him that much. Sometimes, all a child needs in order to succeed is to be told he can reach his dreams, no matter what. I know my boy's got what it takes to go the distance some day."
"You're a good mother, Inko," Chi-Chi breathed. "I wish I could have been more like you."
"What do you mean?" Inko asked. "Goten's only seven, right?"
"Yeah, but I wasn't talking about… nevermind. Let's just get these bags to your apartment."
The two women made their way upstairs towards Inko's apartment. Inko set her things down to fumble through her purse for the keys, and Chi-Chi took a moment to look around the familiar setting.
"I never thought I'd be coming back to this crazy town again." She sighed, shaking her head.
"Oh, Musutafu's definitely got its share of problems, for sure," Inko said. "But our complex is nice. We're a pretty tight-nit community here. Actually, there's a unit that's supposed to be opening up downstairs soon. If you want, I can put in a good word for you. I bet I can even get your first month's deposit waived for you."
Chi-Chi sighed sadly and shook her head.
"No, I don't think I'll ever be moving back here. Too many bad memories. And besides, Goten is happy in West City. He'll have more opportunities there than he ever had here."
"It is the City of Tomorrow, after all," Inko nodded in agreement. "But Chi-Chi…?"
"Yes?" Chi-Chi asked suspiciously.
"Erm, how can I put it nicely?"
"What is it?"
"It's just… do you really feel comfortable living in our boss' house? I mean… I know you and Bulma go way back, but it's just that…"
"Why? Do you have a problem with that?" Chi-Chi growled, her temper rising.
"No, no!" Inko shook her head quickly. "It's just… you know what they say, there's no place like home. Especially when what you have is your own, so-"
"So you're calling me a charity case, is that it, Midoriya? Well, for your information, it may be Bulma's mansion, but it's still a roof over Goten's head and until I save enough money to get back up on my feet, I'm swallowing my pride and accepting her help. But that doesn't mean I'm mooching off of her."
"I'm sorry," Midoriya said, fumbling with her keys in her hand. "I didn't mean anything by it."
Chi-Chi sighed.
"No, I'm sorry," she said, placing a hand on Inko's shoulder. "Coming back to this damn city's got me a bit… emotional, that's all."
"Why?"
Chi-Chi looked down, her bangs falling over her eyes.
"Bad memories, that's all."
Inko looked at the taller woman with compassion in her eyes. Without a word, she pulled Chi-Chi into a tight hug.
"Hey, whatever it is, I'm here for you if you wanna talk."
Chi-Chi nodded and gave her a tearful smile.
"Thanks, Inko. It's just-"
Suddenly, their conversation was cut off by Chi-Chi's cellphone. Chi-Chi looked at the number and instantly frowned.
"Oh boy, here we go again. I'm sorry, Inko. I've really got to take this call."
"Go, go," Inko gently prodded, working on unlocking her door.
"What did he do this time, Krillin?" Chi-Chi sighed.
"That's Officer Krillin, thank you very much," Krillin corrected her. "Any guesses?"
"Another fight?"
"Another fight."
Chi-Chi sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose tightly.
"What am I gonna do with this kid?" She said, shaking her head. "He's out of control!"
"Well, in his defense, Goten didn't actually start the fight this time. Trunks did."
"Of course. Where is he now?"
"He's sitting at the station right now, waiting for you to-"
"AT THE STATION, LIKE SOME SORTA CRIMINAL?!" Chi-Chi barked. "I thought you said he didn't start the fight!"
"He didn't, but he sure as hell finished it."
"Ugh! Fine, I'm on my way to go pick him up now."
"There's also the matter of a small fine…"
"Yeah, yeah, buzz off, Krillin. I'll pay it when I get there." Chi-Chi chided, ending the call.
"Sheesh," Krillin said to himself, putting his police phone away. "Ever the charmer, isn't she?"
Chi-Chi turned to Inko.
"Hey, I would have loved to stay and chat, but I have to go pick Goten up from the police station."
"No worries, no worries," Inko said, patting Chi-Chi's arm gently. "Boys will be boys. I bet his father must have been a real handful, huh?"
"Oh, you have no idea! I'll see you back at work tomorrow. Bulma's throwing another huge party, so make sure you get there early, okay?"
"Okay, will do!" Inko said with a smile. "See you tomorrow, Chi-Chi!"
As Chi-Chi walked away, Inko opened the door to her apartment.
"Hi honey, I'm home!" She called out happily. "Izuku, can you help me with the bags please?"
"Hi mom!" Izuku said, hugging his mother. "Welcome home. How was work today?"
"Oh, busy as usual, but nothing we can't handle," Inko said with a sigh of relief. "Would you believe me if I told you that I actually work with a cousin of mine that I haven't seen since we were little girls? I mean, what are the chances, right?! She just started working there not too long ago and I'm helping her get adjusted to working in West City, but she's fitting right in. She's been such a huge help."
"Wow, that's great, mom." Izuku said. "I'd love to meet her sometime!"
"I'll invite her over so you can meet her one of these days- Oh?" Inko paused when she saw Gohan. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Who's your friend, baby?"
"Hi there, my name's Gohan. It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Midoriya," Gohan said, bowing respectfully.
"Gohan here's one of the top students in my class. He's been helping me a lot at school, mom," Izuku explained. "Actually, he's helping me fill some forms out for the clothing allowance so I can get my costume made."
"Oh, is that so? Well, we'd be happy to have you stay for dinner, Gohan," Inko said as Izuku and Gohan helped pick up the bags and bring them inside. "Tonight we're having sukiyaki and I wouldn't mind whipping up a third nabemono for you."\
Gohan's stomach began to growl a little at the sound of food.
"Yeah, that would be awesome." Gohan said. "Thank you very much!"
"But before we do anything else, Izuku, I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise? What is it, mom?"
Inko reached into the bag she was carrying and whipped out the green Hero costume.
"TA-DA!" she said, waving the costume in front of Izuku. "Congratulations! I'm so proud you got into UA!"
"Whoa! Is that a costume?!" Izuku gasped, taking the green fabric in his hands.
"Well, look at that!" Gohan said, happily. "Now you won't have to worry about not getting your costume made in time for the Combat Trials!"
"Wow! Thanks so much, mom!" Izuku said, speechless. "It's perfect!"
"I'm so happy you like it, Izuku," Inko said. Her gaze fell to the floor and her voice lowered for a moment. "To be honest, I've been feeling terrible lately about something I said to you all those years ago. You might have thought I had given up on you a while back, but now, look at you, Izuku. You persevered and kept chasing your dream like a real champion."
She looked up from the green costume with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Izuku. And I promise, I'll support you with everything I've got from now on!"
Izuku instantly teared up and he hugged his mother.
"Thank you, mom! Thank you so much!"
Gohan watched on with a smile, suddenly feeling like he was intruding in a private moment. But there was also something else, a different kind of feeling crawling out from his chest.
Gohan sighed, feeling a twinge of jealousy.
Would Mom have been this proud and happy and supportive if she found out her boy had made it into UA, too? But… no… this isn't about me. Gohan swallowed the growing lump in his throat. Midoriya deserves this moment. I should be happy for him.
Gohan looked back up with a warm smile.
"That's a really cool costume, Izuku!" he said. "Want me to help you try it on?"
Izuku turned and nodded excitedly.
"Sure thing!"
Just then, there was another knock on the door and Izuku left to answer it while Gohan helped Inko put away all of the groceries. He took out the vegetables that Inko needed to prepare the traditional dish and started cutting them.
"Oh, thank you, Gohan, you're a sweetheart," Inko said, gratefully. "Your mom must have really loved having you around the kitchen, huh?"
Gohan swallowed again and simply nodded.
"Yeah," he smiled. "She would always come home late, so I would help prepare the ingredients for our meals."
"Oh… single mom?" Inko asked, with an understanding, discreet tone.
Gohan nodded, cutting the vegetables.
"Well, she's blessed to have a good son like you. And thank you for helping Izuku out. He has… well, he has trouble making decent friends, and he's always wanted an older brother. So it's nice to know that he's in good hands."
"I'll watch out for him," Gohan promised. "And you'll be happy to know that he's excelling in all of his classes and making plenty of good friends. I won't let him fail. I promise."
"And speaking of good friends," a voice said behind them. They turned to see Melissa standing at the entrance of the kitchen. She was wearing blue jeans and an All Might T-Shirt. Her hair had been braided into a ponytail that laid over her shoulder.
"Hey! Long time no see," Gohan joked.
"Ha-Ha." Melissa laughed, sarcastically.
Izuku came over from behind the tall blonde.
"Hey mom, this is another one of my classmates from UA. Melissa Shield. Melissa, meet my mother."
"Hi there, Mom," Melissa said cheerfully. "It's so nice to finally meet you!"
"Hi! It's a pleasure to meet more of my son's friends. Would you like to stay for dinner tonight?"
"Yeah, I'd love to!" Melissa smiled. She turned to Gohan.
"Gohan," she said. "Can I have a quick word with you? Outside?"
Gohan looked up from the cutting board and nodded.
"You go ahead, baby. I'll take over from here," Inko said. "Thank you so much for your help."
Gohan washed his hands and dried them, following Melissa outside.
Midoriya shot him a questioning look and Gohan shrugged, shaking his head. As soon as he stepped outside and they were alone, Melissa closed the door. Silently, she lifted a finger and motioned him to follow her.
Melissa led him down into one of the four alleyways that connected the apartments. Here, there were no windows, so nobody could see them.
"Well," Gohan said, confused. "Here we are. What happens now?"
Melissa turned back towards him and got uncomfortably close. A smirk formed in her lips.
"I have something I made for you, Gohan. Something you're going to find very, very useful."
"For me…? Oh, that's right. I remember you mentioning that in the car in the morning."
Melissa nodded, a mischievous look falling over her face.
"But why are we being so secretive about it?" Gohan asked.
"Because you're going to accept it, and you're not going to show it to anybody else." Melissa said, her voice falling to a hush. "Give me your hand."
"Sure," Gohan said, bringing his right hand up slowly. Melissa undid the button on his sleeve and rolled it up his arm. She reached into a pocket in her belt and produced a silver watch, which she firmly latched onto Gohan's wrist.
"Ohhhkayyyy," Gohan said, shaking his head slowly. "All of this secrecy for a watch?"
"Not just any watch," Melissa said. "It's an instant costume switcher. Pretty self explanatory, right? You can program up to two different outfits and switch into any of them instantly. The outfit you're currently wearing gets saved onto the slot you change into. So you can switch into say, a hero costume literally at the touch of a button."
"Wow. That's actually pretty cool, Melissa," Gohan said, admiring the watch. He looked back up at her. "But that still doesn't answer why I have to keep it a secret."
"Well that's because I've learned your secret, Gohan," Melissa said, looking up at him with a knowing smile. "You're the Dragon of Namek, aren't you?"
Ending Song:
"1,000,000 Times" by My First Story
Review Responses:
JediGamerX chapter 15 . Dec 13
Really good filler chapter! Always good to see some banter from Class 1-A this early on! I hope one day Gohan brings his whole class to meet with his clan, I could imagine the many hijinks that will happen. I was also surprised a the use of Drum who was from the old DB series.
Interesting that Midoriya is starting to learn his Full Cowling technique this early on even before USJ of all events. It makes some sense if he's tutored by the Namekians (maybe Piccolo mainly). At first, I found it a little odd but I bet Gohan will help his fellow classmate even more with his own moves!
I got my finals to get off my back before I can even start writing the next chapter, but I'll definitely get back on my fic once I'm done with school!
Hi JGX! Thanks again for your review! I'm so glad you liked it. One of my favorite parts of the anime is seeing the banter, especially when it involves roasting classmates. 1A has some serious savages when it comes to making fun of each other and I enjoy every minute of it!
Yeah, I have some plans on using more of the evil Namekians, at least in cameo form. I have three in mind for a specific scene that will be coming sometime around season Two.
As for Midoriya, the reason I gave him Full Cowling will be made clear very soon. But don't worry, I promise I won't make him OP or turn him into a Gary Stu.
I hope you have a safe end of the year and sure thing! No worries, I'll be patiently waiting for the update. I actually went back and re-read it once already. You capture Vegeta so well! Can't wait to see him whip those kids into shape, Saiyan style! haha!
Joker chapter 15 . Dec 13
Neat chapter dude
Thank you so much, Mistah J! I sure do appreciate it.
Xeno Gohan chapter 15 . Dec 13
another chapter, nice, I really liked most of the stuffs here like Gohan and Ochaco, Deku and Melissa moments, the girls teasing Uraraka(gold) and Nail mentoring Deku(also Gohan teaching Drum a lesson)
nice touch of having Gohan's nickname on Namek as Porunga, really liked it
Xeno! I'm so glad you liked it. Even as a filler chapter, I wanted to include some fun stuff in there. I feel like Nail would have been an awesome mentor if he had lived in the Anime. A true father figure to little Dende. So I'm definitely paying tribute to him, and plus, as the story progresses, I don't want to forget about him.
As for Porunga, I remember reading somewhere that Porunga was Namekian for "Dragon," or "Dragon of Law" or something like that. So I figured it would be a suitable name for the Dragon of Namek. Thank you so much for your reviews! I enjoy reading them!
Moha L'abeille chapter 1 . Dec 13
wow I am both impressed by the story you pulled out and your speed! congratulations so far.
Keep up the good work! I love it.
Thank you so much, Moha! You know, I went from updating this story once or twice a month to updating every week now, usually on Sundays. I've thankfully had some time to work on this fic every weekend, as well as a supportive wife who encourages me to pursue this hobby of mine. So thank you very very much for your kind words! They mean so much to me!
Elchico 64 chapter 15 . Dec 13
Hey, man, sorry for not to review the previous chapters, a lot of exams during the last semester, I couldn't read a lot of this amazing story, which still is. Yesterday during the night I was about to talk about the chapter 14, but a few hours later you posted a new one so I decided to pull it all out here.
I have to say, each chapter surprise me even more, you're very creative, seriusly I love the concept and lore about the Dragon Clan, and the brotherhood Gohan found with them is remarkable.
About the class 1-A is really good the interaction they have each other, making know they're still there. And Momo being the Big Mama of the class just like Kendo is the big sister of the Class 1-B is really funny and I think is better that instead of the classic waifu of the classroom. Maybe she, Jiro, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sato can train or hang out with Gohan, doing friends thing and stuff.
I'll admit to give the Full Cowling (or at least the basics) to Midoriya it feels really soon, for not to mention that the USJ Attack didn't happen yet. Im not saying that you ruin the character for giving him a closer undestanding of his power, thats good, but making him OP before some important events wont give the conflict and just win for just using less effort.
But Im sure you'll do better that I inticipate, the perfection isn't needed for writer. Mistakes insured, a better learning. Anyway even if I didnt like a little the Full Cowling, Im really into this Xover.
The characters like Gohan, Melissa, Ochako and even Izuku, are really exceptional. They're backstory gives a lot to think and well develop. Keep the great work, dude. Just like I have to do with my Survivor's series... which is the half of the way so... is 50/50 of succed I guess.
Chico! Hey, no worries brother. All good!
I do appreciate you lending me your thoughts and reading your reviews is one of my favorite parts of updating. Thank you for the compliment, I actually have so many ideas for this fic that most likely I will be writing this for many years! It's been half a year almost since I started writing, and we still haven't gotten to the Combat Trials, Episode 5 of the anime! hahaha but that's my burden, I just have so many ideas going for this fic.
I agree with your comment for Momo. She's almost always the main love interest, and understandably so, as she is a fan favorite waifu. But I really liked her role in Heroes Rising, as more of a big sister, as you mentioned. So that's the role I will try to keep for her in this fic. But for sure! I will have some activities planned out for Gohan and his other classmates, instead of the usual Ochaco, Gohan and Melissa. I'll have them do something after the Combat Trials Arc.
And I totally understand and agree about your points about Full Cowling. If Midoriya is suddenly OP he won't struggle so there won't really be much for him to learn anymore and that will make him a boring character. But don't worry, my friend. I am not planning to make him OP at all. Even though he learned Full Cowling, he doesn't really understand its full implications just yet. We'll see what happens soon in the next few chapters, but he will definitely learn that he has still a long way to go. But his path will be just a liiiiitle different from the canon MHA story.
Thank you so much for your reviews my brother! I enjoy them always!
X3runner chapter 15 . Dec 13
I really liked how Tsu and gohan were just putting off this older sibling energy that start older sibling-ing everyone around them and here Izumi went full worried little brother mode that was sweet. Watching gohan basically "goku" his way into actively being in a relationship with ochako and having her realize it but him not so much. I also like how you have izuku all but adopted by the dragin clan making him even more of gohans "younger" brother figure. Also it was sweet that gohan got some grandmotherly attention hope it becomes a recurring thing especially since she also allows the exploitation of zenkis. Also Jirou Jabbing at denki felt real like legit really in character. Also are you going to have Cymbal and Tambourine in the story if so are they and drum going to be directly related to piccolo? Loved the slice of life feel of the chapter can't wait for the next one.
Hahaha I love that expression so much! "Goku" his way into Ochaco's heart. That's brilliant!
Yeah, Izuku will definitely be the little brother in this fic. I want him and Gohan to become really close like that. Slowly, Gohan is starting to realize that he's not as alone as he thought he was. He has a big family, not just because of his crush on Ochaco, but because he is surrounded by people who love and support him, like Piccolo, Nail, Dende, Melissa, Izuku, Recovery Girl and the Dragon Clan. Not to channel my inner Vin Diesel, but Family… hehe that's what the main theme of this fic is about, much like it is for Dragon Ball and My Hero Academia. Heroism and Family.
As for cymbal and Tambourine… yes. Hehe they will cameo. Still evil, but no relation to Piccolo.
Thank you so much for your reviews! You always have creative ideas and they just help me to keep on going!
Fanifc writer 117 chapter 15 . Dec 15
Hey this story is good! Take your time on this one! I'm loving it! As for the actions, yeah they are hard to write down. They look good in our minds, but on paper to explain, that's a challenge! I want to see how this story goes!
Thank you so much, fellow writer! I certainly will. I can't believe we're close to hitting twenty chapters already! And I have many, many more to go. See, this is why I love getting feedback from other writers. What you said about writing action scenes is a hundred percent my problem. But I will preserver and I hope you like where the story goes. Some fluffier chapters here and there, but we will get to the main chunks of the anime soon enough! Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot to me!
djmegamouth chapter 13 . Dec 19
Truthfully is the Android stuff I want to know the most about.
Hey DJ! Thanks for your review! I modeled those little dudes after the Cell Juniors. But since Cell hasn't been born yet, I can't really call them Cell Juniors, so I just picked the generic Patrolbot Juniors and went with that.
They're just a little different in that they have to absorb Quirk information in order to replicate attacks, but that's a feature that won't be necessary down the line. Hehe. for now, they're collecting and analyzing Quirk data that will be sent back to Doctor Samuel Gero in I-Island so that he can further perfect this particular model of androids…
You'll see them again in the Two Heroes Arc, which takes place after Season Two.
Thank you so much to everyone who's supported my wacky little fic until now. I seriously love you all. Please have a safe long weekend and see you all in the next update!