A/N: Before we get started, I wanted to give a huge shout out to Xeno Gohan for correcting my spelling of Tomura Shigaraki's last name. Don't know why I was spelling it with an "e" (Shigeraki) My bad y'all! Good lookin' out, my friend! There's one other name I got wrong – Kendo Rappa. I switched the order of the name, although that was no accident. Rappa Kendo was done very much on purpose. If you haven't figured out why, you'll find outvery soon.

Sorry for missing my posting dates this entire month. Had to clear up some personal issues, but my schedule seems to be clear for the most part. I will do my best to update every Sunday moving forward. Hope you've all been well. Also, been keeping up with some of your fanfics, and they are amazing! I want to send a shoutout to IllBoss and TBossk, who are working on 'A Second Chance', as well as JediGamerX who just updated 'Go Beyond Prince of Saiyans." So I definitely recommend going to check those out. They're really well done!

My friends how have you been?! I missed you all! I mean that sincerely. I can't wait to actually get to the USJ event. We have so much in store for those chapters! Okay, enough rambling. Let's get going!

Review Responses at the end of the chapter, as usual!

Opening Song:

"Mukoku" by My First Story

"Thursday, April 28th. The time is…" The man paused to check the watch under his left white glove. "05:27 AM. The League of Villains has struck again – their modus operandi is the same. They attack just before dawn, slaughter their victims with a fiery blast leaving no survivors and vanish into thin air. Death by a fiery blaze – that is the League of Villains' calling card."

Naomasa Tsukauchi paused, rubbing his temples tenderly, deactivating his Quirk with a quick series of blinks. He was a tall, slender, fair-skinned man with a handsome young face, short black hair and a strong upper build. Thanks to his razor-sharp Quirk that allowed him to collect photographic memories of anything his five senses touched, he had become Japan's greatest detective.

For the past five years, he and his elite Villain-hunting unit, the Police Force, had been chasing these bizarre mass murder cases that had no apparent connection between them, except for the way in which these animals obliterated their victims with fire. But now, thanks to the effective work of the Police Force, the pertinacious reporting of his girlfriend, Kuri Shimamura, and the final eyewitness report of one of the victims from a previous attack, they had a name – the League of Villains.

"Detective Tsukauchi, sir?" A short, dark haired Police Force officer called, getting the young detective's attention. "You should really take a look at what Sansa just found."

"I'll be there in a second, Krillin," Tsukauchi said, glancing at something that caught his eye. It was a burnt up red hat with a Four-Star Dragon Ball on its top. Those animals! Not even the children were spared. Tsukauchi's stomach clenched as he picked up the Dragon Ball and tightened it with his fist. His blood began to boil. Throughout his many years in the Police Force, he had seen truly horrific things, but nothing compared to the absolute barbarism of the League of Villains. These villains were savages and he swore he was going to bring them down, no matter what it took.

He stood up and walked over to where the shorter Police Force officer was standing, waiting for him.

"What is it, Krillin?"

"It ain't much but… well, take a look for yourself." Krillin pointed at a soft spot on the ground where the blue grass had been ripped out and mud had been flung about in a swirling pattern.

The detective crouched over the blue grass, examining it under the moonlight.

"Hmm."

"What do ya suppose it is?" Krillin asked, taking his police force cap off to wipe the sweat off his forehead with his blue sleeve.

Tsukauchi closed his eyes and activated his Quirk, recreating the previous crime scenes instantly. In his mind's eye, he walked through each scene, examining the ground carefully for any disturbances with this shape.

In every single crime scene, the swirling disturbance appeared a few feet away from the charred and twisted bodies. A trail of footsteps lead up to the swirling pattern every single time.

"Of course!" Tsukauchi exclaimed, deactivating his Quirk with a quick blink. Just like that, he was back in the present. "Good work, you two."

"Thank you, sir!" Officer Sansa meowed, his green feline eyes glowing with pride.

"Any theories?" Krillin asked, kneeling down next to Tsukauchi, rubbing his chin.

"It must be their means of escape," Tsukauchi replied. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a pen flashlight and pointed it at the swirl pattern. "Some sort of portal Quirk or device, I imagine. Look! Do you notice anything peculiar about the disturbance in the grass?"

"Uhh…" Krillin gulped, blinking rapidly. "Ya mean the footsteps? Yeah, they seem to be walking away from the village, but..."

"Exactly. Look – there are more footsteps pointing away from the village in the direction of the swirl than those pointing towards it. Judging by the way they overlap, the logical conclusion is that there were at least a dozen survivors that left with the villains through this portal or vehicle."

"So what's the endgame here? You figure they're taking hostages for ransom?"

Tsukauchi thought it over. That really was the most important question, wasn't it?

This League of Villains, from what they've gathered, had enough manpower and resources to attack mountain villages, prison transports and villain lairs alike. At first, they had assumed that there were no survivors, but apparently they were taking people alive… Why? Were the attacks carried out as a means to eliminate rivals? To spread fear of the League among the common folk? To make a name for themselves as the most ruthless criminal group in Japan? Clearly, they were not short on resources or funding.

So then why would they need to take hostages…? Unless…

Tsukauchi looked back down at the footsteps, then suddenly his eyes widened with realization. His head snapped back up to Krillin and Sansa.

"They're not taking hostages," Tsukauchi said, rolling the Dragon Ball in between his fingers. "They're taking recruits."

"How can you be sure?" Krillin asked.

Tsukauchi pointed back at the disturbed grass with his gloved hand.

"Look at the tracks. Nobody was dragged away or running or otherwise taken by force. All footsteps imply that they left in a calm and orderly manner into a common direction. They wanted to leave with the villains."

"Because they were now part of the League of Villains," Krillin finished.

Tsukauchi nodded, activating his Quirk once again, recreating every crime scene he had investigated for the past five years.

"That's the connection between all of the attacks. I can see it clearly now. From the attack on the Crane village six years ago, to the attacks on the villain lairs, the attacks on the convoys carrying dangerous villains to the Tartarus prison… It all adds up now. They're forming an army, and killing anyone who doesn't join them." Tsukauchi blinked and his eyes returned to normal.

Krillin shivered.

"Just my luck," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black Police Force vest. "I finally get promoted to the Police Force just in time for The League to make its move. I just hope we're ready to face what's coming."

Tsukauchi's hand tightened around the Dragon Ball and, rising back to his feet, he placed the ball inside his long tan trench coat pocket, making a silent promise to the children of this village that he would avenge them – that their final cries would not go unheard; their murderers would be brought to justice, one way or another.

He looked over the mountain's ledge at Namek City in the distance. The city lights blazed like a thousand stars, dotting the dark horizon as far as the eye could see. People were beginning to wake up now. Fathers were going to work, mothers were preparing their children for school, businesses were beginning to open and the morning traffic was beginning to trickle lazily down the main highways pooling at the exits.

No, Japan was not ready for what was coming. Everyone was so busy in their daily dealings, living life according to the comfortable status quo that came with living in a Hero Society, that nobody seemed aware of the reality around them, and they wouldn't see it until it was far too late. Tsukauchi heaved a sigh, feeling the cold wind chill his lungs.

It was impossible to deny the beating of the drums. War was coming.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - THE MARK OF A HERO

The first streaks of light blue had begun to paint over the dark night sky as Gohan made his way into the nearby market in the direction of the bakery. Luckily, there wasn't that much foot traffic at this hour. The sweet, warm aroma wafted through the air, inviting Gohan in as he ducked under the bright red tarp that covered the bakery.

The baker working the counter inside was an elderly man, bald, with five long wrinkles that ran from under each of his tired, silver eyes and almost reached up to his ears. He barely seemed to notice him, keeping his attention glued onto the tiny TV at the edge of the counter, his arms crossed over his blue apron.

"Good morning, sir," Gohan greeted cheerfully with a warm smile.

"Mornin' and welcome, young man," the baker greeted, taking his eyes off the TV. "What'll it be today?"

"I'd like a couple of vanilla pan loafs, please," Gohan said, digging in his pocket for his wallet. "Oh, and some mochi, please. The sweetest you've got."

He fished out his money card from his wallet and handed it to the baker, who glanced up at him with a breathy chuckle.

"Heh, sweet mochi, eh?" he said, placing the card on the counter and reaching for a brown paper bag. He turned and opened the bread stall, grabbing the breads with some tongs. He gently bagged the delicious smelling bread in the brown paper bag. "Sounds like someone's got a girl to spoil, am I right?"

Gohan's lips curled into a shy half smile.

"Yeah, sort of," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ha! I knew it. So, this girl… She got a sweet tooth?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Gohan chuckled, thinking back on all the times he had witnessed Ochaco's sugary cravings.

"Well, in that case, here..." the baker reached back into the bread stall with the bread tongs and picked up five pieces of bite-sized strawberry daifuku. "On the house. They say flowers are the quickest way into a woman's heart, but these are the next best thing. Good luck, my boy."

"Wow, thank you so much, sir!" Gohan grinned, bowing appreciatively as he took the bag and his money card back.

He turned to leave and that's when he heard what the news broadcast was saying.

"...forest fire in a mountain just west of Namek City. The local fire brigade has been working hard for the past four hours to put out the fire, but the weather conditions and the treacherous mountainside landscape has made it difficult to make much progress…"

"Did she just say there was a fire near Namek City?" Gohan asked, turning back around to the baker with a concerned frown. The baker nodded, wrinkling the corners of his mouth.

"Apparently there was a freak forest fire that sprung right outta the blue a few hours ago. It's strange – as rainy as it's been, you'd think the wet lands would have slowed that fire down at least a little bit, eh?"

"Yeah…" Gohan breathed, feeling his skin crawl. Four hours ago, I still would've been out there patrolling, if I hadn't been so busy playing sleepover with Ochaco...

"And right now, we are getting word that, unfortunately, the fire has indeed claimed several lives. There was a small village up here in the mountains that was caught in the middle of the fire. At this time, it doesn't seem likeany of the villagers survived..."

Gohan's eyes widened.

"Oh no," he whispered, feeling his heart sink.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," the baker shook his head. "What a shame. An entire village wiped out. Those poor souls. The news has been calling for water-based heroes to volunteer and help put the fire out, but so far, nobody answered the call. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Where was he?"

"All Might? Or any of the surrounding Hero Agencies, for that matter?," Gohan asked, fighting against the bitterness rising in his chest. Namek was one of the few places that had no established Hero Agency, as the local leaders still refused to sponsor one. With the local government refusing to pay for a Hero Agency, no hero had bothered to lift a finger to help Namek.

And All Might was a teacher now, so no doubt he had enough on his plate as it was.

"No, I'm talking about that famous Dragon of Namek. Isn't he supposed to be protecting Namek? But now that folks needed him the most, he was nowhere to be found. What could he have been doing that was so important, that kept him from stopping a fire that had raged for hours in his own backyard?"

The baker sighed and banged his fist on the counter lightly.

"It's frustrating. Someone should have done something. He should have been there," he said.

Gohan's grip tightened around the brown bag.

"You're right," his voice lowered as he turned to leave. "He should have."

As soon as he exited the bakery stall, Gohan immediately reached for the folded scouter in his pocket and contacted Dende from one of the alleyways. Dende did his best to calm Gohan down.

"I'm heading down there now," Gohan said, quickening his pace.

"No, no, you stay put," Dende commanded sternly.

"But they need me there," Gohan replied, his voice tinting with anger. "The news says the fire's been raging for hours and if nobody else wants to do anything about it, I will."

"Just listen to me for a second," Dende insisted. "There is no fire – at least, not anymore. From what I'm seeing, the fire was put out hours ago. Right now, the place is crawling with police and not just the local authorities, either – they brought in the big guns."

"The Police Force?" Gohan asked, his eyebrows narrowing. "But why would Japan's elite villain hunting unit be investigating a forest fire?"

"That's what I'm wondering as well. The entire thing feels out of place. The only thing we can assume is that a villain was involved. But listen – don't worry too much about it. While it's true that there isn't a single Hero Agency that's helping, the Dragon Clan is on its way right now. We're Namekians. We won't abandon our own, so the risk of suspicion is lower. But if you go and this Detective Tsukauchi finds out that you're the Dragon, you can be sure he'll arrest you on the spot."

Gohan sighed in frustration, but Dende was right. Vigilantism was illegal, and that technically meant that Gohan was a villain in the eyes of the law. It was just too risky to show up when the place was swarming with police that would most definitely go after him.

"Okay, Guardian," Gohan said, relenting. "I guess that does make sense."

"Thank you. Hey, I know you must feel completely impotent at the moment, but this wasn't your fault. The fire didn't even flare up on my radar, so we were both caught off guard. Anyways, we are here now. So don't worry too much, okay? I'll keep my ear to the ground and let you know as soon as I have an update. Keep your scouter ready, though. Just in case…"

"Thank you, Guardian," Gohan nodded, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "I will."

"By the way," Dende's voice dropped to a mischievous tone. "Give Uraraka my regards."

"Uh-," Gohan struggled to find a witty response, but all he could do was gawk and blush.

After an awkward pause, Dende laughed nervously and ended the transmission. With a beep, the scouter went from transmission mode to patrol mode, and Gohan was left alone once again, with the sound of the waking city around him and the soft clicks and beeps of the scouter searching for potential crimes reported to the Hero Network using the encrypted VPN that Dende had created. Hacking into the Hero Network – just another crime to add to the list.

But luckily, the morning was silent, except for the sounds of the speeding cars against the wet asphalt and the flickering hum of the neon signs from businesses that were starting to open. It gave Gohan room to breathe and to think.

He sighed and lowered his head, holding the bag of bread against his chest protectively. The light rain had begun to thicken, chilling him to the bone as it drenched his hair and ran down the back of his neck. Even though he had gotten a few hours of sleep, he suddenly felt exhausted.

He should have been there.

It hadn't been his intention to stay away from home. He had just wanted to spend some time with Ochaco and get away from it all, even for just one evening. Every time he was with her, it felt as if he had all the strength to lift up the weight of the world on his shoulders.

It had just been one night – no more than a few hours, and look at what had happened. It didn't matter what Dende said. He should have been there.

This was the invisible part of being a vigilante – the part that had silently eaten at him since the start of his journey. Despite his awesome powers and earnest endeavor to help everyone he could, at the end of the day he was still just one man – a teenager, at that. He was not omnipresent, nor all powerful. The constant face of failure and death that resulted from it, was something he had seen too many times in the months since he and Dende had started working together.

That was the burden that came with being a Hero, and what a heavy burden that was becoming. But what hurt and angered him more than anything was the fact that nobody seemed to want to step up to help Namek at a time like this. Was he really the only one willing to break the law in order to save those that others wouldn't?

Bitterness and a hollow loneliness began to creep back into Gohan's chest, but he did his best to push those emotions out of his head. He had to remember the third lesson he had learned from the combat trials.

You don't ever give up. Saving the world means saving one person at a time. But what happens when I couldn't even save one?

But All Might was right. He of all people would know – after all, he was the pillar of justice, the world's Symbol of Peace.

Gohan's hand clenched into a fist. Things had to change, and one day, they would.

One day, he would be a supporting pillar of Justice, too. A Symbol of Hope for Tomorrow. Not just for Namek, but for the entire world. And that's why he couldn't give up, even in the face of failure. People needed him, and not just for saving – for inspiring. This society of heroes had created a people that were too reliant on Pro heroes, but one day, his dream of a world where everyone would come together to help one another, to save one another would be realized.

Until then, he would do whatever he could. He needed to get his Pro License. Pushing the thoughts away, and clutching onto the brown bag against his chest, he took off at full speed back to Ochaco's apartment.

(…)

In her dreams, Ochaco was a little girl again, sleeping in her father's arms. Her father carried her, humming a soothing tune, keeping her warm as she slept. And suddenly, a soft knock on the door woke her up. She blinked several times, wondering who could be knocking at such an hour. The events of the previous night suddenly came flooding back and she realized that she was by herself in the apartment. So that means the person standing outside in the rain was…

She jumped out of bed and used her Quirk to fly across the room towards the door.

Gohan was shivering from the torrential rain, soaking wet. He clutched the gray UA jacket tightly around his arms, holding a brown bag against his chest.

"Gohan!" Ochaco gasped.

"H-Hey there, Urara-chan! I woke up a little early so I decided to go get us some breakfast and well…" Gohan said, his teeth rattling, his breaths coming out in cold puffs. "I got wet."

"Yeah, I can see that," Ochaco giggled, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside and closing the door.

"Here, stand on the rain mat. I'll go get you a towel," she said, taking the bag of bread with her. "You need to get out of those clothes before you get sick!"

"Okay," Gohan said, shivering. He took off the dripping jacket and hanged it on the coat rack as Ochaco returned with a pink towel and began to dry him off.

"That's okay, you don't need to-" Gohan started and was immediately muffled as Ochaco dried his hair off, engulfing his face in the towel. Ochaco giggled as she scrubbed his hair dry and began to pat his face with the towel. Laughing, Gohan reached up and gently grabbed her hands.

"Ow, you're gonna rip my skin off!" He protested playfully.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ochaco froze, cupping his cheeks with the towel.

Suddenly, one of Gohan's dried bangs poked out into a spike, pointing to the right of Gohan's head, sending the teens into a fit of laughter.

After their laughter subsided, Gohan realized he was still holding onto Ochaco's hands. Her face was so close to his…

Ochaco finally stopped giggling and sighed with a smile, staring up at Gohan's eyes. The two teens found themselves staring into each other's eyes, neither of them wanting to look away.

"Ah- Ah… Ach!" Gohan's head snapped to the side, suppressing a sneeze.

"See! I told you to change your clothes," Ochaco teased, poking at Gohan's arms. The moment now broken, Gohan let go of Ochaco's small hands and took a step back, sniffling.

Ochaco bit her lip and finally tore her gaze away.

"Mmm," she moaned. "Is that baked mochi I smell?"

"Yep," Gohan said. "There's a little bakery that makes them down by the market side. It's not traditional mochi, but it's delicious."

"Sure is!" Ochaco agreed, bouncing with excitement as she opened the bag. "Omigosh! And daifuku, too? I wonder what flavor it is! Oh, Gohan you're the best!"

"I'm glad you like them," Gohan said, grabbing the ends of the pink towel. He removed his shoes and began to make his way to the bathroom to change, but paused for a moment to watch the giddy girl as she dug through the bag.

"Mmm! Strawberry/chocolate!" She moaned in bliss.

Gohan couldn't help but smile. Something about watching Ochaco enjoying something as simple as baked mochi while rubbing a finger against her cheek to fight the sudden explosion of sugar and tartness from the strawberry warmed his heart. He liked seeing her happy, he realized.

He made his way to the tiny bathroom and slipped out of the sopping wet gym clothes and finished drying off. Then he changed into his school uniform, the only other set of dry clothes he had with him, minus the dripping wet jacket. Looks like I'm going to school without the jacket today, he thought to himself, buttoning up his white collar shirt.

He tried combing his hair back in the style he had when he first started school a month ago, but the new spiky bang refused to flatten down. Well, I guess I better get Miss Piiza to cut it again soon, he thought with a frown. Miss Piiza… it felt like he had not been back to Papaya Island in forever! I really need to pay them a visit again soon. I bet old Rappa Kendo would love a rematch. And it will be nice to see Mister Piccolo again…

Gohan exited the bathroom and hanged the wet clothes on one of the hanging drying racks that Ochaco seemed to have hanging around random corners of the house. Back in the living room, Ochaco was sitting on the floor with a blanket draped over her shoulders, munching on the bite-sized daifuku, watching an old movie.

Gohan glanced at his watch. Luckily, they still had time before they needed to leave for school, so he went over and sat cross-legged next to her, reaching into the brown bag and grabbing one of the vanilla pan breads and together, the two teens enjoyed the movie about a wealthy young man who was tired of seeing his people suffer injustice under the tyrannical rule of their corrupt government and other villains that took advantage of the humble populace. So, donning a black mask, cape and hat, he picked up his sword and fought back, living a double life – by day, he was a wealthy socialite. But by night, he was Zorro, the Champion of the people, and a protector of the innocent.

Everywhere he went, he left his mark, three slashes of a sword in the shape of a Z.

The Mark served as a warning against his enemies, but as a promise to the innocent, that no matter what happened, someone would hear their cries for help and would be there to save them. And though Zorro fought alone at the beginning of the movie, by the end, a few close allies had joined him in the fight for peace and justice, all fighting under the same Mark.

Z.

The Mark of Fighters.

The Mark of Heroes…

Gohan was entranced with the movie's epic finale when he felt Ochaco lean her head against his arm. He glanced down at her to see the girl peeking up at him with a sweet puppy-eyed look, with a loaf of the round bread hanging from her mouth.

"What?" he chuckled. "Everything okay?"

"Mhm," Ochaco said, biting off a piece of the bread and resting her head back on his shoulder. "Everything is so perfect right now."

(…)

Gohan and Ochaco would soon come to regret not getting enough sleep that night. The weariness quickly caught up to them, leaving them with very little energy at the beginning of the class. Unfortunately for them, this Thursday would be a day chock full of school activity.

"Decent work on yesterday's Combat Trials, you guys." Aizawa commended them at the outset of Homeroom class. "I can tell that most of you put in a lot of effort to improve on your Quirks as well as your team chemistry. Most of you."

"Oh crap, are the losers going to be expelled?!" The class whispered in unison. The emphasis on the word most chilled the class to the bone.

"I reviewed the video feeds and went over each of the team's results with All Might and Number Eighteen…" Aizawa continued.

"Wait, Android Eighteen's a Hero Teacher?" Midoriya gasped, wide eyed.

"Number Eighteen," Melissa corrected him. "Apparently, she's the Heroics Teacher for Class 1B."

"Oops! Got it, sorry!" Midoriya apologized.

"Midoriya," Aizawa's icy voice cut like a knife, instantly silencing the boy. "I see the only way you won was by hurting your arm. Again."

Midoriya's body became rigid and he lowered his gaze, preparing for the worst. But it never came.

"Work harder. You've got a powerful Quirk, and you've already obtained some form of control over it, but you've clearly got a long way to go. So let's show a little urgency, huh? And Videl, excellent job assisting Midoriya and taking charge when the situation called for it."

Midoriya's head lifted up at the rare praise and he nodded with a determined smile. Melissa glanced back at him proudly.

"Way to go, Deku!" She whispered, her eyes twinkling in a way that made Midoriya blush.

"T-thanks!" He squeaked, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Shield." The ice had returned to Aizawa's voice.

"Oh crap," Melissa's eyes widened and a blue blush splashed over her cheeks.

"Emotional Support is an essential part of rescuing someone. There are scars that go deeper than flesh. So while you wasted precious time by talking to Yaoyorozu when you should have been preparing for the fight ahead, I'm sure you gained an insight into what makes her and Todoroki tick."

"Yes, sir-"

"With that said," Aizawa cut her off. "Any hero, any proficient hero, knows that it takes more than listening to save a life. Sometimes, you must engage in combat, and that was the spirit of this trial."

"I tried," Melissa whispered in frustration, her blonde bangs falling over her eyes as she lowered her gaze. She tightened her fist. "But I just couldn't..."

"I am disappointed in my performance as well, Mister Aizawa," Momo spoke up from the back of the class. "Our Quirks were simply no match against Todoroki's."

"Don't feed me that line," Aizawa scoffed. "No match against Todoroki? Please. The most basic and elemental of weapons is your brain. I trust we all have one, yes?"

"Yes sir," the two girls said in an undertone.

"Analyze your opponents before you engage. Strategy is the name of the game, and then fight smart, not hard. And if you need an equalizer, the right accessory or weapon can prove useful, as well. Not all of us have powerful, offensive Quirks like Bakugo, Videl or Gohan. Not even me. That's why I carry these."

He ran a hand through his capture scarves.

"Yes sir!" The two girls said in unison. Melissa's frown slowly curved up into a determined smile and her shoulders finally relaxed.

"Melissa," Aizawa said. "You've got a lot of potential, but if you're going to keep up with the rest of your classmates, you won't be able to rely on your inventions alone. So starting today, you'll be taking an extra class with All Might and myself. I think there's a thing or two you can learn from us. Remember the responsibility you carry. You're Quirkless, and as such, you bear the hopes and aspirations of a fifth of the world's population on your shoulders. So put the work in and don't let them down, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Melissa promised.

After grading the rest of the class, Aizawa went over the rest of the day's agenda.

Today, the class would be electing a Class Representative, as well as the other class officers. Afterwards, they would attend their regular Academic Classes. For the Hero Class of the day, everyone would receive their Student Course licenses and get the opportunity to visit the Support Course to pick out a support item for their costume before reporting for Rescue Training at a nearby facility for the rest of the afternoon.

"Expect this to be an exhausting, drawn out day," Aizawa told them, rubbing his own weary eyes. "You won't be going home until nightfall."

"Oh great," Ochaco and Gohan said in unison.

(…)

First things first, the class was tasked with electing a Class Representative and a Vice Representative that would be responsible for taking the lead in School assignments both on and off campus. It was a big deal, since it made you stand out in the eyes of big name Agencies and would be an opportunity to show off leadership skills. Everyone wanted the position – even the timid young Midoriya.

After talking it over, the class decided to put it to a vote – whoever had the most and second most votes would become Class Rep and Vice Rep respectively. Seeing how long it was taking, Mister Aizawa decided to take a nap and enveloped himself in his yellow padded sleeping bag while the class went around, trying to convince each other to vote for them.

Suddenly, the classroom door flew open.

"Whoa! Uncle Might!" Melissa cried with excitement.

"YES! I am here! Coming in like a Hero!"

"Ah, yes, I forgot," the zipper on the sleeping bag opened and Mr Aizawa poked his head out. "The winners of the Combat Trials will have an opportunity to go out on patrol with All Might as a reward. We have ten winners, so that's two teams of five for an hour each, right?"

"Holy whoa! Do you really mean we get to spend our morning with All Might?!" Midoriya was ecstatic, laughing like a giddy little boy.

"Aww, but I wanted to hang out with All Might, too!" Kaminari whined.

"Wow, thanks a lot, Kaminari," Jiro said, dryly. "You giving up is the gift that just keeps on giving, isn't it?"

"Now, now, Mister Aizawa," All Might chided him, wagging a finger at him. "You know how I am. You're all winners in my book! So you will all get an opportunity to go on patrol."

"WHAT?" Aizawa glared at All Might. "But what about the Rescue Class?"

"You're the best, All Might!" Kaminari cheered.

All Might gave him a thumbs up.

"I've got your back, Aizawa. Just leave it to me."

Aizawa's glare tightened but he poked his head back into the sleeping bag.

"Do whatever you want, then," he said, zipping it closed.

"Great! For our first team, I'll be taking our young Stealth Heroes! Jiro, Shoji, Koda and Asui, come with me!"

Gohan rested his head on his desk, hearing it all happen more than watching it. In front of him, Ochaco was using her bulky Algebra Textbook as a pillow to rest her cheek on.

"I think I'm going to be giving my vote to Iida," Gohan mumbled and Ochaco nodded.

"Yeah, same," she agreed. "He does look the part because of the glasses and all…"

After casting their votes, they both put their heads down on their desks at the same time. Mina was coming back from dropping off her vote in the ballot box when she noticed the drained energy emanating from her two friends.

"Hey, are you guys feeling okay?" she asked, rubbing Ochaco's shoulders. "Don't tell me you pulled off an all-nighter on a school night."

"Mmm, that feels amazing, Mina," Ochaco moaned. "But no. We just stayed up a little later than usual, that's all."

"We, as in you and Gohan?" Mina lowered her voice, teasingly.

Ochaco froze.

"Yeah…" she said cautiously, suddenly awake.

"Doing what, exactly?"

"Nothing much… just hanging out. Why?"

"Just hanging out? Nothing else?"

"Yeah I mean, we studied and read books together and talked and watched TV. By the time we realized how late it was, it was already almost two in the morning, so we called it a day and hit the hay."

"Oh, Ochaco. Tell me he didn't stay the night with you."

"Well…" Ochaco looked away, holding her index fingers together.

"Ochaco!" Mina scolded her, whispering as discreetly as she could. "You two spent the night together alone? What on earth were you thinking?! Do your parents even know he was there?"

"Not really…" Ochaco confessed, shaking hear head. "But nothing happened, I swear! Gohan's not that kind of guy. He's my best friend and I trust him. I know he would never do anything to hurt me. He looked so sad, so I wanted to cheer him up, that's all. We weren't doing anything inappropriate."

Mina analyzed her with narrowed eyes and a hand on her chin for an uncomfortably long moment.

"Yeah, you better not be," Mina walked over and slapped Gohan's neck hard waking him up. "I don't mind helping you win his heart, but you two have got quite a ways to go before you even think about going around pounding the mochi."

"Pounding the… huh?" Ochaco stared in confusion.

"No, you've got the wrong idea, Mina!" Gohan mumbled, half asleep. "We didn't pound the mochi. It was already baked when I bought it. I swear."

(…)

Some time later, All Might returned with the second batch of students he had taken on Patrol. Now it was Gohan's turn to go out on patrol. Thanks to the short power nap he had taken, he felt like he had gotten a bit of stamina back. No wonder Mr. Aizawa always squeezes a nap wherever he can!

This was it – his first patrol as an official Hero.

He had regular patrols as the Dragon, of course. But those often ended with him being chased off by a hero or running away before anybody saw him. This time, though, it was different.

This time, he would present himself openly to the world as a Hero. It was frightening and exciting all at the same time. Would somebody recognize him? What if he ran into Endeavor during this patrol? Would he be able to make a good impression on the citizens?

Gohan's head buzzed with these questions as he headed to the locker room with his costume suit case. His Hero Costume had been completely destroyed during the Combat Trials against Ojiro. The only thing left intact was the black bodysuit, the green scouter and the red cape. Capsule Corporation still hadn't sent in his replacement costume, but considering that the order had been placed less than a day ago, he couldn't really blame them. The red cape will have to do.

"Hey, Ojiro," Gohan said as the tailed blonde changed into his green and gold Crane School gi.

Gohan changed out of his school uniform in the locker room and pulled on his blue and white UA gym uniform, fastening the red cape to its collar.

"Oh great," Ojiro said, dryly. "As if you didn't already look an awful lot like the Great Saiyaman already."

"Saiyaman has red boots," Gohan reminded him. "And the wears a helmet. At least, he does in the manga."

As he was strapping his mid-shin length white boots on, Kirishima came over, buttoning his gray school jacket.

"Hey, E!" Gohan greeted him with a wave. "How'd it go out there?"

"Eh, it was more like a walk around town more than anything," Kirishima said, shrugging. "Met a few pros, got our picture taken for our licenses, and learned a bit about how the Hero Network works. Honestly, there wasn't much to see. No villains or action of any kind. No wonder it was only thirty minutes."

"Oh, okay," Gohan sighed. "I kind of figured it would be something like that. Well, at least it gets us outdoors for a little while."

"Yeah… Hey Gohan, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"If anything does happen out there… take care of Videl for me, will ya?"

Gohan stopped to look up at Kirishima, who was smiling down at him knowingly. It had been the same request that Gohan had asked of him when Eijiro had been partnered with Ochaco for the Combat Trials.

"I know she's tough as nails and she has quite the temper," Kirishima said, sitting down on the bench next to the two boys. "She yells a lot and likes to throw around insults, and sometimes she bites off a bit more than she can chew. But once you get to know her, you'll see that she's a great girl with a huge heart. There's a reason she's in the Hero Course."

Gohan exchanged glances with Ojiro then turned back to Kirishima with a smirk.

"Okay, no worries, man," Gohan said. "We'll look after Videl. Won't we, Ojiro?"

"Yeahhh, I'm pretty sure she would punch you in the face if she found out you just said that," Ojiro laughed. "But of course. We'll keep an eye out for her."

(…)

The fresh scent of the dew on the grass mixed with the morning fog, giving the air around Gohan a humid, calming scent. Gohan closed his eyes and breathed the fresh air in deep, enjoying the soothing sensation of peace. The skies were blue and promising, and a rainbow had formed in the distance, product of the heavy rains throughout the night and morning.

"It doesn't get better than this, does it, Ojiro?" Gohan asked as the tailed student came to stand next to him, arms behind his back. Ojiro breathed it in and nodded.

"It kind of reminds me of the Northern Mountains back home," he said.

"Yeah?" Gohan asked, turning to him, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What's it like up there?"

"Cold," Ojiro confessed with a laugh. "And misty most days. But it's still. Balanced. Peaceful. One can easily find your center in such a place."

They turned to see Tokoyami step up to join them in gazing at distance.

"I myself prefer to bask in darkness."

"Aw, come on, Tokoyami," Gohan chortled. "Look at that beautiful blue sky. Don't you feel your courage swell up by it? We've got wings and the horizon's the limit. There's nothing we can't do!"

"The blackest void beyond the bluest skies – that is where my sights are set," Tokoyami said, looking to the heavens above.

"Jeez," Videl sighed, placing her free fist on her hip while holding her helmet under her other arm. "How the hell did I manage to get grouped in with all the emos?"

"Emo? Seriously, Videl?" Ojiro's eyes closed in pleasant laughter. "Isn't your Quirk literally based on the emotions of others?"

"Yeah, but they're the over-emotional ones, not me!" She yelled, pointing at her face with her green-gloved thumb.

"I-iiiiiii disagree," Ojiro whispered.

"Wanna say that again, Monkey boy?" Videl growled at him.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Ojiro laughed, shaking his head.

"Hello! You have a huge ass tail coming out of your ass, that's why!"

Ojiro tilted his head with a smirk.

"Oh this isn't a tail," he said.

Videl shrunk back, her eyes widening with surprise.

"Uh… it's not? Then is it a… you know…"

"It's NOT that either," Ojiro said, annoyed. He brought the meaty appendage around and over his shoulder. "It was an accident. You see, the world of Martial Arts is fraught with many perils. There is a technique exclusive to the Crane School called the Four Witches Technique."

"Wow, spooky," Gohan shivered.

"I find it most intriguing," Tokoyami commented.

"Well, that's just the name the ancient Cranes gave the technique, back before we gained a deeper understanding of what ki was. Anyways, the technique is supposed to produce an extra pair of arms. But it takes many years to master the technique, so of course, when I tried it, it backfired, leaving me with this appendage stuck to my lower back. But someday, when I master the Path of the Crane, I'll be able to reverse the technique and go back to normal. Until then -" he swung it with full force and it whistled through the air, smashing against the ground. "It's a part of me, and a continuing source of inspiration to me, to continue down this Path until I master it."

"So…" Videl squinted her eyes mischievously. "Basically what you're saying is… it's a tail."

Ojiro head dropped his head and groaned in defeat.

"Yeah, it's a tail," he relented.

"I knew it." Videl whispered to herself victoriously.

"I can relate," Tokoyami commented. "I, too, am learning to deal with a force I understand very little of. Dark Shadow can be a powerful ally, but a formidable opponent, if I lose control. But I've learned to trust its instinct. Ultimately, Dark Shadow is an extension of myself, even if it is a monster. I have come to trust it."

Just then a black limousine with tinted windows pulled around to where the students were waiting. When the chofeur opened the door, All Might was sitting directly across, wearing a mustard yellow suit, a white collar shirt and a red necktie similar to the ones that the male students wore.

"We are here!" All Might announced. "Please, board in an efficient and safe manner. Ladies first."

"Whoa! We're riding in a limo?!" Gohan gasped. He had only seen those on television growing up, but he had never actually gotten the chance to ride one.

"Black on black." Tokoyami nodded approvingly. "I like it."

"Yeah, it's fine," Videl said. "But it's nowhere near the size of my dad's."

"Here, Videl. Let me help you," Gohan offered his hand to help her climb inside.

"Aww, really?" Videl's blue eyes sparkled. "You're sooo sweet, Gohan."

Her expression instantly dropped into a scowl and she shoved Gohan into the limo, hard

"But he said, ladies first, buttercup!" Videl growled. "Take a seat!"

"Hey! I was just trying to help," Gohan said, rubbing his bruised shoulder and taking his seat.

"Yeah, that may work on cutesy little angels like Uraraka. But newsflash, Gohan! I ain't no angel. I'm Videl Satan!"

"How on earth does Kirishima put up with this girl all day?" Ojiro whispered to himself in disbelief.

"Hey, I felt that, Ojiro!" Videl called from inside. "Don't forget – I can feel every single emotion coming my way!"

"Inner Peace…" Ojiro hummed to himself, getting into the limo. "Inner peace."

(…)

It was soon made apparent why they had to ride out of school instead of taking a walk. The school gates were flooded with reporters from different news and media stations, all looking for a scoop on All Might. Slowly, but surely, the reporters moved aside to let the limousine pass through and then they were finally in open road.

The students sat, staring at each other awkwardly for a few minutes. All Might was the one to break the silence.

"So, Young Heroes," he said, his ear-like bangs bending over against the roof of the limo. "I want each of you to tell me exactly why you want to be Heroes. Who wants to share? Hmm?"

"I wanna be the richest, most famous Hero in the world!" Videl volunteered, raising her chin proudly.

"I want to protect the isolated villages in the mountains back home," Ojiro said.

"As for me, I want to teach the world that it needn't fear darkness," Tokoyami added.

"And I want to inspire people to save one another," Gohan said.

All Might nodded.

"Hmm. Those are certainly goals worthy of pursuit. Here at UA High, we will help you achieve any goal you set forth. These are your baby steps, so to speak. And your first step? Getting your student licenses!"

On cue, the limo slowed and pulled into an official UA office. It was a small, squared white building with a polished bust of an ancient hero. It was here where they would receive their student licenses. Gohan definitely regretted not getting enough sleep now, as two large black eye-bags poked out like a sore thumb in his license picture.

"Hero Course Student licenses are for… you guessed it! Hero Course Students!" All Might explained as the students marveled at their shiny new licenses.

"In order to sustain the structural integrity of this great Superhuman Society, the Hero Public Safety Commission and the Pro Heroes Association have created the following License Classes to help regulate Quirk Usage in accordance with local law and community safety standards.

Class Z – This is the Hero Course Student License. It allows students in the Hero Course to use their Quirks for school related activities, and strictly under the supervision of their teachers. It is the stepping stone that will branch out to the other classes.

Class C – This is the Combat License. It allows for Battle Heroes to engage in direct combat with villains. It's one of the most difficult licenses to get, as it is strictly monitored and regulated.

Class R – This is a Rescue License. It allows Professional Heroes to engage in rescue efforts across the nation. Because the government wants to emphasize the importance of saving lives, this is by far the easiest license to get.

Class A – This is the Pro Hero Association's License. It gives you the authority to establish your own Hero Agencies, as well as to take on sidekicks from any of the previous licenses. In order to qualify for this license, a hero must have obtained all previous Licenses as well as maintained a clean record for ten years of service.

Class S – This is the Super Hero License. It is the pinnacle of all Licenses within our society. This License gives you the authority to perform Pro Hero Work and establish Hero Agencies across the globe. Obviously, this license is reserved for the best of the best. The only way to receive this license is through sponsorship of another Hero with a Class S License."

By now, Gohan was more aware of just how little he knew about Hero Society. It was definitely much more complex than what he had first imagined.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Young Ones. But take this to heart – one day, you will look back on this day with pride. Before you know it, you will all be full-fledged Pro Heroes. So the question stands – why exactly do you want to be Heroes?"

Finally, once everyone had received their student licenses, they began All Might's patrol through the town. Occassionally, passersby would stop to gawk in admiration at the future generation of heroes, as well as the Symbol of Peace. Before they knew it, a mob had formed, comprised of All Might's fans, newspaper reporters and media personalities, all wanting to be seen with All Might. He laughed and entertained them for a while. Nobody seemed to be interested in the students, so Gohan began to trail away. He stared at his Student License. Sure, it was just the first stepping stone, but a step that was taken nonetheless. His eyes landed on the Class of the License.

Z.

The Mark of Fighters… the Mark of Heroes….

"He should have been there."

And now I will be.

This card, this little white piece of plastic would be a promise of that… oh, if only Mom could see it now. I bet she would feel really proud.

He swallowed a lump growing in his throat and glanced up to find Videl staring at him, hands behind her back.

"Oh, don't tell me you're gonna cry right now," Videl commented dryly. "It's just a student license. Not like it's a diploma or anything."

"Yeah, I know," Gohan said with a smile, glancing back down at the license. "It may not be a diploma, but it would've made my mom happy…"

"What do you mean 'would've'?" Videl approached him, curiously.

"Forget it," Gohan shook his head. Someone as shallow as Videl wouldn't get it. She'd probably just see it as another flaw in him.

"No, go on. Tell me," Videl insisted, drawing closer.

"Why? You're probably just going to make fun of me,"

"Ugh waaaaah! Come on, just tell me."

Gohan heaved a tired sigh.

"Okay, fine. If you really must know, my mother kicked me out of the house when my powers manifested. She was scared that I was going to hurt her or my little brother, so she told me to leave."

Videl's cocky smile faltered.

"And you just left?"

"She told me to!" Gohan said defensively.

"You know, Gohan. There is such a thing as telling your parents 'no', you know. She was probably just scared shitless and wanted you to go blow off steam or somethin'. What you should have done is what I always do every time Mom makes me wanna do somethin' stupid. I call Dad and he convinces her otherwise."

"Not really something I can do."

"Why? Deadbeat Dad?"

"My Dad died trying to save me from a villain when I was seven years old…"

Videl's cocky demeanor instantly dropped when she heard that.

"Oh… Well I'm… sorry to hear that. But you know, if you just stopped crying like a little girl, and just grabbed life by the horns, bad stuff wouldn't happen to you."

"No," Gohan gave a sad chuckle and glanced up at her deep blue eyes. "That's not true at all, Videl. The bad stuff still happens. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The bad stuff in my life is what lead me here to this moment. Without the low's in my life, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the high I'm on now."

Videl's mouth closed for once as she listened intently.

"Is that something that happened to you, Videl?"

Videl's eyes glossed over, but she blinked against the swell of emotion.

"Why do you care?"

"Well, you're my classmate, for one," Gohan said, placing his hands in his pockets. "And even though my Quirk doesn't let me see the energy of people's emotions, I can tell when someone is trying to mask away the hurt inside. I've seen it all my life."

"What? I-I, uh," Videl's voice softened immediately, dropping all of the ice and edge it had. Suddenly, Videl sounded like a vulnerable girl. Her eyebrows unfurled and her gaze fell to the ground.

"Okay, fine. You got me. Yeah…" she finally admitted. She gave off a deep sigh. "My parents divorced when I was a little girl. And that really… sucked."

She paused, reliving something she had kept hidden away for a long time.

"I still remember the day Ma packed her bags and slammed the door shut. I cried for weeks. Why? Because I allowed my mother to break my heart. So yeah I cried, but when I was done, I told myself that nobody would ever be able to manipulate my feelings like that again. You see, Gohan. Sometimes life only makes sense if you grab it tight and force it to make sense."

"But the tighter you hold onto the bad memories and the bitterness, the harder it will be to let go in the end." Gohan retorted. "Just some advice from someone who's been there before."

"Yeah? Well who asked for your advice anyway, Orphan Boy?" Videl's voice rose again.

Gohan stared at her, blinking.

"You are possibly the meanest girl I've ever met, you know that?" He said, finally.

"Oh, sorry," Videl hissed, dripping with sarcasm. "I forgot, you prefer a girl that melts on your lap every time you read a poem or something!"

"Jeez," Gohan yelped, exasperated, throwing his hands up. "No wonder you're Kirishima's girlfriend. Your head gets just as hard as his does!"

"My…" Videl paused and Gohan suddenly felt like he had crossed a line. But to his surprise, Videl started laughing.

"Okay," she said in between laughs. "That one was pretty good. But I ain't nobody's nothin', got it?! Red and I are just startin' to chill, that's all."

"Got it. Look, all I'm saying is that you don't have to pretend to be so mean all the time. You're among friends here, so you can relax and just be yourself."

Videl nodded and looked away, her cape swaying in the wind. When she looked back up her eyes had noticeably softened. With the helmet on, she kind of looked like Ochaco a little bit…

"You know," Videl said, her voice lowering. "For someone who's been through so much, you sure have a lot of faith in people, and... that's a good thing. You've got a good heart, I guess. I'll… I'll think about what you said. No promises, though. Okay?"

"Deal," Gohan laughed.

"Okay," Videl nodded and actually smiled. "Come on, I think All Might's done with his interviews now. Let's see if he's ready to head back to school."

So maybe Gohan's first Patrol wasn't as memorable as he had hoped it would be, but it did serve to draw him closer to his classmates and to get to know them a little better.

But now, Gohan had his license – and he was just getting started!

(…)

By the time Gohan and his classmates returned from their patrol with All Might, all of the votes for Class Rep had been tallied up and the election results were displayed on the chalk board.

With an overwhelming support of four votes, Momo Yaoyorozu was elected Class Representative, followed by Tenya Iida as her deputy representative.

"Vice Rep?! I'm speechless!" Iida was moved to tears. He stood and bowed respectfully before his classmates. "I will do my best to fulfill such a vital roll and present a well disciplined class to our honorable Class Rep."

"Iida for Vice Rep, huh?" Kirishima said. "I can get behind him, I guess."

"Yeah," Tsu agreed. "This might not be so bad."

Iida's head snapped up, his glasses glowing ominously.

"Of course, this means that there are going to be some changes around here. No more scuffing school property for instance! No more cursing, no more napping, and no more snacking. Everyone must be in their seats and ready to learn no later than five minutes before the start of each class!"

"Dammit. I take it back," Kirishima sighed.

"Oh noooo," Jiro groaned. "Who voted for Iida? Not even two minutes in and he's already turning into a tyrant."

"Yeah I dunno," Kaminari commented, stretching his arms over his head lazily. "But I can think of two BIG reasons why I gave Yaomomo my vote."

"AH! Shut. Up. You colossal PIG!" Jiro growled, shooting off one of her earphone jacks and burying it into Kaminari's ear, sending him a sound-wave that sent him into a painful seizure for a moment.

"Ow!" Kaminari whined. "What was that for, Jiro? I was talking about her Quirk and her personality!"

"No you weren't!" Jiro purred angrily.

"Oh wow! I've been elected to be the Class Representative?" Momo gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth with shock and emotion. "I don't know what to say! Yes! Of course I'll step up and take charge in this most paramount office. I promise to work diligently in your favor, Class 1A. Thank you so much for your trust."

"Together, I am confident that we will lead our classmates into the annals of UA High glory," Iida said, standing proudly next to Yaoyorozu in the front of the class.

"Great, can we move on, now?" Videl grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Oof," Mina winced. "I didn't expect Videl to get zero votes. She's like the most influential girl in class."

"Yeah, thanks for noticing, Pinkie," Videl growled, slamming her head down on her desk.

"Oops! Sorry!" Mina slapped her hands over her mouth.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kirishima asked, leaning over to Videl. "Don't tell me you wanted to be Rep, too. I thought you hated the thought of extra school work, so I kept my vote for myself."

"It's fine, Red," she groaned, wrapping her arms around her head on the desk. "Can we please just drop it."

"Aw, what's the matter, Pigtails?" Bakugo turned in his seat to give her a glaring smile. "Does it upset you that not even Dumb Hair voted for you? And I thought I was a sore loser…"

"Oy, Katsuki, lay off her, man," Kirishima said. "If I'd known she wanted my vote, of course I would have given it to her."

"Argh! Shut UP, both of you!" Videl shouted, slamming her fists on her desk. "I said I don't care about being the stinkin' Class Rep so just drop it, okay?!"

Videl's outburst silenced the entire class. It was so quiet, that the only sound was the ticking of the second hand on the clock. With a tsk, Bakugo looked away, and Kirishima bit the corner of his lip. With that, Videl slammed her head back on her desk.

Something was definitely bothering her, and even if she swore it had nothing to do with the elections, it was obvious to Eijiro that she was upset because nobody had voted for her. Videl had grown up bathed in adoration and had a cult following since she was a baby. Even her Quirk depended on the attention she received from those around her. So realizing that not a single person had voted for her must have been a staggering blow to her self-esteem.

He opened his mouth to say something when the lunch bell rang.

"Great," Aizawa said, rising from his nap. "Now that we've got that sorted out, enjoy your lunch. Afterwards, we will discuss your next assignment."

"Ahh finally!" Mina shouted. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, my stomach's literally eating up my ribs!" Kaminari whined.

"Agreed," Tokoyami grunted, following Kaminari, Jiro and Sato out of the classroom. "I, too, am feeling quite ravenous."

"You coming or what, E?" Mina called.

"Yeah, I'll catch up with you guys later," he called back as Videl got up from her seat.

"Suit yourself," Mina sighed. She turned to the angry blonde at the front of the last row of desks. "What, are you waiting for us to roll out the red carpet or something, Bakugo? Let's go, dude!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Raccoon Eyes!" Bakugo yelled, getting up from his seat to follow the small group.

"Hey, V," Kirishima said, catching up to Videl. She didn't even respond, so he jumped in front of her. Videl glared up at him, gritting her teeth.

"Get the hell outta the way, Red!" she yelled. "I'm starving here!"

"Yeah, me too," Kirishima said. "So what do ya say we skip out on lunch rush and go find something real to eat outside. My treat?"

Videl's reddened blue eyes scanned over him, as if trying to get a read on his motive. Suddenly her stomach growled loudly, making her fierce gaze soften.

"Fine," she relented, with a sigh. "And of course you're paying. Also…"

She looked around to make sure nobody was within earshot, but lowered her voice anyway.

"Hmm?"

"I'm… sorry for yelling at you. I guess I was just a little disappointed that's all. And a little hungry, too."

"No sweat," Kirishima smiled, reaching for her hand. Videl immediately pulled her hand away from his, leaving Kirishima stunned.

"You don't have to hold my hand like I'm some sorta sweetheart, okay?!" Videl yelled, the sharp edge back in her voice. Confused by her rapidly changing behavior, Kirishima was left speechless. Videl grabbed his wrist, and wrapped his arm over her neck, making Kirishima even more confused. His face burn as bright red as his hair.

"Come on, Red," she said with a smirk, her face now inches away from his. "Let's get the hell outta here."

Okay, it's official, Kirishima thought to himself. This girl's crazy – and that's what makes me crazy about her.

Ending Song:

"Let Me Hear" by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Word spread fast that All Might was giving interviews in person in front of the UA Gates. Of course, All Might was recovering his stamina in the Teacher's Lounge, but that didn't stop the surge of reporters from congregating in the front entrance.

Slowly, a purple, glowing ominous black-purple swirl appeared behind everyone just as Videl, Kirishima and Kaminari, who had decided to tag along last minute, were making their way out of the school towards the food market.

"What the hell is that?" Kirishima asked, stepping in front of Videl protectively. "Kaminari?"

"I dunno," Denki responded, covering his face against the strengthening winds. "Whatever that is, it's sending off a lot of electricity, though!"

Two figures suddenly appeared from within the black and purple mist. The first one was of imposing height and had bulging, boulder-sized muscles. The second was much shorter and leaner, but his face was just as fierce. Both were bald, had bulbous veins sticking out across their bodies, and sported a stylized M on their foreheads and both were shirtless. The only clothing they wore was the black pants.

"Spopovitch, Yamu," Shigaraki hissed from within the mist. "Give UA High our regards. Kill them! This is a Declaration of War!"

A/N: Hope you're ready. It is on!

Also, has anyone seen the latest developments from the DBS movie? The teens look great! I can't wait for that, as well as the next season of MHA!

Onto the Review Responses!

Guest chapter 22 . 9h ago

I wonder where's the next chapter

I need it lol

Hey! Thank you so much for your review and I'm so sorry it took this long to get it out, but I was determined to publish it today, no matter what!

Guest chapter 22 . Feb 15

You know what could bloom Gohan and Melissa's friendship even more is if Gohan meets David Shield and reveals that Gohan and Melissa actually first met when they were little kids too young to even remember each other basically saying they are childhood friends

That's a fantastic idea and I was going to do something like that, but the way I've currently got the timeline set up, David Shield meets Kid Goku. I believe the way I have it currently, Goku and Toshi already returned to Japan by the time Chi-Chi gets pregnant. But that is a good idea! I'll keep it in mind in case something changes! Thanks so much for your review!

Anonymous chapter 1 . Feb 7

Read through the first chapter, instant dropping it. Imagine being a Saiyan and not even daring to defend your mother from a normal thugs punch, on top of that, you don't do jack shit in getting revenge. Not to mention going on your knees to beg them not to evict your family only for them to treat you like a dog.

Stories like these are honestly the ones I despise, I'll never dare to read more and waste my time.

Awww. Boo-fuckin'-Hoo.

You don't have to imagine it – it already happened. Lord Slug's thugs beat the shit outta Chi-Chi and Gohan didn't rage nor seek revenge because, SPOILER: THAT'S NOT HIS CHARACTER. You see, pseudo-fans, like yourself, who just sit there and watch the Cell fight vs SSj2 Gohan on Youtube don't seem to remember/understand that Gohan is a kind and gentle boy who loves life and doesn't crave violence, and that it took seeing his friends and father beaten to the verge of death to finally snap and go into a furious rage. That's what makes Gohan's character so compelling.

Also, just a tip, but if you're going to flame via sockpuppet, at least change the wording around so it's not immediately obvious who you are LMAOOO

RiIl chapter 4 . Feb 3

romance is forced, rest of it reads fine though.

Thank you for your review, but there's no romance in Chapter 4. I think the romance starts right around Chapter 9 or 10, but I could be wrong. Sometimes a scene may read like a romance, but it's just platonic AF. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear. I'm still learning the ropes. Thanks for your review!

Elchico 64 chapter 22 . Feb 1

Good chapter, Eclipse! You're gonna go far with this, and you really are! The first season it's almost to the end and now we have to see the Class 1-A to confront this Nomu. I didn't expect that you take a DB Heroes thing, but that doesn't matter, and yeah adding Time Patrolers will be really weird XD

Oh, oh! Maybe you will surprise me who is behind that mask, but if I'm correct this will be a battle that Gohan wouldn't fight right if he knows who it is. And maybe the Masked Saiyan could be in conflict when he see him first hand, maybe something like The Winter Soldier when he goes "Who's Bucky?" and run away, obviusly different but the idea still there if you want.

I'll admit when Gohan past the night (just bedtime) with Ochako it felt a little weird because her parents weren't at home neither they come back. Normally this would be awkard and a strange behavior for teenagers (mostly for Ochako who doesn't understand this things). It felt out of place, just that.

On the other hand, I like the relationship he has with Kirishima, Mina, Kaminari, Toru, I wonder how it will be a friendship with Jiro if they get along more often (probably she teased him about Ochako) the same goes to Ojiro but ot wont be too hard now he has his respect. Oh, Sato and Gohan could make a competition with food eating a lot of stuff of course.

Anyways, I let this as an honest and kind review. Take care of yourself, and dont worry if sometimes you had those moments when you dont have the energy or passion to write. It happens to me, but when I start writing again and get into it, I have it back. See you next time! :D

Chico! hey thanks so much for the kind reviews . Yes, lots of new developments, and we have so many stunning revelations still to uncover. It's going to be one of the biggest saga I've written and I'm so excited to get it to you guys!

And I like where you're going with your theory on Nomu. I think you might have figured it out already? Hehe we shall see very soon.

Yeah, for Gohan x Ochako moment, I wasn't trying to make it seem sensual or inappropriate at all. It's just a common theme I've seen in a few of my favorite anime and wanted to incorporate it here as an innocent moment where they just cuddled. But you're probably right. I'm not always the best judge in where to put the ship moments, and maybe this one could have waited till their relationship matured a bit more.

I will say that this was probably one of the last chapters that will have a heavy focus on ship, because once Armageddon starts, there won't be time for fluffy shippy scenes. Not again until the finale haha

But thank you for your kind and honest reviews. I always appreciate it, especially when something seems out of place. As authors, sometimes we get the rosy glasses, so it's good to have someone show us when something seems out of place.

And definitely planning on expanding Gohan's friendships to include the rest of the class. So far, they will all have an arc in which gohan will have a part in, so that's coming too. Thanks again! Hope you've been well, my friend!

Hmm chapter 22 . Feb 1

Thinking it, i think most of the concepts are far fetched lol (android afo, all might saving shigaraki and the son family adopting Eri lol)

Hey, that's no problem at all! I love your ideas. In fact, if you have an account send me a PM. We can talk more about them. And don't worry, I'm not afraid of trying anything that's far fetched haha

TBossK chapter 22 . Jan 31

I'm finally ALL caught up! I've only read 21 and 22 today! The other chapters were over the course of the past two weeks, so I'll probably focus on the most recent chapters here.

I am really loving this fic! The character interactions between Gohan and 1A are what I live for! I also like the use of Videl in this fic.

Gohan x Uraraka is a cute pairing! I'm liking their moments, and Mina teasing him about it as well.

These team battles were great! Super fun to read. You do such a great job writing action sequences!

Can't wait for the next chapter!

TBossk! Thank you so much for your review my friend! I'm so glad you're liking the story so far! Again, sorry for the incredibly long chapters. Up until this fic, all my chapters were about 3k words max, now I'm averaging about 10k. But again, thank you so much! I sent you a shout out in the A/N!

Hmm chapter 22 . Jan 31

Wait I think I set Gohan and Fuyumi's age when they broke up wrong lol

Since Shoto and Fuyumi are like 7 years apart

So if shoto is 6 when hes burned then that makes fuyumi 13

But a small retcon would solve all the problem lol

Yeah, it's always easy to retcon. If all else fails, I play my "Alternate Universe" card and bend the rules. No problem hahaha

Guest chapter 22 . Jan 31

Oh and Gohan and Fuyumi were like 17 or 16 when they broke up here(considering that Shoto was like 7 or 6 when got burned)

Hmm chapter 22 . Jan 31

Oh wow another chapter, once again I liked it, a lot
(Bakugo' s pride being shattered is a delight to see for sure hehe and Gohan/Uraraka moment is cute and the followup to that was horrifying lmao)

Also I'm glad you are intrigued with my idea

And yeah endeavor would be SHOCKED to the fact that her granddaughter can make him a fodder lol

Also as for Gohan's looks, I imagine him donning his xeno outfit(best gohan look for sure)

And another concept I thought of is an android AFO(since he was so injured when he fought kid/adult Goku and Toshinori, so I imagine All might would be in time and save Shigaraki from being evil here so this time AFO is the really big bad)

Another thing is I imagine Goku doing some errands for ChiChi then he encounters overhaul and Eri(so basically Goku beats overhaul and takes Eri home seeing and sensing that overhaul means bad for the little girl and the son family adopts eri here lol)

One more thing, Gohan and Fuyumi are exes(fuyumi broke things with Gohan when Shoto got burned by Rei) so the arranged marriage meeting would be really awkward lol(especially since the two still has feelings with each other)

And I can also imagine Gohan seeing Shinso training for the entrance exams so you know kinda like how All might and Deku met

Yeah, quite the contrast between scenes, right? Lmaoo it wasn't that intentional but yeah it was pretty horrifying. I like these ideas! WHAT?! Why did Fuyumi break up with Gohan though? Did she blame him for Shoto being burned? Now I need answers! hahaha And I love the idea of Goku adopting Eri.

Xeno Gohan chapter 22 . Jan 31

Finally another chapter

and yep I changed my name to Xeno Gohan because its cool

(also the spelling for Tomura's last name is Shigaraki btw)

also also also, I am very interested in the newer concepts you have given us, the origins of Goku, Gine being All Might's mentor?! Oh man I am so in, the new army of all for one is on the rise I see with the leadership of Shigaraki and Yurin(from DBS eh? Intriguing) so your setting up the majin for something else, wait does this mean we'll also see a supreme kai?! Very interesting

Poor winged serpents, hope Gohan would avenge them soon

also Gohan and Ochaco's moment is really cute and Kendo is gonna be a rival eh? Nice, hope you don't make her a rival I would actually root for lol

Hey! Thanks so much for catching that spelling error! I have no idea how I got it so wrong, but thank you! I am so happy you like the new revelations. You will see more of Gine's Story in the upcoming Bardock Fic. It ties in Bardock, Gine, Toshinori, kid Goku and a bunch of other characters' backstories. It will be coming out really soon!

And yeah, I'm already seeing how Kendo will become a wedge between Gohan and Ochaco. She's just so different and brings an entirely different dynamic to the relationship. She will be coming in the next chapter, I believe. Wanted to fit her in this one but I ran out of space unfortunately!

Thanks for your review, Xeno!

X3runner chapter 22 . Jan 31

Would be a funny twist of uraraka was the more pervy one (not mineta or even kaminari levels but still) out of the two since gohan is too pure/innocent to really instigate anything in a relationship she'd probably have to be the one to step up anyway. Aldo I like the characters from super and the OG Dragon ball being brought in and I hope you can even bring Monster Carrot into it if you can would be funny if he was like miruko arch enemy. I'm going to guess the body for nomu came from raditz him being the weakest of his people would make him the best stepping off stone. That gohan moment where he jumped off made me legit think of the old Superman movies it would be a cool balance since deku takes so much after Spiderman in the show . I do wonder what other ability's would eventually become available I'm going to hazard ang guess that instant transmission The spirit bomb and maybe the riot javelin however I'm of the belief SSJ is the uneque thing gohan had that he forgot and technically he's never used his own original ability since the memory Wipe . Another solid chapter can't wait to see the next one

Oh, yes. I totally get what you meant. In their own canon, both of them are incredibly shy and it's their respective partners that seem to be making the moves (Midoriya and Videl). So I had to choose which one of them would be the one to take the lead and just leaned more for Ochaco, even though that meant she would be a bit ooc. I have to be careful not to overdo it, but sometimes it's hard to resist, since I love the ship so much!

Yes! I have Monster Carrot in the roster, along with his gang. They cameo'd in chapter 13 I believe, but to make him the arch nemesis of Miruko that is BRILLIANT! I honestly had not thought about that.

And you're really close on the theory of Nomu's identity! You'll find out soon enough!

As for Superman, it's interesting that you mention it, but he's my favorite super hero. In fact, I gave him a tribute in this fic. Goku's vigilante name was The Blur – which was Superman's vigilante name in Smallville. Once the USJ happens, I think you'll see more similarities.

As for everything you said at the end, you're so close it's scary. As always, we always have the same vision for this fic! Thanks so much for your review!

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! See you guys again real soon!