A/N: HOLY CRAP! A whole month?! I didn't realize it had been so long! Sorry about that! I've been putting the finishing touches on the first draft of Chapter One on my Bardock/Gine spinoff Xover and didn't realize that I hadn't updated in an entire month. Well, hopefully that first chapter of that story will be up this week. As mentioned before, it's a prequel set about forty years before this one. I can't wait to publish it!
For now, though, please enjoy this update. And thank you to everyone who is still following this story. Your support means the world to me! Review Responses at the end, as usual.
Opening Song:
"Mukoku" by My First Story
Lunch had been exactly what Gohan needed to get his energy back up. Normally, he was able to hold back his voracious appetite out of respect for his classmates and also because he didn't want to pig out in front of Ochaco.
Today, though, they were both stuffing their faces. The air was filled with the bustling sound of conversations and the clinking and scraping of chopsticks on the white porcelain dishes as the two went to town on their lunches.
Izuku, Melissa and Tenya stared in wide eyed bafflement and wonder as Gohan and Ochaco slurped down their fourth dish of ramen.
"Excush me, Mishter Lunsh Rush!" Ochaco waved her hand, still chewing on her food. "Can we get shome more ricshe, pleashe?"
Mr. Lunch Rush, the Food hero that served as the school chef quickly returned to their table with a large bowl of piping hot white rice, much to Gohan and Ochaco's delight.
"Mmmm! Thish rice is sho delicioush!" Ochaco moaned in pure bliss.
"Mhm!" Gohan agreed, taking a bite out of a meaty gyoza. "Lunch Rush's food is the best!"
"Well, at least they're a little more lively now," Melissa laughed nervously, nibbling on her shumai.
"Will both of you please slow down?" Iida begged. "I don't want either of you to choke on your food or something!"
Gohan shot him an embarrassed smile and swallowed his food.
"Sorry about that," he laughed, a grain of rice stuck to his chin.
"Heehee! Ohhh, Gohan!" Ochaco giggled, reaching for a napkin.
"Hmm?" Gohan looked up at her innocently.
"Here, let me."
Gohan stared at Ochaco silently as she gently wiped his face with the napkin.
"Thanks. Sorry about that," he apologized again sheepishly.
"So Tenya," Melissa said, breaking the moment. "Congrats on becoming Vice Rep. Even though it's just a deputy position, that must still be really exciting!"
"Thank you, Melissa." Iida said. "I will admit that I was apprehensive about giving my vote away at first, but it's gratifying to receive our classmates' confidence."
"Wait, you voted for someone else, Tenya?" Gohan asked, taking a sip of water. "Who?"
"Well, yes," Iida nodded, bringing up a hand and pointing it respectfully at Izuku. "I voted for Midoriya."
"Whoa, really? Why me?" Izuku gasped, his hair bristling for a moment.
Iida nodded.
"Yes, that's right. Your courage and quick thinking under stress would make you a great leader, Midoriya. Not to mention the strength you've demonstrated so far. Those are the reasons why I voted for you, anyway."
"He does have a point," Melissa nodded. "I always thought you would be well suited for such a role, Deku. You do have a little bit of Uncle Might in you, after all."
"Huh?!" Midoriya yelped in a high pitched voice, his eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"
Melissa giggled. "What I mean is that you're just like him – brave and always focused. I can tell you model your attacks after his, as well. SMAAASH!"
"Oh, okay," Midoriya relaxed visibly. "Well, thanks for the support, you guys, but honestly, I'm glad Iida got elected to be Vice Rep. As much as I wanted it, I'm not a hundred percent sure I'd be ready to take on the responsibility."
"Understandable," Iida agreed, straightening his glasses. "Wanting a position of responsibility and being suited for it are two completely different things. Observing the Iida Family Agency has taught me that."
"Agency?!" The four students gawked. Iida tensed up visibly.
"Uh- it's nothing. Forget I said anything," he said quickly, picking up his bowl of rice and stuffing his face. "Mmm, you're right, this rice is delightful!"
"Oh no you don't," Ochaco teased. "Don't try and change the subject now, Iida. Admit it – you're filthy rich, aren't you?!"
Midoriya and Ochaco leaned in with innocent, puppy-eyed curiosity. Melissa and Gohan exchanged amused smiles. Iida gulped down his food and sighed in defeat.
"Fine," he relented. "You see, the Iida's have been Pro Heroes for generations – it runs in our veins."
"Whoa, so you come from a long line of Pro Heroes? That's so cool!" Ochaco bounced in her seat excitedly.
"Yes. Are you all familiar with the Turbo Hero – Ingenium?" Iida asked with a smirk.
"Of course! I know all about him!" Midoriya practically shrieked, his cheeks turning rosy and his eyes glazing over in fanboyish delight. "He's a super popular Pro with 65 sidekicks working alongside him in his Tokyo Agency."
"That's right!" Iida smiled. "Ingenium is an unmatched commander who honors the hero code. As the second oldest Iida son, I strive to be just like him."
"Wait a minute," Izuku paused. "Don't tell me-"
"You got it!" Iida stood up, chin raised proudly. "He's my older brother!"
"Wow, you have such an amazing family, Iida!" Melissa said. "Why haven't you told us about them?"
"Believe me, it wasn't out of pride or anything. I was just afraid that my classmates would treat me differently if they knew about my family," Iida confessed, sitting back down.
"Aww, c'mon Iida," Ochaco laughed, wrinkling her nose. "You really think we'd stop hanging out with you because your parents made good decisions in life and raised you well?"
"She does have a point," Melissa smiled, taking a bite off her rice cake dessert.
"Yeah," Gohan leaned in. "And besides, we're not just your classmates. We're friends, right?"
Iida froze, seemingly stunned by what Gohan said. His gray-blue eyes scanned each of the smiling faces staring at him for a moment.
"…you guys…" he began, but he paused.
"Yeah? What is it, Iida?" Gohan asked.
Slowly a smile formed over Iida's face.
"Thank you…" he nodded with a smile. "…my friends."
"Hey, that's the first time I've seen you smile, Tenya," Ochaco said, after taking a long sip of her pink lemonade. "You should do it more." Izuku nodded in agreement.
"What are you talking about? I smile all the time!"
That made the two girls giggle.
Suddenly, a loud ringing alarm interrupted their conversation. It blared incessantly, flooding the room with red lights.
"What the?!" Melissa yelped, knocking her water over.
"Warning." An announcement voice blared calmly over the intercom. "We have a level two security alert. Do not panic. All students report to your assigned rally areas, immediately."
Ochaco and Melissa stood up immediately.
"Ohh, I don't like the sound of that!" Ochaco whimpered, hugging her elbows.
"Level Two Security Alert?" Iida asked, turning to a third year student that was sitting next to them. "What on earth does that mean?"
"It means that there's a villain attack near the school," the third year student said, jumping from his seat. "It's nothing to worry about. Happens every now and then, when a villain fight gets a little too close for comfort. We just need to get to our rally area as fast as possible. That's the school library for you, First Years."
A distant boom made the building tremble. The chairs and tables shook and some silverware and plates slid off, breaking on the ground, making some of the students panic and run for the hallway that lead out of the cafeteria in a stampede.
"A villain attack?!" Izuku ran to the window and pressed his nose against it excitedly, trying to get a view of what was going on outside. "I wonder what kind of Quirk they have and what Pro's are going to take it down.
"Hey! Get away from the windows, Midoriya!" Iida barked. "This is no time to be fanboying!"
"It's hard to see because of all the smoke but the villains appear to have some sort of mutation Quirk that allows them to increase muscle mass throughout their body and redirect it. Oh look! There's Kamui Woods and Mount Lady!ButtheirQuirkswon'treallybeeffectiveagainstthemImeantherearesomanydisadvantagestogigantificationinthemiddleofabusystreet-"
"Oh wow," Ochaco observed, wide-eyed. "It's been a while since we've seen him geek out like this."
"That's our Deku for you," Melissa laughed, wiping the sweat from her eyebrow.
"You guys," Izuku said in a somber tone, turning back to them. "It doesn't look good."
Gohan got up and ran over to take a look.
The scene chilled him to the bone. The marketplace was on fire. Pillars of black smoke rose, blocking out the sun. Whoever was attacking the market had a destructive Quirk. Dozens of Pro Heroes were rushing towards the scene, disappearing within the smoke. Another blast – this one more powerful than the last, knocked out the power in the cafeteria, adding to the frenzy.
Gohan's first instinct was to find a private place where he could change into his Dragon costume to help, but out here in the middle of the day in one of the biggest cities in Japan with so many Pro Heroes around, would that be wise? Several Pro's were already on the scene, anyway.
And surely, the powerful Pro Heroes that worked in the school would be coming out to help, right? With teachers like All Might, Eraser, Snipe and Eighteen, the villains wouldn't stand a chance. Still, it felt wrong to look away and not do anything to help.
Combat Trial 1 Lesson 2 – Never rush into a battle unprepared.
Gohan's hand balled into a fist.
He couldn't just rush into a precarious situation like this without a plan. Doing so is what got so many people killed in the apartments back in Namek City. He had to be patient and wait. Perhaps the Pro's wouldn't even need his help. The ones who could use his help, though, were standing right in front of him.
"Come on, Izuku!" Gohan said, tapping the shorter boy's shoulder. "Let's get away from the windows. It isn't safe."
"Iida!" Yaoyorozu cried, running up to their table followed by Ashido, Jiro, Hagakure and Asui. By now, the majority of the lunch room had evacuated and the stampede of students had now clogged up the hallway.
"Class Rep!" Iida called back. "We need to get everyone to the library – Now!"
"I know!" Momo yelled back, breathlessly. "We had to fight our way through the mob in the hallway just now. All of the students are panicking and making it impossible to get out of here."
"Where are the teachers?" Ochaco asked.
"I just spoke to Mister Aizawa. He said that all of the teachers have to report to the Teacher's Lounge, but that we should gather everyone at the library and he'll meet us there shortly."
"The teachers lounge?!" Gohan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So they're just going to sit it out? They're not even going to try to help? Not even All Might?!"
"He can't help," Izuku started saying. "After the patrols he did this morning, he's nearly used up all of his-"
He slapped a hand across his mouth before continuing.
Gohan shot him an inquisitive look.
"Gohan! Those were Mister Aizawa's Orders," Momo replied. "I know you have a strong sense of justice, and I can respect that. But we should leave the fight to the Pro's. For now, we just have to trust their judgment and obey their commands."
Iida nodded and turned towards Gohan.
"Gohan, there's an emergency exit by the kitchen. It will lead you down to the lobby where you can circle back and head to the library. Please, escort these seven there safely. Yaoyorozu and I will go and look for the rest of our classmates and bring them there. Understand? …Gohan?"
Gohan's eyes had narrowed and he gritted his teeth.
'Someone should have done something. He should have been there.'
"Iida, you just don't understand," Gohan breathed. "I have to do something-"
"Gohan," Iida gave his shoulders a tight squeeze. "I'm asking you to do something. We all have a part to play in this crisis. We need you now. I am asking for your help, not as your Vice Rep, but as your friend. Please, will you help me?"
Gohan closed his eyes and drew in a big, calming breath. Iida was right. They needed him here right now. He couldn't let his worries cloud his vision. His classmates' safety should be his priority.
"Right. I'm sorry," he said with a determined smile. "Leave it to me, Vice Rep,"
Iida shot him a warm, approving smile and nodded.
Gohan took Ochaco's hand, making her blush. Mina and Toru glanced at each other giddily, biting their lower lips.
"Come on, you guys," Gohan said, taking the lead. "Follow me!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – A DECLARATION OF WAR
The marketplace was rocked by another explosion, sending sellers and customers alike running for their lives. The Pro Hero held her injured side, panting heavily as the skinny villain calmly walked up to her. Blood trickling from her scalp ran down over her right eye. She had put up a valiant fight, like the Pro's whose bodies now littered the ground, but ultimately, her water based Quirk had been no match against the overwhelming power of the two rampaging villains.
"Why…?" she wheezed, clutching at the widening red stain on her side. "Why are you doing this? This is madness!"
"See how your mighty heroes tremble and fall!" Yamu called out with a booming voice at the fleeing civilians. On the road, the cars stopped obeying traffic laws and began to drive over the sidewalks in a desperate attempt to escape, causing accidents and traffic jams. Yamu laughed. "You may run, but you will not be safe. This is a Declaration of War from the League of Villains. This society will kneel before the Master of Everlasting Shadow!"
Yamu lifted his right palm, gathering energy in his hand. A ball of red and black energy gathered and grew. The Hero tried to get back up on her feet, but she had no more strength left. She had used up everything she had. Yamu's barbaric smile only widened.
"Do not resist, Hero. Rejoice, for I deliver you to great Damnation!"
The Hero's eyes widened and she lowered her head, accepting her fate.
The next instant, the wave shot out to vaporize her, but it never hit. At the last moment, Kirishima had jumped in, blocking the blast with his hardened arms. The blasts pushed Kirishima back a few inches and sizzled out.
"Are you kidding me with that speech?" Kirishima yelled with a cringing grin, lowering his smoking arms. His right eye twitched. "What kind of cheap-ass Devil May Cry type of villain are you supposed to be, Shorty?"
"Ah, UA High," Yamu licked his lips. "Finally, lambs for the wolves."
"Ha! I don't think so!" Kirishima crossed his sharpened arms again, producing sparks. Videl shot forward from Kirishima's flank, moving so fast she turned into a white blur.
"Bull Rush PUNCH!" Videl soared forward with a mighty leap, slamming headfirst into Yamu's stomach and interlacing her hands into a massive fist. As she bounced back, she swung her combined fists upward, hard, connecting with Yamu's chin.
She then dropped to into a crouch and Kirishima leaped over her shoulder to deliver a heavy overhand punch that brought Yamu to his knees.
Yamu growled viciously, picking himself up with a hand and a knee, brushing the stream of bright red from under his nose.
"Heh, that was pretty badass, V," Kirishima said, switching his stance with one foot in front of the other, facing over his shoulder at the villain.
"Aww, look at the poor little villain," Videl taunted with a manic, predatory smile. "Now who's the one kneeling?"
She glanced up at the much more mountainous villain standing behind Yamu, watching them fight.
"What, does your buddy wanna dance, too? Or is he just gonna stand there and watch me kick your ass?"
Yamu's scowl shifted into a smile. He wiped his face one last time and thrust his hand forward.
"Videl, watch out!" Kirishima grabbed her at the very last second and held onto her tightly, leaping backwards onto the ground as four ki blasts shot out in quick succession from the villain's hand. The blasts missed Videl by a hair and hummed through the air, straight into the surrounding buildings, causing a massive explosion that knocked everyone off their feet.
With its support destroyed, the buildings lurched forward and collapsed. A blinding cloud of ash and dust now rose, adding to the chaos. The civilians that had survived the attack now poured out of the burning wreckage, but a lot of them were trapped in the higher levels.
Yamu raised both of his hands and began to unleash similar attacks on the rest of the market.
"This is insane!" Kirishima yelled over the explosions. "Where are the Pro's? We need help!"
"So," Yamu bellowed, his body now a shadowed by the raging fires behind him. "You want me to unleash the mighty Spopovich, eh?"
"Bring him on!" Videl shouted, rising to her feet. "I ain't afraid of nobody! But I'm going to be mad if you don't take this seriously!"
"Videl, no!" Kirishima shouted, grabbing her wrist. "I'm all for charging into battle, but that guy's gonna kill you!"
"You can turn tail and run back to safety if you want, Red," Videl wrestled her hand away and raised her fists, turning back to face the villains. "But I'm not going to run away from this fight and let them hurt more people. Even if they're a hundred times stronger than me, I'm going to press onward and force them to surrender. That's the only way life makes sense, Red – if you force it to. That's what it means to be a Hero."
Kirishima stared at her, trying to catch his breath
"You're right," he said, his arms hardening. "We're Heroes, aren't we? Right now, we're the only thing standing between these lunatics and the civilians back there. We have to stay and fight."
Videl gave him an encouraging smile.
"We're the ultimate team, Red. They don't stand a chance against us!"
"Enough talk!" Yamu called. "Spopovich. Show them your power. You can fight them, but only after you've killed their cowering little friend behind that rubble over there."
"Little friend?" Videl and Kirishima glanced over in the direction that Yamu had pointed. "Oh no."
"OH CRAAAAAAAP!" Kaminari yelled, running away as fast as he could as the charging monster of a man began to chase him, his massive stomps leaving cracks on the ground. "What's your deal, dude? We're just students!"
Spopovich looked up in time to see a purple-tipped green boot flying straight at him.
"Eagle Kick!" Videl shouted, connecting with the big guy's head. But the blow did absolutely nothing to Spopovich. He slammed into Videl with his shoulder, ramming past her. Videl's tiny frame bounced off the giant, rolling away.
Shit! Videl cursed, gritting her teeth. She picked herself up and ran after the Spopovich, who was baring down on Kaminari. That guy's built like a damn freight train. I won't be able to bring him down with precise strikes. We're going to need something much bigger…Oh, where the hell are the damned Pro's?
There had been several Pro's that had arrived at the scene by now, but they were mostly Rescue Heroes that were helping the civilians evacuate the area. The dozen or so Combat Heroes that had gone down to face the villains had all been blasted away or beaten by Yamu.
Where the hell is All Might? Or Eighteen? Or Eraserhead? Do they even know we're missing?
"U… U!" Spopovich growled through huffs of air. "UA must… die!"
Videl added power to her legs with her Quirk and surged forward, doubling her speed.
"Did that thing just say 'UA must die?' So we're their actual targets!"
Suddenly and without warning, a thick tree branch shot out in front of Videl, stopping her in her tracks. A Pro Hero wearing a skin-tight blue body suit, accented by chestnut brown wooden armor leaped forward and placed himself in between the students and Spopovich.
"Get away from those students!" He commanded.
"More Pro's are here!" Kaminari cheered.
"Kamui?" Videl gasped.
"Videl Satan," Kamui chided, his voice echoing from within his wooden helm. "Why am I not surprised to see you here? You always seem to find yourself in the middle of these bizarre situations."
"It ain't my fault! I was hungry!" Videl stomped her foot.
Videl felt a swell of relief in her chest as dozens of Pro Heroes ran into the fray to protect them. Some of them she even knew by name.
Kamui Woods. Gang Orca. Fourth Kind. All of their sidekicks.
They were finally here. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kirishima running up to her. Beyond him, Gang Orca and his team were taking the fight to Yamu, suppressing his ki blasts with Orca's hypersonic waves.
"Videl, are you okay?" Kirishima ran up to her. There was a small gash on the corner of his forehead, and his clothes were singed, but other than that, he seemed fine.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
"Good," Kirishima heaved a sigh of relief. "Sorry, I tried running after you, but that skinny guy stopped me. The Pro's are handling him now. C'mon, let's get back to class!"
"Videl… you aren't skipping class to hang out with a boy, are you?" Kamui teased. "What would Miguel think?"
"Miguel?" Kirishima asked, his heart instantly dropping to his stomach. "Who's that."
"Shut the hell up, Termite Bait!" Videl shouted, her pupils disappearing with rage. "Not a word to my Dad or Miguel about this, ya hear?!"
Kamui laughed.
"Fine, but you three need to get to class right now!"
"He's right," Kirishima said, taking Videl's hand. "Let's go!"
"Hey! What the hell did I say about holding hands?!" Videl roared, but Kirishima ignored her, pulling Videl along with him into a dead run.
"Took you two slowpokes long enough!" Kaminari scolded them as they caught up to him. The three bolted back towards the school gates.
"Videl, you know that guy?" Kirishima asked, running.
"Yeah, that's Kamui Woods," she said. "He was one of my dad's sidekicks before he struck out on his own. He's pretty cool!"
"Heh, sounds to me like you've got some boy waiting for you back home in Orange Star City," Kaminari teased. "Who's this Miguel that Kamui was teasing you about just now?"
"Denki, don't-" but Kirishima was too late.
"None of your damned business, that's who!" Videl shouted reaching for Kaminari's neck, now actively running after him.
"I'm sorry!" Kaminari ran faster. "Why does everybody keep chasing me today?"
Kamui Woods, the Arbor Hero, crouched down, readying his signature attack. Spopovich was standing toe to toe with Fourth Kind, trading blows.
"Attacking kids and defenseless civilians?" Fourth shouted. "What kind of man are you?"
Two of his hands reached out and grabbed Spopovich's wrists, moving them away from his body while his other two fists slammed into the villain's face. Spopovich grinned at Fourth's attack and laughed.
With incredible speed, Spopovich pulled back on his arms, bringing the Pro Hero closer towards him. Fourth was caught off guard and stumbled forward. Spopovich leaped into the sky and snapped his head down on Fourth's forehead, hard. The move stunned Fourth, who lost his grip on Spopovich.
Now free, Spopovich raised his hand and blasted Fourth Kind away with a mighty ki blast.
"Mister Fourth Kind, sir!" his two sidekicks yelled. The youngest of them, Plat Numb, ran over to help the fallen hero while the other, DiaMan, attacked Spopovich. His skin hardened into a reflective diamond shell and he unleashed a flurry of strikes on the villain. But Spopovich absorbed all of the attacks without even flinching. The blows rippled harmlessly like waves through the villain's body.
The villain grabbed the diamond-skinned sidekick by the neck and feet.
"DiaMan!" Fourth Kind yelled. Spopovich laughed and brought the sidekick down onto his knee, shattering his back. DiaMan cried out in pain was thrown away like a rag doll, his Quirk rescinding.
"More!" Spopovich yelled. "Send me more to break!"
"Lacquered Chain Prison!" Kamui yelled. He had been waiting for an opening to fire off his special move, and now he had it. It was now or never! His arms shot out, wrapping around Spopovich several times. "I've got you now!"
The villain looked down at the thick wooden trunks that held him in place and even though he couldn't move, he looked up and laughed. With a menacing scowl, Spopovich began to vibrate violently against the binding trunks, his muscles flexing within the wooden cage, his veins bulging wildly all over his body.
To Kamui's dismay, the trunks cracked and splintered.
"No way!" Nobody had ever escaped from his Chain prison before. To his horror, he finally realized what was happening. Spopovich wasn't trying to break his way out of the Lacquered Chain Prison – he was gathering a massive amount of energy. An ominous red glow began to pulse under the tree trunks that bound Spopovich, swirling and becoming more and more intense.
Kamui's eyes widened, realizing what was happening.
"Everyone RUUUUUUN!"
Videl heard his cry and turned back to face him as she ran.
"Kamui, NO!" Videl screamed, reaching out to him.
"Ultra Fighting Bomber!" Spopovich bellowed. The red electricity and glowing energy that had gathered around Spopovich exploded into a massive, destructive wave.
Kamui's body, along with any market stall, building, or vehicle that was within the blast radius was immediately engulfed. The firebomb blast washed through the street like a flash-flood, consuming everything in its path before dissipating, leaving nothing but a smoldering figure at its epicenter.
Spopovich laughed maniacally at the carnage.
Kamui Woods fell to his knees before the giant villain, panting with labored breath. His pupils slowly dilated back to normal and when the pinkish-red smoke cleared, he gazed up to see a figure with hardened platinum skin holding his arms out, standing like a protective wall around Kamui, saving him from the explosion. Plat Numb had just sacrificed himself to save Kamui's life.
"Plat!" Fourth Kind yelled.
Plat didn't respond. The boy fell to his side, shattering to pieces.
"PLAT!"
"You – You monster!" Kamui screamed. "You killed him!"
But Spopovich was on the move again. Because of his imposing height and voluminous size, Kamui had misjudged the villain as slow moving. But Spopovich disappeared from his sight, appearing instantly directly in front of him, swinging an arm forward and grabbing Kamui by the head.
Spopovich's massive, meaty hand muffled Kamui's cries, bringing him up off his feet and swinging him violently onto the ground with a sickening thud.
"Kamui!" Videl cried, wrestling her hand away from Kirishima's and running back towards him.
"Videl, don't!" Kirishima called and ran after her.
"No, you guys, we're going to wrong way – Aw, dammit!" Kaminari whined but took off after his friends.
"HAHAHA! I break you like twig, Tree Man!" Spopovich laughed, baring down on Kamui's torso with his gigantic knee. Kamui gave off an agonized cry from under the crushing weight of the cackling villain.
His cries only stoked Spopovich's blood lust. With a cruel laugh, Spopovich began to swing his fists mechanically against Kamui's helmet again and again. Kamui's arms were pinned under the giant's knee and all he could do was struggle in futility as blow after blow after blow landed on his head, finally cracking the helmet.
Kamui's eyes began to roll to the back of his head.
"Heh heh heh." Spopovich wrapped his hands around Kamui's neck now. "Killing Pro's and UA Students will be like killing two stone with one bird!"
A giant shadow suddenly blocked the sun, ending Spopovich's laugh.
Videl, Kirishima and Kaminari slowed to a halt as a giant, purple gloved hand reached past them, picking up Spopovich like a doll.
"Get away from him, ya big creep!" Mount Lady yelled, towering at her full height. She closed her hand around Spopovich, squeezing the breath out of him. For the first time, Spopovich cried out in pain.
"Yeah, doesn't feel so good, does it?" Mount Lady taunted. "Down there, you might be the biggest baddest dude around, but to me, you're still just a little man-"
Spopovich set his blazing anger on Mount Lady. He gritted his teeth and began to vibrate once again.
"What the hell?" Lady stared at him. Slowly, her fingers began to rattle, began to open. Spopovich rattled against the loosening grip.
"Oh, shi-" Lady's hand was forced open and Spopovich flew out, aiming for Lady's kneecap with a burning fist. His brutal strength shattered Lady's knee. Mount Lady screamed out in agony, falling to her other knee. As she fell, Spopovich flew upwards into an uppercut that snapped Lady's head backwards. Now unconscious, Mount Lady stumbled backwards and landed on the buildings behind her, causing a massive earthquake that shook the entire city.
Spopovich landed back on the ground like a comet, cratering the ground beneath him.
"He just took out Mount Lady with two punches!" Kaminari whimpered. "These guys are unstoppable!"
"Red!" Videl yelled breathlessly over the howling wind. "Harden up as much as you can! I have an idea!"
"Videl-"
"Just trust me!"
Kirishima gritted his sharp teeth, but nodded. He had overused his Quirk to the point that it hurt to harden, but he ignored the pain. Pain was good. It let him know that he was still alive. With a grunt, he hardened his entire body into an unbreakable wall. Videl hugged him and buried her head against his chest, concentrating.
"Aegis Shield!" A blue aura began to flow from out of her eyes, enveloping them both and hardening into a protective azure carapace of light.
"Kaminari!" Videl shouted, her voice echoed by the protective shield. "Now!"
"Alright!" Kaminari's golden eyes narrowed with a smile. "Now I don't have to worry about hurting my friends! Indiscriminate Shock: ONE MILLION VOLTS!"
The air crackled around Kaminari's chest and he gathered the golden electricity in his hands by rubbing his palms together. Air picked up around him, responding to the electric charge, sending his golden locks of hair and his red necktie flying wildly.
"Oh yeah, you're gonna get it now, big guy!" He shouted. Spopovich glared at the teen, breathing heavily. Kaminari swung his arms down at the ground, unleashing the torrent of electricity. The blast landed on the ground and shot forward like a wild stream, branching out from Kaminari and striking anything that could conduct electricity. Videl closed her eyes and pressed her face against Kirishima's chest. Kirishima held her tightly and stared in awe as the blinding bolts of golden electricity flowed up to the protective shield around them, bouncing off harmlessly.
Branches of the attack struck out into abandoned cars, buildings and light posts, knocking out what power remained in the block. But the brunt of the attack burst up from the ground and traveled up Spopovich's leg. Before he could take another step, Spopovich's body tensed up, his limbs forcefully becoming stiff as the electricity engulfed him.
"AHHHH!" Spopovich yelled through gritted teeth.
"Hell yeah! Fry that son of bitch, Goldilocks!" Videl cheered excitedly. Spopovich's body convulsed violently, spitting out foam in a macabre manner. After several seconds, the electric current stopped and Spopovich took several steps backward and collapsed into a smoking heap.
"Y-Yeah, take that," Kaminari growled. "You can only absorb so much before it starts to hurt, huh?"
"Heh, badass," Videl smirked approvingly.
A ki blast from the skies above landed right in front of Kaminari, ending his attack and sending the boy flying away.
"Kaminari!" Kirishima cried. "Are you okay?"
"Yayyyy," Kaminari groaned from where he laid, sticking two thumbs up, drooling.
"Where the hell did that blast come from?"
They glanced up.
Floating in the sky, Yamu held his palm outstretched at the young heroes while carrying an unconscious Gang Orca by the collar in his other hand.
"Enough!" Yamu commanded, his voice booming. "Spopovich, time to finish this."
Spopovich's breathing was labored, but he instantly recovered his stamina. He shot forward, breaking through the aegis shield and snatching Videl away from Kirishima.
"Videl!"
"You've got your own life to worry about, boy!" Yamu laughed, launching more ki blasts at Kirishima, pinning him down.
"How do we beat them?" Kirishima cried. "These two monsters are unstoppable!"
Where were All Might, Mister Aizawa and the rest of the teachers? Why weren't they helping?!
In the midst of the deafening roar of the battle, a high-pitched ringing sound caught Kaminari's ear, bringing him out of his high-voltage stupor. His eyes slowly traveled over the area where he heard it and landed on a landline telephone. Suddenly, he had an idea.
Hang in there, you guys! Kaminari thought, getting up. I'm gonna get us some help!
Videl screamed as Spopovich dragged her across the ground and threw her against a car, landing with his knee on her stomach. Videl screamed out again, coughing out blood. Spopovich wasted no more time toying with his victim. He grabbed a clump full of her hair with his left hand and lifted her up, beating her mercilessly with his right fist.
Videl tried to put up another shield, but she had very little Star Power left. As the blows continued to rain down on her, her world began to spin and darken. Spopovich giggled with murderous glee as his fists began to draw waves of blood with every strike.
"Time to die, girlie," Spopovich laughed, staring down at Videl. He pulled his arm back, gathering strength for one final assault. This time, Videl would not be able to guard against it. This was it.
Spopovich was about to kill her.
"VIDEL!" She heard Kirishima cry, struggling to maintain his Hardened form against the nonstop ki attack from Yamu.
Videl closed her eyes and shielded her face with her arms – and suddenly, the world around her erupted in a massive wave of explosions, rocking the ground around her and knocking her to her feet. Videl opened her eyes just in time to the see the sandy blonde flying past her, leaving behind a trail of black smoke.
"GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY, PIGTAILS!" Bakugo roared.
"Bakudork!" Videl cried, her eyes filling with relieved tears. Yamu caught the brunt of Katsuki's explosive assault squarely in the chest. The blow knocked the wind out of him and before he could react, Bakugo grabbed his arm and spun him around, using his explosions to add speed and power to the swing and propelled Yamu towards his companion. Yamu flew towards Spopavitch, knocking them both to the ground.
Kirishima was finally able to ease his Quirk for a moment, blood trickling from the cracks in his skin. He turned to see who had just stepped to help.
"Bakugo!" He yelled. "Watch out! Those guys are str-"
"Shut up and save yourself, Dumb Hair!" Bakugo shouted back and swung around to grimace at Videl, veins popping from his demented red pupils.
"Look at ya, lying on the dirt like a used rubber," he growled. "Have some self-respect, dammit! You're supposed to be Miss Take-Life-By-The-Horns, right, Infinity Queen?! Then get back up on your feet and fight back! A real Hero always wins!"
The rubble ahead rumbled violently and exploded. Yamu roared as he burst out of it, sending rocks, glass and debris flying everywhere. The cocky grin was gone, replaced by a twisted, furious scowl.
"You damned brat!" he seethed. "You'll pay for that!"
"Yeah, that's it," Bakugo purred, planting his feet and lowering into a pouncing stance. "Come on, ya big wrinkly bald bastard! I'll kill you!"
Videl stared at Bakugo as he aimed his palms at the ground and fired off twin explosions that propelled him off the ground, flying straight at the muscled monster.
His right hand shot off an explosion, cleanly dodging a ki blast that Yamu shot at him.
Bakugo spun wildly in the air, setting off more explosions that sent him spinning so fast that the wind picked up around him. He shot forward like a missile, aiming at the two villains.
"Howitzer… IMPACT!" Bakugo roared. "NOWWWW DIIIIIIE!"
Kaminari dove under an ugly yellow van, clawing his way to the center as Bakugo's attack landed on Yamu, sending chunks of glass and burning debris raining around them. Denki fumbled with the phone and closed his eyes in concentration. The cell towers had been destroyed during the attack, rendering his cell phone useless. But if he could produce just a bit of electricity, he could make the call through the landline. A tiny current of electricity flowed from his heartbeat down to his fingertips, powering the phone on. Kaminari pressed the phone to his face, using his Quirk to amplify the device's reach.
"C'mon!" he growled. "C'mon, pick up, dammit!"
"Thank you for calling UA High," the voice of the principal greeted him cordially.
"PRINCIPAL NEZU! Thank God! Listen, we're really sorry but we kinda snuck out of school for lunch and we're being attacked-"
"Unfortunately, the school is under current lockdown and cannot receive any calls, but if you would like to leave brief message-"
"Dammit!" Kaminari cursed. Just then, another explosion rocked the ground, causing Kaminari to drop the device. The phone broke into two pieces before his eyes. "Oh, no…" Kaminari whispered. He reached for the broken phone's receiver and looked it over. Now what was he supposed to do? If only there was someone he could call that would still be listening… someone who could hear his cries for help even from miles away… someone that he could still call for help…
Kaminari's eyes widened with another idea.
"…Jiro… Jiro!"
Back at the library, Kyoka's head jerked up from her desk and her dark purple eyes darted from one side of the room to the other. For a moment, it was as if jam-brain had whispered into her ear. I must be losing it, she thought to herself. But a second later, she heard it again. The static-distorted whisper became just a little bit clearer and she could make out the fear in Kaminari's weak voice. The boy was sobbing.
"…Jiro, please! Hear me!"
"Kaminari…?" Jiro whispered, rising slowly from her seat, her earphone jacks aiming in the direction of the voice.
"Jiro? What's with you, girl?" Mina asked, spooked by Kyoka's bizarre behavior.
"Shh!" Jiro hissed. She placed her earphone jacks against the window and closed her eyes, concentrating.
"Jiro!" Kaminari yelled frantically into the broken receiver. "If you can hear this, you're not hallucinating and I'm not a ghost nor your conscience or God! It's me, Denki Kaminari! Please, help us! We're pinned down by the monsters that are attacking the marketplace. Kirishima, Videl and Bakugo are stuck here, too. None of the Pro's can stop them. Please, send help!"
"Gohan!" Jiro yelled, turning and running full speed towards their table.
Gohan and Ochaco looked up from the book they were reading.
"Hmm? What is it, Kyoka?"
"Are you alright?" Ochaco asked, concerned. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"
"It's Denki!" Jiro panted, breathlessly. "He was able to contact me somehow. More importantly, he says he, Videl, Eijiro and Katsuki are stuck out there in the middle of that fight with those monsters! He's crying for help, but the Pro's can't get to them!"
"What?!" Gohan closed the book and rose from his seat. "Where are they now?"
"In the middle of the marketplace, stuck under a yellow bus!"
"Then I'm going after them," Gohan said, marching towards the door.
"Wait a minute, Gohan. You're not seriously thinking of going out there!" Iida cried, moving to block Gohan from exiting the library.
"I'm not just going to sit around and let our friends get hurt. I've got to do something!" Gohan protested.
"Mister Kan and Mister Aizawa told us to stay put," Momo added with an authoritative tone. "We have to be obedient and trust our teachers. This isn't your responsibility. The Pro's will handle this."
"You guys," Gohan said, turning to face his class representatives. Their faces were strewn with worry and disappointment. Gohan heaved a sigh.
"I know I'm letting you both down and I'm very sorry about that," he said, somberly. He squeezed his hand into a fist. "But you heard Kaminari's message. Not even the Pro's can take these two villains out, but I can. I have to try."
"Gohan, PLEASE! Stop being stubborn and think for one second," Iida said with a shaking voice. His blue hair fell over his eyes. "Don't you think I'm worried about them, too? I'm the Vice Rep. Of course I want to help. But if you go out there, you'll not only be disobeying our teachers, you'll be breaking the law and even worse, you'll be staining UA High's reputation. As your Vice Rep, I won't allow it."
"My reputation doesn't matter right now, what matters is that I'll be saving our classmates' lives." Gohan shook his head. "Videl, Eijiro, Denki and even that hard-headed Katsuki… they need us right now. They're crying out to us for help, and if something happens to them just because I was afraid of breaking the rules, how could I ever call myself a Hero? I'm going to help. So, Class Reps, please watch over our classmates. I won't be long."
"He's right, you guys," Izuku said, rising to his feet. "If there's even a slight chance that we can rescue our classmates, we have to take it."
"Deku, wait…" Melissa tried to stop him. "You're still recovering from the Combat Trials. If you go out there like this-"
"Ever since I started on this journey, I've relied on help from others to get by." Izuku's bright green eyes narrowed with determination. "Gohan, Videl, Tsu, Ochaco, Nail… and even you, Melissa. It's thanks to you that I've made it this far. Now it's my turn to lend a hand. If Gohan thinks we can bring back our classmates, then I'm with him. That's what All Might would do, right?"
"Thanks, Izuku," Gohan nodded with a smile.
"I'm going, too," Ojiro said, walking up to stand by Gohan and Izuku. "Cranes are at their strongest when they flock together. Besides, we have a promise to keep to Kirishima, right?"
"Right!" Gohan cheered, feeling a fire ignite in his belly.
"Those monsters are bringing down buildings and you three just wanna stand around and talk?" Todoroki scoffed, standing to his feet and walking out of the library. "Those villains want to throw down the gauntlet? Then I say let's give it right back to them!"
"Whoa, that's such an Endeavor exit," Izuku whispered to himself, geeking out for an instant. "Todoroki's so cool!"
"Gohan," Ochaco whispered, pulling him away from the crowd as Iida now tried to dissuade Ojiro, Melissa and Izuku from leaving. She reached out and took his fist in her smaller hand.
"Ochaco, no," Gohan began to shake his head. Ochaco's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not asking for permission, Gohan. I'm going with you."
"Ochaco, those guys are serious trouble. I can't let you-"
"Gohan," Ochaco quieted him, forcing her hand into his fist. "Every time something bad happens, you always face the challenge head on, like a true hero. And you're always there to keep me safe when I needed you the most. Now, I wanna be brave and heroic and keep others safe, just like you. You believe in me, don't you, Gohan? I know I have the power to save our friends, so I'm going. I'll be a hero, too. Just like you."
"Ochaco… I'm sorry…" Gohan whispered.
"Gohan, I told you to stop trying to change my-"
Gohan reached out to her and pulled her into his arms and hugging her tightly. Ochaco instantly froze.
"…All this time, I've been treating you like some fragile little girl," he said. "But you've proven over and over again that you're not frail at all. You're a brave, strong and determined woman. I'd be proud to fight by your side."
Ochaco eased into the hug with a smile.
"Good," she said with her eyes closed, resting her head on his chest. "Not like you had a choice, anyway."
"Now, who taught you to be so damn stubborn, huh?" Gohan teased, pulling back from the hug. Ochaco looked up at him with a determined smile.
"Don't you worry, Gohan. I've got your back! Those two villains won't know what hit them!" Ochaco said, raising a determined fist. "Let's go save the day!"
(…)
Back in the market, the ground shook with another massive explosion from Spopovich. Although he had fought bravely, Bakugo was ultimately no match against two powerful villains. Slowly, the villains overcame his element of surprise and began to turn the tide of the battle. He was caught in the blast and his body was sent flying into an abandoned truck carrying fuel. The truck exploded, engulfing Bakugo in a blinding fireball.
"Bakugo!" Kirishima yelled, trying to rise to his feet, but Yamu lifted his hand and aimed it at him.
"Don't worry, kid," Yamu laughed. "You're next.'
His bony, pale hand glowed with a blood-red and black aura. It was the same attack that Yamu had used to destroy the buildings around them. Kirishima saw it coming and crossed his hardened arms into a block, knowing that this was going to be the biggest attack of them all.
With a vicious growl, Yamu unleashed a volley of red ki blasts directly on top of Kirishima. Kirishima grunted, doing his best to keep up his hardened form against the merciless assault. The dark red blasts of energy swirled through the air and crashed into the hardened teen like a thundering river, pushing Kirishima back and cracking the road underneath him. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Bakugo crawling out of the fiery wreckage, his school uniform charred and torn, but he was alive. As soon as he was safely out of the fires, Bakugo slumped to the ground, unconscious.
That's when he noticed the blue aura swirling around him, protecting him from the raging fires. That's Videl's Eagle Egg, Kirishima gasped. She just saved Bakugo's life! But if her Quirk is protecting Bakugo, then that means…
Kirishima glanced over to the side and to his horror, he saw Videl, screaming and crying as the monstrous Spopovich had her head pinned down on the ground under his giant boot, crushing down on her skull. Videl's eyes were closed in agony and she let out a bloodcurdling scream, tears flowing down her bloody cheeks, but her hand remained outstretched towards Bakugo, protecting him from the flames with her power.
"VIDEL!" Kirishima yelled, helplessly. I need to get to her. I need to save her! C'mon, useless arms! I need to get harder! HARDER! He tried stepping forward, but Yamu's attack was relentless. Kirishima grunted in pain as the volley of ki blasts finally picked him up off his feet and forced him into the ground on his back, cratering the road.
Kaminari witnessed it all from underneath the van. Kirishima's arms finally fell to his side and he stopped moving.
"Jiro… please, send help," Kaminari sobbed into the receiver. Yamu's blasts ended with Kirishima laying motionless in the crater the blasts had made. The hardening effect of Kirishima's Quirk slowly faded away, leaving him completely defenseless. Yamu laughed like a hungry lion who had finally caught his prey. He raised his hand, poised for the killing blast, but then he looked up and spotted Kaminari hiding underneath the van. With a cruel laugh, he kicked Kirishima away and started walking towards Kaminari. Denki tried to move, but a ki blast shot out from Yamu's hand and connected with his right leg, breaking it. Denki screamed in agony, clutching at the seared burn in his leg.
"Dad! Mister Aizawa! All Might! Someone, anyone! Please help us!" Kaminari cried into the broken receiver, tears flowing from his eyes and nose. His voice was a high pitched whine. "PLEASE! I don't wanna die!"
Yamu reached him and kicked away the yellow van that Kaminari was hiding under. The van skidded away and flipped onto its side.
"Aww, don't cry, little baby. Dying's not so bad," Yamu teased, lifting a palm and gathering an orb of black and red energy. It crackled in the air, spinning in Yamu's hand faster and faster. "I hope you kissed your Mommy and Daddy goodbye this morning!"
Kaminari did his best to curl up into a ball, covering his face with his fingerless-gloved hands, finally dropping the receiver and accepting the fact that nobody had heard his cries for help. A growl built up from Yamu's belly that grumbled out into a roar. This was it.
Kaminari waited for the end, but it never came.
"Get away from him you STUPID VILLAIN! CAROLINA SMAAAAAASH!"
Midoriya's fist cracked against Yamu's chin with titanic force that lifted the Majin up off the ground and sent him flying backwards, crashing into an abandoned delivery truck. The box truck crumbled like a tin can, trapping Yamu in it. A wave of ice ran across the disheveled market road and snaked up Yamu's leg, trapping him in a block of ice. Yamu strained to break free.
Midoriya landed safely next to Todoroki, green electricity flowing around his body.
"If you thought you could break UA that easily," Todoroki hissed, crossing his arms, his breath coming out in a warm puff of air. "You were sorely mistaken."
"Forgetting something?" Gohan yelled, eyes narrowed. He held up his hand at the trapped villain. "You dropped this. Here! HAVE IT!"
Several ki blasts shot out of Gohan's hand, raining down like missiles on Yamu and the box truck. The truck exploded, sending Yamu rolling to a flaming, motionless stop. Gohan didn't stop.
"Bastard," he said through gritted teeth, continuing to bombard the villain with ki blasts.
"Yeah, I think you got him," Midoriya chuckled wide-eyed, nervously.
Kaminari slowly opened his eyes to look up at his saviors. Ochaco floated in, activating her Quirk on the electric golden haired teen and lifting him up gently. In the distance, Four of Ojiro's clones were fighting off Spopovich while the other two were carrying Videl and Kirishima back with them.
Kaminari's golden eyes flooded with tears of relief.
"You guys...! Thank you so much!" He cried, fresh tears of hope spilling down his cheeks. Kaminari grabbed on tightly to Gohan's shirt and wouldn't let go. "I owe you guys my life!"
"We're here now, Kaminari," Ochaco told him, soothingly. "You're safe now. Leave the rest to us. Melissa, I'll use my Quirk on you two so you can get him out of here!"
Melissa nodded, her eyes widening when she saw how badly beaten Kaminari and the others were.
"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart. Just hang on," she said, taking him into her arms.
Ochaco placed a hand on her and Kaminari, negating their weight instantly.
"Hey Melissa!" Izuku called right before Melissa took off. She turned back to him and Izuku shot her a thumbs up.
"Look at you go!" he said. "You're a mini Rescue Hero!"
Melissa smiled warmly at Izuku and nodded.
"Go get 'em, Deku. Give them a California Smash, for me!"
"California Smash? What's that?"
"Oh?" Melissa smiled and winked at him. "Maybe I can show you later, then."
With that, she turned and leaped away, gliding away from the battle zone thanks to the power of Ochaco's Quirk.
Everyone turned to stare at Izuku, who's face reddened brightly.
"What?" He asked, embarrassed.
They were interrupted by a commotion to their side. Videl squirmed in Ojiro's arms.
"Why are you being so stubborn? You need to see Recovery Girl!" Ojiro was arguing.
"Lemme go, Monkey Boy!" Videl was shouting, beating on Ojiro's head. "I can still fight, okay?"
"Fine!" Ojiro said in defeat, letting her climb off his arms. He reached into his pocket and handed her a Jelly Bean. "Here, eat this. It's the Jelly Bean that Recovery Girl gave me after the combat trials. It will help heal your wounds."
"Gross!" Videl's nose wrinkled. "How long have you had that thing in there? It better not be poisoned! Eww! It's soggy and coconut flavored? Ugh! I hope you weren't keeping it in your armpits."
"You are insufferable," Ojiro sighed. Videl ate the jelly bean and instantly felt a swell of energy coursing through her body. She leaped to her feet, bursting with stamina.
"Alright!" She laughed, leaping from foot to foot excitedly. "Bring them on! I won't go down so easily this time. Red!"
She caught up to the Ojiro clone that was carrying Kirishima. Eijiro had been severely injured in his fight with Yamu. His scorched body was torn and bleeding. He opened his eyes weakly.
"Videl…" he whispered. "Are you okay? I'm so sorr-"
Videl cupped Kirishima's cheeks and, closing her eyes, she bent forward, pressing her lips against his. Kirishima's eyes widened and his breathing stopped. Slowly he closed his eyes and he reached up and caressed her cheek. After a few intimate seconds, Videl pulled back, her lips sparking with charged Passion Power as they parted from Kirishima's lips.
"Whoa," Kirishima breathed.
"Thank you, Red," Videl said, forming a fist. Red electricity crackled within it. "For giving me your strength. I promise I won't waste it this time. I'll come see you later, so get some rest. Right now, I've got some ass to kick."
"Badass," Eijiro smiled and rested his head back, closing his eyes.
"So, it's official then?" Ochaco asked, smiling sweetly as Videl came to stand by her side. "I'm so happy for you, Videl. But isn't it a little too soon for a kiss?"
"Too soon? I don't believe in that word anymore. I almost died just now." Videl said. "From now on, I'm gonna live every day of my life just like Red. With no regrets."
Ochaco stared at her for a moment.
"Grab life by the horns, right?" Ochaco said, thoughtfully. Her eyes slowly slid over to Gohan.
"Are you sure you're okay to fight?" Gohan asked, worried by Videl's bizarre behavior.
"Hell yeah!" Videl shot him a hungry smile, her blue eyes burning. "I already told you, Gohan. I ain't no sweet angel. You're looking at Hercule's daughter!"
Gohan smiled, amazed by her resilience.
"Right. Let's do this!"
"Heads up," Todoroki said cooly, hands in his pockets. "Looks like this is Round Two."
The two villains finally freed themselves from Todoroki's ice and began to charge full speed at the young heroes.
"Now you've done it!" Yamu shouted. "You First Years don't stand a chance! NOW YOU DIE!"
This was it – the final battle. The only force left standing between the two unstoppable villains and the civilians trapped in the wrecked marketplace were a bunch of teenage Z-Class students, but still, they stood. They stood, but not as defenseless students.
"No," Gohan replied. "We're not just a bunch of First Years."
They were an unbreakable wall, a mighty shield, an impregnable bulwark.
Gohan smiled, bringing his fists up.
He looked over at Izuku, Ojiro, Ochaco, Videl and Todoroki.
"We're the Z-Fighters."
ENDING SONG:
"Let Me Hear" by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
A/N: And there it is, folks. The Z-Fighters are born (including Melissa and Eijiro). Sorry for the incredibly long fight, but I hope it was enough to showcase the villains' strength. I hope we can start to see why some of our MHA characters were made stronger earlier than in cannon, since these two villains are on the lower end of the type of Villains they will face in the USJ.
I want to thank everyone that's stuck around this far. It's only going to get better and more intense from here. We have some big surprises/reveals in the following chapters. Thank you again – your support gives me strength!
Onto the Review Responses, then!
Elchico 64 chapter 23 . Mar 17
Hey, Eclipse, sorry for the late review, shit been happening and I couldn't keep up the whole chapter in a day like I used to. Probably I'll forget something to add so I will just take the opportunity to use the memory of everything I read.
Your writing skills improve much better since the last time, you really put yourself and concentrate this time. The background is great, flexible and it sticks with the escenes of every event with o without Gohan.
As for the character like Ejiro, Videl, Mina, Momo, Kaminari and now Tokoyami doesn't lack any moment to appear, keeping the essence of their personality.
Still I think that Gohan stay the night with Ochako is odd, considering a little soon, for not to mention where were her parents at the time. But I will respect your decision (and yes, you make me hungry with the dessert mochi thing).
I like how tsundere is Videl, she may respect Gohan for his past but damn you make her like Bakugo (not literally) haha. Ejiro is like Hawk guy in Cobra Kai vut not a bully, who at first is shy and now a badass. Kaminari and Kyoka are the same.
I wonder how will be the next chapter, it was litlle odd considering an attack for the main villains. Although if the message is clear, a declaration of war trying to capture or kill some of theirs students. I want to see what happens! :D
Keep up your mind and health, dude! You're awesome and don't let anyone tell otherwise.
Oh, and I already start the new xover about I talk you before. With some changes, but it sticks the same. The first chapter doesn't explain too much, but it'll do the second or third.
CHICOOOO! Hey my friend! So good to hear from you. First things first, you got me so hyped with the new fic. Please forward me the link so I can check it out! I looked in your profile but I couldn't find it so I wasn't sure if you posted it yet. But I'm really excited for you and I cannot wait to get to read it!
Thank you for the compliment! I really appreciate it. I'm trying to diversify everyone's interactions so it's not always Gohan hanging out with Ochaco and Deku hehe trying to let others shine in the spotlight as well.
And I hear you on the GohanxOchaco moment. I probably should have reiterated then to clarify, but in the previous chapters, Ochaco states that she lives alone. Her parents rented her the apartment so she could attend UA High, as it's too far from their little home in the Kansai region, southern Japan. And that's why she felt lonely. But to answer your question, that's why her parents weren't there/didn't show up at home.
Yesss, my girl bought me some Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream mmmmm. It's delicious!
About Videl, I loved how her bratty/grumpy attitude always flustered Gohan, and of course in cannon that's what attracted him to her. Her fierceness. But then she got married and turned into Ochaco. So in this fic, I planned to keep her as the sourpuss "Pigtailed" Videl from earlier in the saga.
And I'm so happy to know you are also a fellow Cobra Kai fan! Hawk is one of my favorite characters (except S2, where he became a collosal douche.) But yes, there is definitely a similarity there with Eijiro's story, where he also starts off just faking it, till he made it. But thanks to his relationship with Videl, he will learn to live care free and make the most of his life.
Thank you soooo much for the reviews, man! Please send me your fic so I can check it out and follow as well! Until next time, my friend!
JediGamerX chapter 23 . Mar 6
First and foremost, thank you so much for the shoutout! It really means a lot to me being new to this hobby.
I really liked the banter between Class 1-A, especially between Videl and Ojiro. Speaking of Videl, as much as I like the idea of Gohan and Uraraka being a couple, Her conversation with Gohan made me think about what if they were together instead as they were in the canon DBZ storyline. Don't get me wrong, It's your fanfic and you can do whatever you want with it, Those were just my thoughts.
As far as USJ goes, either Videl or Uraraka better be careful with Yamu and Spopovitch for those who remember what happened in DBZ. I'm really excited for this upcoming fight.
Hey JGX! Absolutely, my friend. For being a first fic, it's really well written and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Vegeta's teaching methods.
Hey! You know, I actually did entertain the idea of Videl and Gohan. They are a great cannon couple and even though the dynamics of their relationship change drastically in Super than when they started dating, it's still one of my favorite ships.
But as I kept writing the original draft for this fic, my Gohan kept running off with Ochaco instead of staying with the original girl. And I think I realize why that was – because Ochaco's personality is exactly like DBS Videl's.
As you progress in your fic, you're going to get to experience that, if you haven't already. As you write, your characters sort of take on a life of their own and they make the decisions and write some of the story for you. It's one of my favorite reasons to write, even when I know I'll never get paid for writing fanfics.
Again, thank you so much for your support my friend. I really really appreciate it!
X3runner chapter 23 . Feb 25
Even though they are not in a relationship of any kind I do really enjoy how well videl and gohan mesh with eachother they are really copacetic Like bros who can push each others buttons and but heads but they are just being friendly in an non obvious way. Also are you planing to use that guilty feeling of not being strong/aware enough to push gohan Furthur Into training himself even if it is subconsciously thinking good enough is never good enough. I did like how you had everyone gloss over that zero votes means even she didn't vote for herself. I do have a question since the charaters of this world like vegita can sense Ki wouldn't it mean that he should be able to really easily recognize his son even with scars on his face.I really liked the the four witches being in the chapter would be funny if gohans tail made a reemergence so the joke of I'm not the only one with a tail now am I especially since that one would really look more like a monkey tail . Also I like that you are setting the ground work for the name z fighters . I also must know do the dragon balls still work the sane way or was it just a refernce ?
X3! Hi!
Thanks, it's so much fun writing Videl/Gohan scenes, because they are so different from each other. Gohan is gentle and kind, whereas Videl is brash and irreverent in this fic. Like a female Bakugo haha maybe that's why Kirishima liked her so much.
And as for your Question about Gohan's state of mind, yes definitely. You'll see more of this during the Endeavor Arc in the next season, as Gohan gets to see more and more of the reality of Hero Society and how badly it needs to change.
And for the zero votes, it's going to be addressed among other things in the next chapter, when Videl gets a chance to talk to Kirishima again.
Hey! Good catch on the ki sense! I will say that his son's story (all of Todoroki's family story, really) is going to be very different and much muuuuuch more tragic than in cannon. That's right around the corner in the Endeavor arc after the Sports Fest. Everyone in that damn family has a scar to work through, even Vegeta. But of course, Gohan will be there to help.
Ha! that's too funny, poor monkey boy! I always see him getting replaced by Gohan or Goku in the Xovers, since he's a martial artist monkey man. Yeah, let's see what happens. Maybe someday we might see a tailed duo in the future he he he.
As for the Dragon Balls, while I did not intend for magical items to exist, I think I found a way that they can exist in this universe.
The Dragon Ball universe if very folklorish, very mystical, very legendary. It's a place of magic and power, dinosaurs and gods and aliens and androids. So I wasn't sure how to fit magical items like the Dragon Balls, Senzu Beans or Majin Marks into this universe, but I'm slowly finding ways to do so.
So, I think I found a way to make Dragon Balls work as wish orbs, just like in DB Universe. But that's not something that would come up soon, anyway. Right now the focus is to get Gohan to fight AFO and become a Hero, so let's see. Dragon balls are not off the table, though.
Xeno Gohan chapter 23 . Feb 24
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I was so hyped when I saw the notification for the update
I LIKE all of this part, the part where Mina said "pounding the mochi" is hilarious and I see you have some new concepts eh like Krillin being here, I wonder what would his reactions be upon meeting Gohan
oh and I see tokoyami is still an edgelord eh
also Videl and Kirishima are cute
just one thing
that cliffhanger, why?!
looking forward for the next chapter
Heyyyy Xeno! Thank you so much for your hyped review bro! I always enjoy reading your reviews. Ha! I got the idea from an old Drama where it's implied that the two main characters are making love, but it's personified by the male lead pounding on mochi with all of his might while female giggles XD
Oh yeah, we'll get to see our favorite bald shorty shine in the climax of this saga/arc.
And I'm glad you're enjoying the ships. Sorry about the cliffhanger! I hope you enjoyed it though!
Thanks again for your review my friend. You're always one of the first one that reviews the fastest and I'm super super thankful for that! I will do my best to upload more consistently from here on out!
Hmm chapter 23 . Feb 24
Also shoto and shinso would form a close friendship (though they will never admit it here lol)
Hmm chapter 23 . Feb 24
Also glad that you liked Goku adopting Eri
Its just so in character for Goku to suddenly bump with a murderous villain then Goku just beat that villain with ease
Hmm chapter 23 . Feb 24
Its about time for another chapter
"Pound the mochi" lmao
Liked videl and kirishima ngl and of course gohan and uraraka being my crossover favorite pair rn
Also I'm hyped for this hero and villain war eh looking forward for that for sure
Also why did Fuyumi break things off with Gohan in this AU eh? Well its simple really, after Shoto was burned, Fuyumi blamed herself, then because of this, it leads to the break up between her and Gohan
And Gohan tried to plead with Fuyumi at first but Fuyumi well wanted to break things off for her to take care of Shoto more
And Gohan being a gentleman he is, would respect Fuyumi's decision and the two parted ways(painfully)
And since this AU takes place at Carthu Dojo's what if Gohan never stopped training
Gohan wouldn't have time to be sad about his and Fuyumi's breakup as after that he had to fight majin buu with his dad
Then in 4 years he trained with the kais
Then his dad returned and fought beerus
One year later he would be busy taking care of Eri with chichi(which Goku adopted after beating overhaul and Goku trained with whis afterwards lol)
Then he had to fight frieza then Gohan had to save Future Trunks' timeline from black
Then ToP
So Gohan wasn't able to "heal" from the breakup(since he was busy saving everyone's butts) and still loves Fuyumi (same with Fuyumi, she still loves Gohan back)
So the arranged marriage meeting would be SO AWKWARD for the two of them, memories resurfacing
Also another thing, I imagine is endeavor having some form of confrontation with Gohan in the sports fest about gohan training shoto:
Endeavor: I commend you for training my son to use MY fire
Gohan: your fire? I'm sorry but shoto's fire is his and will never be yours, and trust me he will surpass you sooner or later, watch your arrogance endeavor, it might be your downfall
Endeavor: just because you surpassed me in rankings, doesn't mean your stronger than me
Gohan (does a classic "gohan" smirk'): trust me endeavor, I am much stronger than you can imagine
Gohan: have a good day
*gohan walks away*
While endeavor growls lol
Yeah, I'm pretty down for this ship now. Would be interesting to see if Gohan would help Fuyumi to improve on her Ice Quirk. The story sounds really good. Sounds heartbreaking that Gohan would have to leave his love behind and then immediately jump back into the front lines to defend the world, though I'm sure that Fuyumi would continue to see him as a great hero and man.
I can see Gohan enjoying the same relationship with Shoto that he had with Future Trunks. That would be really neat to see.
I especially love to see Gohan put Enji in his place, though it would make sense that Enji would then try to buy Gohan from his parents to force him into a marriage. To me it sounds like Enji secretly envies or at least recognizes Gohan's potential.
As for Goku adopting Eri that would be toooo cute! I imagine him meeting her for the first time being similar to how Goten met his dad for the first time. Scared at first, but then once it sinks in that he has a little sister, he will want to run around and play with her and that would help heal Eri's wounds.
Just thought of Gohan facing off against the Pride Troopers in the TOP, where Jiren's voice reminds him of his father in law's (same voice actor in the Funi Dub) and he attacks Jiren with a blind rage for reminding him of the man who's actions took Fuyumi away from him.
I wish this fic was real. I'd read the crap out of it honestly!
That's it for Review Responses! Thank you all soooo so much for taking the time to read this fic and for letting me know your thoughts. I love engaging with everybody and reading your comments, whether praise or constructive critiques, I enjoy reading them. Until next time, dear friends. Plus Ultra!