Path of the Dragon: The Story of Gohan

by zzEclipse

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

31. The USJ Incident IV - The Rescue!

A/N: Hi everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic long weekend. So sorry for the delay in uploading. One scene in particular kept this chapter up from being uploaded for a couple weeks. Writer's block sucks!

By the way, I took advantage of National Cinema Day last Saturday to catch DBS: Super Hero on IMAX one more time and it was so worth it! I thought that after a couple of weeks, the rosy glasses would come off, but I actually enjoyed it even more the second time around.

The $3 tickets were worth it! Seeing Bulma's uhhh… wish come true on the giant IMAX screen was pretty nice too lmaoooso much fan service! Toriyama definitely knows who his target audience is!

Anyways, thank you for checking out this latest update. Only two chapters remain after this one, and then I'll finally be done with Season One (after 1 and a half years!) This is the longest chapter I've ever written, so I'll have to skip the review responses this time (it's also 1am and I need to get to bed lol) I'm really sorry! but I promise I'll reach out to you all either through PM or in the Review Responses of the next update. Sorry!

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Opening Song:

"Mukoku," by My First Story

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SANTA MONICA BEACH

CALIFORNIA, USA

AGE 1998 (TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO)…

The sound of constantly crashing waves, along with the cries of the seagulls, mixed with the scent of the sea. Toshinori closed his eyes and breathed it all in, enjoying the refreshing breeze from the sea against his face.

"You sure we can't convince you to come?" A handsome twenty-one-year-old college student asked, raising an eyebrow and curling his right arm over his girlfriend's tiny shoulders. He moved to stuff his free hand into the pocket of his red hoodie, leaning back nonchalantly against the candy red AllMobile, a revolutionary atomic-powered high velocity armored vehicle that the young man had constructed to help aid All Might's heroic journey in America.

"Come on, Toshi! Don't be such a stick in the mud," the blonde with waist length cascading hair, covered by an over-sized red cap squealed. Her heeled boots clicked with excitement and the multiple beaded necklaces she wore bounced against her frilly white tank top. "Come with us – it'll be fun!

"Sorry, guys," Toshinori laughed sheepishly. His golden hair shined with the sunset and he placed two giant hands on his hips. His deep blue eyes were a little sharper now, and his slender body had bulked up in his two years of crime fighting in America. There was now an air of power and authority to his deep voice. He wasn't just Toshinori Yagi. No, now it was his turn…

Now, he was All Might.

"I've got work to do," he said.

"Come on, Toshi! Tights is right. It's Friday! The night is ours!" David Shield said, swinging the UCLA student badge off of his neck and flicking it into the driver's seat of the car. Tights giggled and nodded beside him.

"Besides, my sister is joining us tonight," Tights Briefs chirped. "She just got back from Japan and let me tell you, she's single and quite the cutie, too. Let me introduce you to her."

"That is, unless you just don't want to hang out with us nerds," Dave shrugged, pouting his lips in feigned indignation.

"No, that's not it at all," Toshinori shook his head. "I'm sorry. I swear, I'm not trying to blow you guys off or anything, but you said it yourself, Dave – it's Friday, and you know what that means. Statistically speaking, crime is always the highest around payday. I'm going to take a break here and then continue patrolling the pier."

"The pier on a Friday night?" Dave laughed, slapping a hand on his forehead and swiping his shoulder-length honey-brown hair back away from his sky-blue eyes. "Are you serious, man? Can't you just take a weekend off, just one, and start again on Monday? Is it really that important to be All Might, all the time?"

"Dave…" Toshinori crossed his arms over the wide chest of his blue costume and tilted his head slightly to the side. "This means a lot to me. I don't just want to be a hero that clocks out at 5PM on a Friday night. I want to make a real difference in this world, and touch the lives of those around us. I want to become more than just a hero… I want to become Symbol of Peace."

"A Symbol of Peace?" Dave repeated.

"Yeah," Toshinori laughed, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks burned with a blush, so he turned away from his best friend to stare off at the sunset in the horizon. His blue cape flapped majestically behind him with the ocean breeze.

"My Master, Gine, dreamed of a world where everyone can smile without worrying." All Might said, observing a happy, giggling family of four as they swam in the skylit ocean waters together. "She gave her life to protect that dream, and now it is my duty to see it become a reality. I'm going to make this a safer world; one in which every child like Goku can grow up and have a happy, decent life, unlike the one I had growing up."

"Goku, hmmm," Tights brushed her chin then snapped her fingers. "Oh, right. He's your Master's youngest son, right? The little boy you left back in Japan? Kaka-something?"

"Yes, Kakarot. That's the name his father gave him. But my Master had always wanted to name him Goku, so the name stuck. Before she died, I made her a promise that I would look after the boy, but no matter how much I wanted to bring him here to America with me, Master Roshi wasn't sure I would be able to keep him safe on my own yet, and insisted in taking care of the boy himself. I hated the thought of leaving him behind, but it was for the best."

Toshinori turned to face his friends with a bright smile.

"Goku's the reason why I clench my fist. No, I don't just want to be a strong hero that punches villains. I want to be a Symbol of Peace that shines a light of hope in everyone's life, including his. That's all that I want…"

"Aww, my heart," Tights sighed, clutching her chest. "That's so beautiful, Toshi."

"Man," David Shield hummed. "You're really something else, Toshinori Yagi."

The young students sighed and took in the beautiful sunset over the Santa Monica beach and a quiet settled between them for a short moment, broken only by the sound of the rolling waves, the seagulls and the laughter of children playing in the waters.

Then the silence was broken by the familiar whir and whine of the engines of a Capsule Corporation Plane Pod. A cylindrical, yellow pod emerged from the clouds above and glided down towards them, slowing to a hover behind the AllMobile. It's landing gear swung out from underneath, and the pod slowly settled on the ground, retracting it's long wings. With a final purr, the engines whined down.

"Looks like our guest of honor has arrived," Dave said, winking at Tights.

"Guest of honor?" Toshi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh! Bulma is here!" Tights exclaimed, happily. "Come on, Toshi. Get over here and say hello."

"What, n-no. I'm fine, thanks!" Toshinori stammered, turning away, but through some divine intervention, David and Tights grabbed All Might's massive arm and were able to pull him towards the pod as the cockpit's door opened.

A gorgeous young woman with sparkling deep blue eyes climbed down from the pod. As soon as Bulma removed her helmet and flipped her waist length blue hair around, it spilled over the strapless red crop top tube shirt that she was wearing. Toshinori was immediately mesmerized by her beauty and her angelic smile. Bulma stretched loudly, sticking a leg out with red converse shoes and orange slouch socks.

"Hey Sis, 'sup Dave!" Bulma waved, tossing the helmet back inside the pod and placing her hands on the sides of her matching red dolphin shorts. "Sorry for taking so long, but the brat kept escaping and getting lost. I ended up finding him again at the circus, eating the lion's share of the food – Literally." She turned and smiled at Toshi. Toshi's heart started pounding, and his tongue turned into sandpaper against the dry roof of his mouth, feeling the beautiful young women's attention turn to him.

"Oh hiya, you must be the famous All Might, am I right?!" she squeaked. Toshi gulped as Bulma's eyes traveled down his skin-tight costume, unashamedly. "Gosh, the tabloids don't do you justice. You really are quite easy on the eyes, hon."

"What?!" Toshinori coughed, his face reddening instantly. "I am not… Uh… Anyway, you mentioned that someone keeps getting lost? Does someone need help?"

"Uh, n-no one!" Tights stammered, tilting her head and laughing nervously, waving her hands dismissively. "Nobody at all…"

Toshi shot a raised eyebrow at Dave, who avoided eye contact.

"Bulma?" Dave asked with a mischievous smile. "I think there's someone here with you that's been dying to see Toshi, right?"

Bulma nodded.

"Sure is. It took me a while, but I finally tracked him down. You two owe me big time for this, Sis! You have no idea about all of the crazy stuff we've been through trying to get back home – but that's a story for another time." She turned and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Come on out and say hi, Son-kid!"

"Son-kid?" Toshi asked.

The pod shook with movement from inside and the passenger door opened and slammed shut. Toshinori tilted his head in expectation of whom this person might be. To his surprise, it was a short, pudgy child with spiky hair and large innocent eyes. His orange Turtle School gi swayed with the afternoon winds. As soon as the boy turned the corner, Toshi's mouth practically dropped to the floor.

"Bulma, this giant metal bird's tongue wouldn't let me go, so I had to rip it off," Goku grumbled, tossing aside the shredded seat belt and rubbing his neck and chest. "So if it goes complainin' to you, now you know why."

"G-Goku?!" Toshinori cried. "No, it can't be! We're all the way in California. How on earth-?"

The boy froze and his wide, innocent eyes widened even more.

"Is that you, Toshi?" Goku stammered. "Hold on, IT REALLY IS YOU! TOSHIIIIIIII!"

Goku took off running towards Toshinori with his pudgy little arms spread out, his monkey tail wiggling happily. He leaped high into the air, wrapping his arms around Toshi's neck and pulling him into a tight embrace with incredible strength.

"Goku!" Toshinori laughed happily, catching the tiny boy. "GOKUUUUUU!"

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you, Toshi!" Goku screeched joyfully, brushing his cheek against Toshinori's. "I've missed you sooo, so much!"

Toshinori was at a loss for words. Seeing Goku's smiling, happy face again brought on a wave of raw emotions that he had put away for a long time and he couldn't stop his eyes from overflowing with tears. He held the boy in his arms tightly, as if letting him go would separate them again.

"Goku…" Toshi sobbed, unable to contain his tears. "I can't believe you're actually here!"

"Ohh, Dave," Tights cried, smiling with happy tears, leaning against her boyfriend. "Hold me."

Dave smiled and wrapped an arm around his girl's waist, bringing her close, his own eyes glistening.

"Man! I've never seen Toshi so emotional before," he whispered. "I'm so happy for him. He deserves this."

"And so does Goku," Bulma sighed, brushing a tear from her cheek. "After everything he and I went through trying to get back home, all of the obstacles we faced and overcame together… I kinda just forgot that he really is just a little, ten-year-old boy…"

"Where in the world have you been, Toshi?" Goku's smile trembled and formed into a pouting, indignant frown. His eyebrows curled downward and fresh, angry tears sprang to his large dark eyes. "I looked everywhere for you and I couldn't find you. I thought you… that you… w-went to Otherworld with Mom and Dad and Grandpa!"

The monkey-tailed child couldn't contain himself anymore. His tiny shoulders heaved and tears burst out of his eyes.

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!" Goku cried, burying his face in Toshinori's costume again, wailing and sobbing inconsolably. "Y-Y-You left me, Toshi! You left me without even saying good-bye! Why did you leave me alone back there, huh? Why? WHY?!"

Toshinori opened his mouth to say the half a million valid reasons he had for letting Master Roshi take the boy into hiding while he fled Japan to hide in America from All for One. The monster had just murdered Gine and Bardock, vowing to track down and kill their children and successor in his desperate search for One for All's power. He had to leave Goku's side. If that monster were able to track Toshi down, he would definitely show no mercy to Goku…

But he just couldn't… To a little boy, who by age 7, had already lost everything he knew – his father, his mother, and older brother, his grandfather figure, and had been forced into hiding from a monster, losing the last piece of family he knew must have been a devastating blow.

Toshinori wrapped his mighty arms around the boy and cradled him again.

No, the boy needed a pillar of stability in his crumbling world. Leaving Goku behind had been a mistake – one that he'd never repeat again. The boy needed him… and Toshi needed Goku.

"I'm so sorry, Goku. But from now on, you'll never feel alone, again. You hear me?" Toshinori said, brushing a large hand over the boy's cheeks, wiping away his tears. "Everything is going to be okay. Because I am here, and I'm never going to let anyone take you away from me again."

"You… promise?" Goku hiccuped, looking up at Toshi with hope in his wide, teary eyes. His pudgy little fingers were wrapped tightly around Toshi's massive fingers.

Toshinori smiled.

"Yes. I promise."

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE – THE RESCUE! NOMU'S IDENTITY REVEALED

THE USJ

MAIN PLAZA

PRESENT TIME…

All Might took a step back, his eyes open wide, lips trembling. His large, muscular legs quaked and he shook his head.

"No… it can't be true," he said. Tears sprang to his eyes and his teeth clenched. "It's not true!"

"AHAHAHAHA!" Shigaraki cackled, holding his hands together joyfully. "Looks like our little game is getting a continue, Nomu. Oh isn't this just a happy day for reunions, All Might? Nomu's just been dying to see you again."

All Might shook his head wordlessly as Shigaraki continued to laugh.

"I finally broke you, All Might. I finally took your smile! Now, you either have to kill your beloved Goku, or he kills you! Either way I win!"

"Goku," All Might finally said, staring into Nomu's glowing red eyes. "Is that really you?"

Nomu's eyes narrowed slightly and his head tilted, as if some part of Nomu recognized All Might.

"Alright, Nomu," Shigaraki smiled, baring his crooked, decaying teeth. "Let's clear this level once and for all, and go home. Kill him."

Immediately, Nomu shot forward like a missile, appearing in front of All Might with a mighty kick, but All Might brought up a meaty arm and blocked it. Nomu twisted to his right and swung the other leg around immediately, striking All Might in the jaw.

All Might slid back, burying his shoes into the concrete. He brought his arms up, but he just couldn't concentrate. He was still unnerved by the revelation of Nomu's true identity. Goku – the boy he had raised, the man he'd come to see as his own brother, the one he'd buried – he was alive and in front of him… but how?

Nomu's fist came flying towards him and hit him so hard that it sent All Might flying back, crashing through what remained of the entrance to the Squall Zone. His massive body tore through the wall, bringing it down and burying him under the rubble. Nomu leaped high into the air and slowly floated down in front of All Might as he dug himself out, coughing out blood as he pushed the giant wall off of himself.

Goku's spiky haired frame appeared like a horrifying wraith amid the veil of dust and smoke, and his red eyes blazed through. All Might pulled himself up to his feet, breathing heavily. He wiped the splash of blood around the lower corner of his mouth with the cuff of his shirt and brought his fists up as Nomu shot forward through the smoke towards him.

But All Might was ready this time and he jumped forward to meet him, swinging around a giant fist. All Might and Nomu's fists collided, cracking the air around them and clearing out the smoke. The sudden burst of wind decimated the buildings around them, sending them crashing down around them and causing a chain reaction of explosions.

Nomu's aura flared and he shot a knee up into All Might's stomach. All Might grunted and clutched at his abs, just as Nomu's raised knee kicked up, striking All Might's chin. The blow staggered All Might, and Nomu shot forward, tackling All Might and taking him up into flight with him.

Nomu punched All Might through the roof of the Squall Zone and vanished, reappearing directly on top of him. With a powerful quick, Nomu sent All Might crashing back down. All Might tore through the ground and halted, slamming his head on a large boulder, shattering it.

Dammit, he really is as strong as Goku All Might cursed, struggling to stabilize his spinning world. Above him, Nomu was floating down towards him, charging a ki blast in his hands. All Might gasped and realized what it was and he quickly scrambled to his feet to avoid the blast.

"KAMEEEHAMEEEHAAAA!"

The blue ki blast shot out, engulfing the entire area where All Might had just been standing, leaving nothing behind but charred stone and debris.

(…)

Ten Minutes Earlier…

Back at the shipwreck zone, Melissa, Izuku, Mina and Tsu ran up the stairs towards second deck of the ship. Melissa looked back over her shoulder at her classmates.

"Okay," she nodded breathlessly. "Does everybody remember what they need to do? Remember, these villains have no idea who we are, or what our powers are, so we'll use that to our advantage. Keep in mind why Iida was named the MVP of his Combat Trial – we need to be just like him and embrace villainy."

"Right!" The other students agreed in unison.

The water villains outside circled the ship, watching eagerly as it continued to sink deeper into the pool of water.

"The ship will be fully submerged any minute now," one of the villains that was leading the attack on the shipwreck zone said, baring his shark teeth. "Then, it's open season on those brats!"

The villains around the shark-man cheered murderously. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ship, from its starboard bow. Izuku's arm sparked with green electricity from the smash he had used, and he pressed himself against the inside of the ship's broken cabin, careful to keep himself hidden.

Everyone had to play their role right for Melissa's plan to succeed.

"What the hell was that?" One of the villains barked. "We didn't hit it, did we?"

Melissa strode out from hole, her high heels clicking against the wooden floor of the ship.

"What the hell?" The villains looked at each other, confused. "Does this little girl actually think she scares us?"

"Foolish villains," she looked up at them with a demented, villainous smirk splashed across her face. Her eyes were narrowed down and her fingers twitched. Her voice boomed loudly, amplified and distorted by the voice amp on her costume. "You will suffer the consequences for attacking the Daughter of Endeavor!"

Melissa raised her arms out – that was the signal. On the other side of the ship, where the villains had torn a hole, Tsu was lowering Mina down close to the water, using her camouflaged tongue to conceal her pink classmate. As soon as she saw the signal, Mina placed both hands together and began spraying as much acid as she could into the open water, spraying gallon after gallon, careful to remain hidden from the villains, whose attention was now fully on Melissa.

"'Daughter of Endeavor', my ass!" One of the villains scoffed, creating a giant clawed hand out of water, readying his attack. "She's bluffing! Everyone knows Fuyumi Todoroki is a weak little school teacher."

"And your second mistake was thinking that I'm a Todoroki!" Melissa shouted, throwing her head back and cackling like a madwoman. "I am the lovechild of Endeavor and Tights Briefs!"

Whoa, Izuku shivered. She really does sound like Endeavor right now…

"Hey, maybe she's telling the truth," one of the villains said, hesitantly. "I heard that that Endeavor guy is a real womanizer; Supposedly has a son with Bulma Briefs, so who's to say he didn't also knock up that other Briefs girl? Plus, didn't you hear the news? One of his kids was supposed to be enrolling in UA…"

"Man, oh man!" another villain said nervously, swimming away. "I don't want to mess with Endeavor's family. That bastard's the Grim Reaper!"

A handful of villains began to swim away, terrified.

"Where are you going?!" The shark man shouted. "Get back here, cowards!"

"You should've listened to your friends when you had the chance," Melissa purred, licking her lips seductively. Her voice had completely changed to that of a villain. She snapped her fingers and the next instant, Izuku flicked his fingers, unleashing a blast of air that detonated two stacks of gas tanks that sat a safe distance around Melissa, resulting in two giant fireballs. Melissa's jet soles powered on and she held her arms out, lifting into the air. The propulsion pulled the fires in around her, but still kept them at a safe distance.

Oxygen tanks nearby continued to feed the flames, which only grew in size. The flames encircled Melissa like a blazing aura and she laughed maniacally. The winds shooting out from her jet soles lifted her long blonde hair and the fires super-heated the mucous slime that Tsu had produced and lathered on Melissa's hair, hardening it into golden spikes.

"Shit! She really is one of those Saiyans!" shouted another villain.

"Do you finally understand how utterly foolish this attack was?" She shouted at them.

Now the villains were panicking.

"Every man for himself!" they shouted, fleeing from the impressive sight. Beneath them, Mina's acid had begun to mix and interact with the water, bringing into a near-boiling simmer.

The villains howled in pain and confusion, and began to swim away towards the cooler waters, clearing the portside of the ship.

"Tsu, go!" Melissa shouted. Now that the villains had cleared away from the ship, the frog girl leaped high into the air, carrying Mina with her in her tongue. The villains inadvertently bunched themselves together up ahead.

"Smell ya later, stupid villains!" Mina shouted happily, flipping the villains off with a middle finger on each hand as Tsu hauled her away with her tongue.

"Deku, NOW!" Melissa shouted. Izuku nodded and ran into a leap off of the side of the ship, bringing his arm to aim at the bunched up villains who were swimming away.

"One for All: Full Gauntlet! 100 Percent! SMASH!"

Emerald electricity sparkled through Izuku's arm and was amplified by the gauntlet. Izuku swung out and unleashed a blast so powerful that it literally parted the waters of the pool down through the middle.

"Whoa!" Melissa gasped in awe. Izuku was just as surprised to see how much more destructive his punch had become at full power. The blast caught all of the villains and sent them all flying several meters out of the pool, where they landed on solid ground. The sheer power of that one Smash had knocked them all unconscious. Unfortunately, it had also been Izuku's second full powered smash, and the pressure created a crack in the gauntlet that snaked in between his middle and index finger and ran all the way down to his elbow. The shockwave sent a ripple of pain down the middle of his arm, numbing it instantly.

One punch left. Gotta make it count! But Holy Whoa! We actually did it! Izuku thought happily, rubbing his tingling arm.We passed the shipwreck zone!

As he fell back towards the rushing waters, Melissa shot forward, propelled by her jet soles and the miniature jetpack strapped to the back of her armor, and wrapped her arms around Izuku's chest, catching him. As they flew away from the shipwreck, Izuku looked up to see Tsu and Mina running along the edge of the pool towards the entrance and that's when he saw him – All Might, standing like a mighty wall between his classmates at the entrance and the villains in the main plaza.

"Melissa, look!" Izuku shouted happily, pointing at the entrance. "He's here, and he's not smiling!"

Melissa looked up and her eyes watered with tears of relief.

"Uncle Might!" She shouted happily. All Might tossed aside his yellow, pin-striped jacket and ripped off his necktie. The next instant, he disappeared, shooting forward to engage the League of Villain's masked Saiyan in a titanic battle that sent shockwaves across the USJ.

"I told you," Melissa said, beaming with joy. "Everything's going to be al-"

A blast of energy intercepted the teens, scorching the back of Melissa's armor. The jetpack exploded and Melissa screamed in pain, losing her grip on Izuku, who fell back into the water. As the cool waters enveloped him, Izuku kicked out with his legs and fought to swim back up.

He burst out of the waters, gasping for air, and watched in horror as the winged Namekian Majins shot Melissa out of the air, circling around her like a flock of predatory birds. The girl was sent down into the water with a spiral, leaving a trail of black smoke behind her. Izuku scanned around the waters desperately and to his relief, Melissa burst out with a gasp.

"Deku, help me!" Melissa screamed, swimming desperately towards the edge of the pool, but the armor she was wearing was slowing her down.

"Melissa!" Izuku yelled, fighting to swim towards her as the monstrous green Majin spun around and dove straight for Melissa's head, jaws snapping. "MELISSA!"

A monstrous roar rang out throughout the entire USJ facility. It was the type of chilling, unnatural sound that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on edge.

Everyone, including the Majin, turned back to see Gohan floating in midair, staring up at the full moon through the ceiling. Gohan was howling in pain and clutching at his face as his features contorted and transformed into a nightmarish monster right before their very eyes. The ape-like creature continued to grow and grow in size until it was the size of a skyscraper. It landed on the ground, causing an earthquake that reverberated across the entire facility.

"Gohan!" Melissa shouted desperately. She turned to Izuku, who was lost for words, and could not peel his eyes away from the terrifying creature. The Ape was so large that it's footsteps caused the entire facility to shake. Immediately, the Majin Namekians turned away from Izuku and Melissa to attack the beast.

"Melissa," Izuku yelled as he reached the girl, who was watching, helplessly terrified, as the monster began to destroy the League of Villains. "Come on! We have to get to the entrance!"

Izuku pulled on Melissa's arm, but the girl seemed dazed, completely petrified by Gohan's horrifying transformation. The Ape roared with rage as the villains turned their attacks on him. It lifted its head up, emitting vibrating sounds from its belly. A ball of fire formed in its mouth and the next instant, the creature unleashed the wave of blue flames that incinerated the villains, leaving nothing but ash.

"Deku, this isn't Gohan! Something's wrong with him. We need to help him!" Melissa cried. The Ape swung its head around, unleashing the flames upon the entire facility. Zone by zone, the flames burned through the entire place, reducing anyone and anything caught in its path to cinders.

Izuku saw the blue flames barreling towards them and turned towards Melissa.

"Dive back into the water! Quickly!" He yelled. The two teens turned and plunged back into the waters. Melissa grabbed Izuku's hand and clicked her heels. The jet soles propelled them deeper down below, safely away as the flames passed over them. What remained of the shipwreck exploded under the intensity of the flames.

The pressure of the deeper water, coupled with the shallow breath he had managed to inhale before diving in began to squeeze against his insides. Izuku gagged and clutched at his throat, feeling his lungs aching for air. Melissa quickly removed an underwater breather device from her belt and placed it in her mouth, activating it. The small, silver-and-red device began to hum, producing bubbles of oxygen and Melissa swam up to Izuku, cupping his cheeks and swimming in close.

Izuku's eyes widened as Melissa placed the other end of the breather into his mouth, holding his cheeks in her hands. The breather introduced fresh oxygen into his lungs and finally, he was able to breath. The two teens looked up to see the fires raging above, consuming everything in its path.

Izuku allowed himself a sigh of relief. His gaze slowly lowered back down to stare directly into Melissa's sky blue eyes, the glow of which were amplified by the blue waters. They were so close now, their faces almost touching…

The two teens continued to float together safely under the bottom of the pool.

They waited for ten long minutes until the fires and the earthquakes had subsided, and then they finally swam back up towards the surface. Everything surrounding in the shipwreck zone had been scorched and calcified. A heavy, white fog had settled upon the entire facility. The sounds of battle had been greatly muted and the hundreds of brightly colored villains that had first attacked the USJ were gone, reduced to barely a handful who shuffled around aimlessly. Even the giant monster that Gohan had transformed into was gone. The eeriness sent a cold chill down Izuku's spine.

Now, only the sound of All Might clashing with the Nomu remained. All Might flew through the air and punched Nomu across what little trees remained and pursued him, engaging him near the Collapse Zone.

Izuku helped Melissa climb out of the pool and the two started running towards the entrance to regroup with the others. A handful of villains were still blocking their way, and they attacked the two teens as soon as they saw them, but Melissa and Izuku pressed on through them.

Melissa leaped forward with a boost from her jet soles just as a villain swung a blade, aiming for her torso. The blade missed her waist by inches but still managed to cut a long fresh cut across her hand. Melissa cried out and twisted around to land on her back and brought her arm up, aiming the butt of her staff at the villain's chin.

"Extend, Power Pole!" She shouted and the end of the red staff shot out in growth, striking the villain across the face. Melissa swung the elongated staff around to swipe the villains' legs from underneath him and Izuku decked him in midair with a powerful overhand punch that knocked the villain out.

The two were finally clear of the villains for now.

Melissa winced, biting down on her lip and sucking air through her teeth.

"Melissa!" Izuku cried, running to her side and kneeling down. His eyes widened when he saw the deep cut across the back of her left hand. "You're hurt!"

"It really stings, but I'll be okay. Can you reach my disinfectant spray on my utility belt. It's the red bottle." Melissa winced through gritted teeth. Izuku pressed the button on his wrist, retracting the worn gauntlet on his right hand and unhooked the red canister from her belt.

"Got it," Izuku said. He paused to give Melissa a reassuring look. "Okay, hold your breath. This is going to sting a bit. Here, squeeze my hand, if it makes you feel better."

Melissa bit down on her lip, nodded and looked away. Izuku gently took Melissa's soft hand in his, aimed the bottle across the cut and sprayed.

The disinfectant sizzled and bubbled across the deep wound and Melissa squealed with pain, burying her face into Izuku's arm.

"There we go. All finished. I'm sorry," Izuku whispered.

"Why… are you… apologizing, Deku?" Melissa asked through her teeth. Her nose and cheeks were flushing red from the pain and her voice was strained.

"Um, I…" Izuku stammered, looking away. His nose turned bright red. "Sorry, it's a habit, I guess. I don't like to see the people I care about in pain."

He reached over to his arm and ripped out a piece of his blue sleeve and gently tied it around Melissa's hand. Melissa flashed a mischievous smile at him that made Izuku's heart skip.

"Whoa, why are you smiling at me like that?" Izuku asked. His freckled cheeks turned bright red, matching the blush on his nose.

"You care about me, huh?" Melissa asked.

"Uh, y-yeah! I mean, you're one of my best friends, you're smart and determined and pretty and amazing in every way so of course I care about you!" Izuku stammered. His heart pounded against his chest in a way that he'd never felt before. Holy crap! What am I even saying?!

Melissa giggled and gave his hand a warm squeeze.

"You're so sweet, Deku. Thank you. That means a lot to me."

"Yeah, you're um… welcome?" Izuku stammered, sweating bullets. His limbs suddenly felt as weak as noodles and he felt an accelerating vibration rumbling from somewhere in his stomach. Grabbing Melissa's elbows, he gently helped the tall girl stand back up on her feet.

"Come on," he said. "We passed the Shipwreck zone, but we're not out of this yet. We need to get to the entrance and regroup with the others. I'm still worried about Gohan."

"Me too," Melissa nodded. "Okay, lead the way."

…

All Might punched Nomu so hard that it sent a blast of rushing wind that rippled all the way to the entrance, destroying the few remaining decorative pine trees that lined the main plaza, and that had survived the Oozaru's flames. Nomu slid back a few feet, then propelled himself forward, striking out with his elbow. The elbow slammed into All Might's jaw, knocking his head back. Nomu dropped and sweeped his leg across All Might's feet, tripping him back and rising with an uppercut that sent All Might flying up in the air.

Nomu swung his hand around and unleashed a bright orange energy shot that blasted All Might out of the air. All Might howled in pain as he landed on his back. Nomu picked up a giant piece of debris and leaped into the air, blocking out the light of the moon. All Might looked up to see the debris barreling towards him before it crashed on top of him.

Nomu landed on top of the rock with a downward kick that buried All Might even further into the ground. All Might's muscles screamed out at him in pain and fatigue and the taste of his blood exploded in his mouth. All Might groaned as the boulder crushed down on him under the weight of Nomu's kick.

"Nice work, Nomu!" Shigaraki giggled. "Now, let's rip him to pieces. Bring him to me."

Nomu turned back down to face All Might and pulled him out from underneath the rubble. His black gloved hand tightened around All Might's neck and ripped him out of the debris.

All Might's vision blurred as he fought to remain conscious. The debris on the ground cut into his yellow pants, cutting his legs as Nomu dragged him towards Shigaraki, who was eagerly waiting for him.

His grip is too strong! So if I can't get loose, I'll just have to take him with me!

All Might shot his long legs out and propelled himself backwards into the air, with Nomu still holding on. All Might spun around in the air, flipping Nomu underneath him as they landed on the ground. Nomu wheezed for air as All Might's weight landed on his stomach. In that instant, Nomu's grip loosened and All Might was able to jump away from him, rubbing his neck and coughing.

"Dammit, Nomu!" Shigaraki cursed, shaking with fury. "Get him back!"
Nomu vanished from the ground and reappeared in a standing position, poised for the next round.

All Might raised his fists and prepared himself to attack the villain again when a voice stopped him.
"Toshinori…" a feminine voice whispered from deep within All Might's mind.

"Master," All Might gasped, his head snapping towards the direction of the voice. Nomu observed All Might's odd behavior, tilting his head in confusion. All Might's eyes narrowed and he listened in to a voice that only he could hear.

"But he died in my arms, Master. Are you sure?" He whispered to himself. He clenched his jaw and gave a firm nod, rising to his full height and turning to face Nomu. "I understand. If that's the case… If he really is our Goku, then…"

Nomu shot through the smoke with blinding speed, aiming a fist at All Might's face, but All Might's giant hand caught it. Nomu's fist shook in All Might's hand, but All Might refused to let it go. He looked up at Nomu's glowing red eyes with a confident smile on his face.

"…then I will save him," All Might said, his blue eyes blazing with power. "Because I am the world's Symbol of Peace and Justice!"

Now, it was All Might who was on the offensive. He charged forward with a left hook. As soon as Nomu lifted his arm to block, All Might's right fist shot out, lancing at Nomu's side. The surprise body shot landed, hard. All Might's fists blurred as he shot out quick, repetitive shots at Nomu's torso.

"Nomu, defend yourself!" Shigaraki bellowed, ripping his hairs out and stomping his foot. But All Might's punches only got faster and faster, until his arms were little more than a furious, blinding blur, striking at Nomu's abs, chest and head in quick succession. Nomu regained his footing and answered with his own flurry of mighty blows. The two figures became blurs as they clashed in the middle of the wrecked main plaza. The blows were so powerful that earth-shaking gusts of winds shot out from their encounter, cratering the ground beneath their feet.

Shigaraki was blown away by the powerful gales, and the rest of the students had to take cover.

"What the hell?!" Shigaraki shouted. "You're not supposed to be able to take on Nomu like that! You must be cheating somehow!"

"So, desecrating the last of my family was supposed to humiliate and tear me down, eh?" All Might shouted as he slowly began to drive Nomu back. "Well, on the contrary, villain – you just gave me another chance to save him!"

"Nomu, get out of there!" Shigaraki screamed, but Nomu completely ignored him. A jubilant, excited smile slowly crept across the visible side of Nomu's face as All Might intensified his attacks. Shigaraki let out a deep, guttural roar.

All Might saw this and laughed.
"So, somewhere deep underneath that mask, you're still there, eh Goku?" He grinned. "You always did enjoy a good old fashioned fisticuff, didn't you? Sorry about this, but if what you need is some tough love to snap out of the villain's brainwashing, then that's what you're going to get. If you can really take me on at a hundred percent, I'll just have to go BEYOND!"

All Might's fist charged with golden electricity and he swung out, striking Nomu in the mask and sending him spiraling upwards. All Might launched upwards, grabbing Nomu's legs while he was still dazed from the blow.

"I seem to remember a time when you yearned to be a hero, Goku," All Might shouted as he swung Nomu around several times and threw him back on the ground. Nomu landed with an ear-breaking thud, bouncing off of the shattered cement floor. "And a real hero ALWAYS finds a way for justice to be served! So don't let this villain push you around in the name of villainy! Chi-Chi and Gohan have needed you for the past eight years. Don't let this villain take you away from them again. Please, Goku, remember who you are! You are Kakarot, the son of Bardock and Gine. You have a loving wife and a son who needs his father! You have friends whom you have forged a powerful bond with. Please! Come back for them!"

Nomu's eyes closed and he clutched at his spiky-haired head. With a pained roar, he charged at All Might again, but the red aura of his Kaioken vanished and the reddish tint around his hair and clothes disappeared. This was it – the opening that All Might had been waiting for!

"CAROLINA SMAAAAAASH!" All Might yelled, bringing his arms inward in a X-shape. He charged forward, quicker than the eye could see, and slashed his arms out, delivering a paralyzing blow. The blast lifted up a cloud of smoke that enveloped the two fighters.

The students and Shigaraki looked on through the smoke in expectation.

All Might coughed, finding himself waist deep inside a purplish black warp gate.
"Seriously?" All Might grunted as Nomu placed a heavy boot on his shoulder, sinking him further down into the warp gate. "What kind of cheap trick was that?!"

"There!" Shigaraki shouted angrily. "I was beginning to think you were glitching my main character! Nice job as always, Kurogiri. Now we've got him right where we want him. Nomu, don't bother bringing him back. Blow his head off with a ki blast."

Nomu raised a hand and produced an orb of light, aiming it dBown at All Might.

"You don't have to listen to him, Goku!" All Might yelled, but the ki blast only grew in size.

"He doesn't have a choice. The Goku you knew is long gone. Now, he is only Nomu. And Nomu only listens to me!" Shigaraki shouted at All Might. His playful, amused demeanor was completely gone, replaced by rage. The leader of the villains stomped closer to them and the warp villain tightened his grip around All Might's arms. "Now, kill him, Nomu. Before he has another chance to escape!"

All Might pulled his large arms against the warp gate, but it was no use. He was completely stuck. He glanced back up into Nomu's glowing eyes, hoping to see a sign of the man he once knew, but Nomu's dead, red eyes only narrowed as the ki blast grew in his black-gloved hand, aiming straight at All Might's forehead.

…

Back at the entrance of the USJ, Tsu, Melissa and Mina had managed to regroup with their classmates. Ochaco, Tokoyami and Koda had been able to tame the monster that Gohan had transformed into, and he was now hibernating, wrapped safely in a thermal blanket. His head rested on Ochaco's lap.

Jiro, Kaminari, Sato and Shoji were also huddled around the entrance.

"Hey!" Ochaco shouted as the trio from the shipwreck zone arrived. "Over here! All Might told us to hide here while he deals with that Nomu guy."

"Gohan!" Melissa gasped, running towards him and dropping to her knees beside Ochaco. She reached out a hand and tenderly brushed the bangs in his face. "Is he okay now? What happened to him?!"

"Yep, totally fine now," Ochaco said, her eyes deadening and turning blank as soon as she saw Melissa brushing Gohan's face. Gohan's brown tail dropped from under the blanket and hit Melissa's knees.

"Wahhh! He has a tail now?!" Melissa yelped.

"Yeah, it was so strange," Ochaco said, tucking his brown tail underneath the blanket again. "As soon as he grew that tail and looked up into the moon, he transformed into that giant ape monster. But Koda and Tokoyami helped to calm him down."

"But it was Uraraka who was finally able to reach his heart and get him to power down," Tokoyami explained. "She was the only one that was able to even get near the monstrous creature."

"Ooh, bet ya whispered some sweet little nothings into his ear, didn't ya, Ochaco?" Mina teased.

Ochaco's face flushed bright red.

"N-not really," she stammered. She stroked his cheek with the tips of her fingers as the boy slept soundly on her nap. "I thought I lost him earlier. But he's safe now, and that's all that matters."

Melissa smiled, warmed at the way the girl watched Gohan sleep. She turned to Shoji, who was standing beside the tiny group of students. Two of his limbs had turned into an extra pair of eyes and ears and he was scanning the other zones within the USJ.

"Shoji, any sign of our classmates? Please tell me they're fine," Melissa said. Shoji nodded.

"I can hear Videl and Bakugo fighting somewhere in the Collapse Zone, and Todoroki and Yaoyorozu are directly above them in the Mountain Zone. Ojiro and Hagakure are stuck in that Fire Zone over there. I'm trying to locate Kirishima, but I can't find him anywhere. Other than him, everyone is accounted for."

"Good," Melissa nodded. "Kirishima was with Bakugo and Videl, right? I hope he's alright."

"Yeah, Momo and Shoto were right behind us, but I guess they got held up by a villain," Kaminari said, looking back up at the Mountain Zone.

Melissa reached back and pulled out her power pole.

"I can reach them," she said. "I've modified my Power Pole so that it can reach new heights. I'll go help Shoto and Momo."

"Wait a minute," Jiro said, looking around. "If everyone's accounted for, where's Midoriya?"

"What do you mean?" Melissa asked, turning around. "He's right behind… me…"

As soon as Midoriya had caught sight of All Might, sunken down into the ground with Nomu standing over him, poised for a killing blow, Izuku had peeled away from his classmates, running full speed down towards All Might.

"DEKU!" Melissa cried out, but the boy didn't turn back. He rushed bravely towards the three villains.

That energy blast looks like Yamu's ki bomb! Izuku thought frantically. He's eyes widened and he felt his breath cut short. All Might was fighting to get Nomu's boot off of him, but the creature's foot wouldn't budge. The ki blast grew larger and glowed with amber radiance. Izuku had witnessed firsthand what such a powerful attack could do.

The steam rising from All Might's body was becoming even more apparent, which meant he was finally reaching his limit. Any second now, he would lose his muscle form and be reduced to his weakened state and then… then…

No! Izuku cried, fueling his full run towards All Might. I can't watch you die, All Might, I just can't! Not after everything we've been through. There's still so much I need to learn from you. This just can't be the end!

"I'm coming, All Might!" Izuku shouted. He jumped forward, rearing his arm back for a full-charged smash, but a purple wall of mist rose up directly in front of him.

That's the warp gate! Izuku realized with a gasp. A hideous pale hand emerged from it and Izuku immediately recognized it. It was Shigaraki's hand, the one that could turn things to dust just by touching it. Izuku tried to dodge, but he was already in flight. There was nothing he could do but watch the hand close around his face. Shigaraki's cackles resounded off of the warp gate's abysmal walls.

"Deku, no!" Melissa jumped into a run to save Izuku, but the ground rumbled around them, alarming the tiny ring of students. Cracks appeared under their feet that snaked all the way down towards the entrance. A feathered hand burst out of the ground and the villain pulled himself up.

He was a muscular, giant, green bird-like humanoid with a long mane of red and orange feathers and gleaming, predatory eyes. His golden beak creased into a nasty smile.

"Nobody's going anywhere," the villain snickered.

"Says who, birdbrain?" Sato shouted, lunging at him with a wide hook. As soon as his fist connected, a huge burst of electricity shot out of the villain's feathers, zapping through Sato's body. Sato screamed out in pain through gritted teeth as the electricity sent him into a convulsion.

"Sato!" Melissa shouted. Finally, the tall, yellow-suited student took three steps back and collapsed onto the ground, smoke rising from his body.

"So he's got an Electric emitter-type Quirk!" Jiro shouted. "Probably the one who's been jamming our signals."

"Ding!Ding!Ding! You're right about that, sweetheart!" the villain laughed, jerking a thumb towards his face. "Name's Ganos. It's so nice of y'all to bunch together in a little ring like this. It makes it easier when I don't have to chase you down!"

He lifted his arms and put his wrists together.

"You're fried!" He shouted, unleashing a wide torrent of green electricity. But Shoji jumped in front of his classmates, extending his arms out protectively. He screamed out in pain as he took on the brunt of the attack.

"Oh no, Shoji!" Jiro shouted. The electricity burst through the tallest, multi-armed student and flowed out towards the other students.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted. "GO! Protect our classmates!"

"Got it!" Dark Shadow shouted, but as soon as the electricity hit him, it sent the monster into a screaming convulsion.

"Too much light!" Dark Shadow cried. "Too much!"

"DARK SHADOW!"

But the electricity overwhelmed the shadow beast and sent Tokoyami flying against one of the pillars.

In one attack, Ganos had taken out Shoji, Sato and Tokoyami and was now advancing towards the girls that remained, and Koda.

"Like I said," Ganos laughed, rubbing his hands together. "You're not going anywhere. I'm sorry to have to do this to a bunch of cute little kids, but I swear, it's nothing personal. You all gotta die!"

Melissa prepared herself for the incoming assault. Her suit was well insulated against electric attacks, but what about the rest of her classmates? Could she save them all by herself? And what about Deku and Uncle Might?

Electricity charged in Ganos's hands again and shot outwards, only this time, it didn't wash over the students. It ebbed into a sharp turn, burying deep into Kaminari's outstretched index finger. Kaminari screamed in pain, but kept his finger outstretched, clinging onto his wrist with his other hand. Ganos' electricity flowed through him, bending away from his classmates.

Jiro stared wide-eyed as Denki took in the attack, absorbing it into his body to prevent it from hurting his classmates.

"Jiro! That new attack you were talking about," Kaminari shouted. "DO IT!"

Kyoka gritted her teeth in frustration, but inserted one of her earphone jacks into the amps on her boot, reaching out and pulling the other jack with her hand and bringing it up to her mouth. She had often used such an attack to amplify her heartbeat, but if this worked, it would be a devastating scream attack similar to present Mic's.

But there's no way I can control the sound waves. Kyoka thought, desperately. Kaminari will get caught in the blast. But if I don't do something quick, we're all going to get fried! What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!

At the same time, more villains began to climb up the steps of the entrance and surround the students and up ahead, the Nomu creature had gotten the upper hand on All Might. Some of them even had firearms and were getting ready to open fire. She needed to think of something, quick!

"Kyoka!" Denki shouted from within the flow of electricity, one eye half opened, staring at her. "G-Get him!"

"But you're in the way!" Kyoka shouted desperately, shaking her head. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Just – Do it!" Kaminari shouted back. "Remember the Combat Trials! Hesitation will get you killed! Don't… worry about me! I trust you!"

He raised a thumbs up at her. "I'll be fine!"

Kyoka's chest lifted up and down, breathing hard.

"Right!" She shouted back. She had to do it. She had to save everyone – starting with Kaminari. Inhaling a deep breath, she belted out a long, screeching scream with all of her might.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The sound waves shot out towards the villain and Kaminari in the form of translucent rings. Ganos grunted as the sound waves hit him from behind. The attack staggered him, but because the waves were uneven and untrained, they lacked the punch that her heartbeat had. Ganos set a foot forward and regained his footing. He turned back towards Kyoka and laughed.

"What, is that it?" He mocked. "Wanna try it again?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kyoka shouted even louder, forcing all of the air out of her diaphragm in a guttural scream. The sound waves intensified and shot out uncontrollably, hitting some of the villains that were trying to climb up the steps towards them.

Ganos grunted this time and his electricity weakened as he was bombarded by the sound waves. Some of the waves even hit Kaminari, and the golden haired boy shouted in pain, collapsing to the floor.

"Better," Ganos shouted, turning towards Kyoka, now that he was free of Kaminari's interference. "Still weak, though. And now, you've lost your only defense against my electricity. Now you die!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Golden sound waves burst out towards Ganos, much larger and more intense than the last time. The rings coursed through him and Ganos fell to his knees, howling in pain. As the screams intensified, Ganos's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed, knocked out by the sheer pressure of the sound waves.

The villains on the stairs stopped their advance.

"Whoa," Kaminari gasped in awe. "Kyoka, that was amazing!"

"That… wasn't me," Jiro whispered, turning back towards the entrance. Her classmates were also staring at the giant doors as they opened and several figures appeared.

"Sorry for the long commercial break, folks," Present Mic announced in his trademark golden radio voice. He placed his ring filled hands on his hips as he stepped forward with a grin. "But we're finally back, and we've brough a stellar lineup you'll be dying to meet!"

Floodlights burst to life from outside the doors of the USJ, outlining the costumes of dozens of Pro Heroes.

Mina lifted a finger, unable to contain her tears.

"You guys, look! It's Iida!" She shouted happily.

Tenya stepped out, followed by several of UA High's strongest teachers, dozens of other Pro Heroes and hundreds of uniformed policemen.

"Your Vice Rep has returned!" Iida shouted with intensity. "I have fulfilled my duty!"

"Iida!" Melissa shouted, feeling a wave of relief course through her.

"Attention, League of Villains!" Detective Tsukauchi shouted through a megaphone. "You're completely surrounded. Come out with your hands up, or we will use force!"

Hundreds of armored Police officers armed with heavy weapons and riot shields poured into the facility, helping to usher out the students to safety outside. The glass ceiling exploded to pieces, revealing the choppers flying overhead. Dozens more Police Force officers dropped through ropes and Pro Heroes burst out from every corner of the facility.

"Eighteen!" Krillin shouted as two police officers helped to pick up his wife. The blonde beauty groaned in pain and smiled at him as soon as she saw him.

"Hey Krillin," Eighteen chuckled in pain. "The villains got me good. Be careful – they're strong, especially the one with the broken mask. He's on another level."

"Save your strength," Krillin told her, brushing her cheek with his fingers. "Please, hold on. Marron is waiting for her mommy to get back home, okay?"

"I'll be… fine," Eighteen winced. "Get those damn villains, will ya?"

"Sure thing, babe," Krillin nodded.

Standing up from his wife's side, Krillin ran up to join with Tsukauchi.

The villains with guns took aim and fired at the incoming Police Force, but Tsukauchi activated his Quirk. His eyes flashed and his perception of time stood still.

"Twenty yards away, ninety-eight degree angle, seven villains, nine-rounds fired," he whispered to himself. He drew his police-issued M60 revolver and fired back, using his Quirk to return fire. The villains ducked behind debris and continued firing back.

A tall, slender teacher dressed in cowboy gear, sporting a long red cloak walked up next to him, the silver spurs on his heels clicked with every step.

"Mighty fine pea shooter ya got there, Detective," Snipe laughed. "Here, let me show ya how it's done."

He withdrew his own weapon from underneath his cloak, a modified Smith and Wesson M500, and fired off at the villains, with rounds so heavy that they cut through the debris and lifted the villains off their feet, knocking them unconscious.

"Snipe, there are children around!" Krillin protested.

"Relax, sir, they're silicone based, non-lethal rounds. Knocks the hell outta them, that's all."

"Okay, fan out and protect the students in the other zones!" Tsukauchi commanded. "Take the Pro's with you! The other agencies will be breaching through improvised entrances. Don't waste any time!"

"Yes, sir!" The Police Force officers called out, rushing down the steps to arrest the downed villains.

Shigaraki, who was seconds away from killing Izuku, pulled away at the last moment to turn back towards the commotion. When he saw the heroes and the police pouring in through the entrance, he began to panic.

"No, no, no! Kurogiri!" He shouted. "They've brought reinforcements. They cheated! Grab Nomu and let's get out of here and regroup-"

But Snipe's bullets struck Shigaraki's arms, breaking the areas where they landed. Next to go where his kneecaps, which shattered under Snipe's assault.

"But Tomura Shigaraki-"

"Do as I say, Kurogiri, now!" Shigaraki shouted desperately as more bullets flew towards him. Kurogiri's mist left All Might's body and wrapped around Shigaraki, shielding him from Snipe's bullets.

"Shigaraki?" All Might's teeth bared and his eyes blazed with rage.

"Remember that name, All Might," Shigaraki yelled as the warp gate enveloped him. "Because I will be the one who will finally take you down."

With that, the villain vanished. A warp gate opened underneath Nomu's feet, but All Might shot forward and tackled him.

"Oh no, you don't!" All Might shouted, but Nomu shook him off. As the first wave of Police Force officers arrived, Nomu blasted them away with ki blasts and took to the sky. The Police took cover to avoid the blasts, but there was nowhere to hide.

The blasts whistled as they flew in towards the officers.

"Distructo Disk!"

A saucer-shaped ki blast shot out and sawed through the ki blasts, causing an explosion that showered the police officers with light.

That disk… that has to be –

"Krillin!" All Might shouted happily as the shorter, bald cop pounced on a villain and took him down with three quick kicks to the head.

"Toshi! You go after that guy, we'll take care of the villains down here and the students!"

All Might saw that his students were being safely ushered out of the facility and nodded.

"Right!" He burst out of the hole he was trapped in and leaped into the air after Nomu. Without the lead villain's interference, I might still be able to reach Goku in time to save him. I have to try!

…

In the Collapse Zone, Bakugo and Videl had made it out of the falling tower and were on solid ground at last. The last handful of Monster Carrot's men covered him as he hopped away. Videl and Bakugo dove behind a pile of debris to avoid being hit by the gunfire.

And then it all stopped.

"Sword of Truth! Shield of Faith!" A woman shouted with a commanding voice.

"Sword of what?" Bakugo shouted.

Videl closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Miguel," she sighed.

In front of them, Videl's mother, the Angelic Hero: Archangel, flew towards the gunman that had taken cover to the left. Her white, razor sharp wings whistled through the air and her pristine white dress, which exposed her midriff and the upper part of her large cleavage, flapped with the wind. A sword and shield of fire appeared in her hands as she engaged the gunmen. Bleach-blonde hair flapped away from her clear blue eyes, revealing a golden crown.

"Retribution has arrived for attacking my daughter and her classmates, villains. Prepare for your judgment!" With a single swing of her sword, she deflected the incoming gunfire and destroyed the mob's weapons.

Beside her, Mirko, the Rabbit Hero pounced on the gunmen to their right.

"Mind if I hop in? I'm gonna have fun kicking your furry asses!" She shouted excitedly.

"Oh crap!" Monster Carrot panicked as soon as he saw the bunny-eared hero. "Mirko – my one true nemesis! I need to get the hell outta here!"

"Well, you're not going anywhere, Monster Carrot!"

That voice.

"Dad!" Videl cried out. Hercule Satan jumped out and landed a surprise kick on the human rabbit that sent the villain reeling back. His black afro swayed with his movement and Hercule brought his meaty fists up, ready for the villain's next move.

"Dad, kick his ass, but don't let him touch you!" Videl shouted. "He already turned my boyfriend into a carrot with just one touch!"

"Heh-heh! Don't you worry about your old man, Videl," Hercule smiled confidently, lowering himself into a stance that secluded his hands into the sleeves of his burgundy gi. "I got just the trick for him."

"Pah!" Carrot scoffed. "Your ex-wife and Mirko – they're the ones I'm afraid of. But with a weak Quirk like yours, you can't possibly have anything under his sleeve that could scare me!"

"Yeah, it's true that my Star Power only works with Praise," Hercule admitted, nodding. His eyes glinted mischievously and he smiled at the villain. "That's why, for extreme circumstances involving self defense, I'm always packing some heat!"

He pulled out a shiny, silver Colt 1911 pistol and aimed it at the villain's head.

"Reach for the sky, furball!"

"Whoa, okay! Okay! Cool it! Cool it! Cool it!" Monster Carrot pleaded, holding his arms up over his head. "Alright! Alright! I surrender!"

"Good," Hercule prodded. "Now be a good little bunny-boy and turn my daughter's boyfriend back into a real boy."

"Fine! Here!" Carrot cried, slapping his hands together. "Transform!"

Suddenly, the carrot that Videl had been protected started to vibrate, falling off from Videl's belt. Videl stared at it with hopeful eyes as it shook on the ground. The carrot exploded with a puff of smoke and Kirishima was left sitting in its place. His eyes were wide and he was staring straight ahead.

"Red!" Videl cried happily and fell to her knees beside him, holding his cheeks in her hands and pulling him into a sweet kiss. "Oh, I'm so glad that you're okay!"

"I'm fine, V, really," Kirishima smiled and reassured her. "But uhhh… I guess I get to meet your parents sooner than I thought."

He laughed nervously, feeling the burning gazes of Miguel and Hercule on him.

"We can talk after we get everyone to safety," Miguel said with a commanding voice. Her fiery weapons retracted and her Archangel armor receded, leaving her only wearing the white dress underneath her armor.

"The school contacted all the parents of the students once they figured out what was happenin'," Hercule explained. "Those of us with licenses for our Quirks came right away to kick some villain ass!"

"Yeah, except you didn't actually take anybody out, tubby," Bakugo huffed, crossing his arms.

"What? If it weren't for me, your little red-haired friend would still be a damn carrot!" Hercule shouted back.

"He's not my friend," Bakugo hissed, walking away.

Kirishima stared at the back of the angry blonde's head as he walked away. Yeah, he had his issues, but Bakugo stood by him and protected Videl when she needed him the most. Even as a carrot, Kirishima had seen and heard all of it.

"Oy, Katsuki!" Kirishima called out. Bakugo stopped to look over his shoulder.

"What is it, Dumb Hair?" He asked, irritated.

"Thanks, man," Kirishima replied, giving him a thumbs up.

Bakugo's expression softened.

"Yeah, sure," he said, walking away. "Whatever."

(…)

Momo dashed towards the scarred Saiyan, swinging the staff forward. The blade attached to the end of the weapon whistled as it sliced through the air in circular, stabbing motions. Scarface laughed as he ducked and dodged around Momo's strikes. He grabbed onto the staff and pulled on it. His herculean strength caught Momo by surprise, sending her stumbling forward.

Scarface's knee shot up against Momo's abdomen, lifting her up into the air. Momo screamed and lost her grip on her weapon as the Saiyan's leg swung up and over, landing with a downward heel kick on Momo's back, pinning her to the ground.

"Yaoyorozu!" Shoto leaped forward, and in that moment, he dropped his guard. Scarface shot a triangular ki blast that tore into Todoroki, and the boy yelped, slamming into a boulder behind him.

"Todoroki!" Momo shrieked. The boy slid down the boulder to the ground, his body smoldering from the ki blast. The villains who had been frozen by Todoroki a few minutes ago had managed to escape their ice prisons and were now advancing on Shoto, intent on killing him.

"Heh," Scarface huffed, spinning the spear in his hand slowly to point the blade down on Momo's neck.

"You really are a spoiled brat, Shoto Todoroki," he said. "You're so intent on rejecting what you are – your Saiyan genes, that you were willing to throw away your lady friend's life, and yours. Ehh, but what's to be expected from a half-breed mongrel like you, anyway? It's probably better to put you outta your misery once and for all."

"Todoroki, don't listen to him!" Momo shouted, ignoring Scarface. "You have to get up!"

"He ain't gettin' up, sweatheart. Oh well," Scarface shrugged. "Maybe Vegeta's next son won't be as big of a disappointment. In any case, you gotta die!"

Momo closed her eyes as Scarface swung the spear down, aiming straight for her back…

A flash of light shot through Scarface's chest, tearing through it. Scarface howled in pain and dropped the weapon, and Momo had a chance to push herself away from the villain, who stumbled back and fell on his knees, clutching the smoldering hole in his chest. Momo swiveled around to see who had saved them.

A mountain of a man stood on the boulder above where Shoto had been flung. The USJ's floodlights shined brightly against the man's brown/dark blue Saiyan armor and bald head. A stringy beard laced out from underneath the man's long, roman nose, down to the edge of his jaw.

"Mongrel?" The man growled. "HALF-BREED?! That's no way to talk to your Prince, Scarface!"

The bald man's gauntlet-clad hand was lifted in Scarface's direction, his fist closed, two fingers pointed straight out at the villain.

"No…" Scarface whispered, his eyes widening. "No way! General Nappa! What are you doing here?!"

Nappa's eyebrows narrowed.

"C'mon. A pair o' grimy worms like you and Shorty try to kill Prince Shoto, and you're seriously asking why we are here?" Nappa scoffed, annoyed.

"'We'?" Scarface said, his lips trembling. Suddenly, the once mocking, murderous villain had now been reduced to a sniveling coward.

"Oh yes," Nappa smiled. "He is here, too. But I'll save him the trouble of havin' to stare at your ugly mug."

"No!" Scarface screamed in terror as Nappa's palm slowly rotated to face upwards. "Mercy, Nappa! Please don't!"

"Mercy?! PAHHH-AHAHAHA! Oh, but this is mercy. Be glad I'm not delivering you into the hands of Lord Vegeta himself. Die, you fool!"

Scarface jumped into the air and tried to escape, but Nappa's fingers flicked upwards. In an instant, Scarface's ascent came to an abrupt halt and the villain screamed out in pain, his body contorting unnaturally. Momo closed her eyes and looked away as Scarface's torso expanded and with an explosion of light and fire, the villain was vaporized from within. The explosion left a cloud of red and black smoke in its wake.

Nappa laughed maniacally, savoring the kill.

Behind him, another Saiyan woman with long, blazing green hair kneeled down to check on Shoto. Shoto groaned and his eyes fluttered open.

"Burnin?" he whispered, his eyes focusing on the white armored woman in front of him.

"We're here, Shoto," Burnin said, soothingly. She helped Shoto and Momo rise to their feet. "We're all here, now."

"Whoa, Miss Burnin! I haven't seen you in ages!" Momo gasped, holding her hands to her cheeks.

"You can thank your father for that later," Burnin scoffed.

"And thanks to you, I'll get that chance," Momo smiled back and nodded. "Thank you for saving us."

Burnin nodded, turning to Shoto.

"It isn't safe here, my Prince. Here," she reached into her utility belt and withdrew a tiny remote, handing it to Shoto. "Take my pod and meet me back at the palace. You can heal there, along with the other Saiyan in your class. Your father has already arranged for him to be transported to the Rejuvenation Chambers in his palace."

"Gohan," Shoto said, quietly. In his mind, he could hear the villain's words on repeat. He's royalty! Shoto sighed. Could he be? I need to make sure…

"Alright," Shoto nodded.

"And take the girl, too. There's no telling what dangers still lurk about." Burnin finished. "You can contact the police once you're in the air. Hurry!"

Shoto's jaw clenched.

"Fine," he said. "Yaoyorozu, follow me."

"Right," Momo nodded.

The two teens squeezed into the circular white Saiyan pod and closed the hatch. Burnin watched until the pod rose into the air and shot out into the night sky. With a nod, she stepped over to stand next to Nappa, who was facing the terrified villains, his huge arms crossed across his Saiyan armor. The giant, muscular Saiyan looked down at the tinier, skinnier woman.

"Come on, Burnin," Nappa said, rubbing his stomach and wrapping his brown tail around his waist like a belt. "I'm starvin'. If we transform into Great Apes, we can wipe them out quickly and go home."

"And miss out on all of the fun?" Burnin replied. She reached up to the scouter attached to both ears and the screen shot out across her face from her forehead to the bridge of her nose, protecting both eyes from the moon's blutz waves. Nappa sighed, but followed suit.

Burnin smiled and lifted her hands. A green flame ignited in her palms.

"Nah, we're taking our time with these villains – nice and slow," she said.

…

"Hey! HEY! What do you think you're doing on the ground? Get up, you lazy punk!"

Izuku woke up as a green hand tapped against his shoulder. The last thing he remembered was jumping forward to save All Might, seeing a warp gate open and a hand poke through it. But something had distracted the warp villain, and the warp gate had shifted, sending Izuku crashing against a wall and losing consciousness.

Slowly, his vision cleared, and to his surprise, a goblin-like green-skinned man was helping him up to his feet.

"AHHH! A VILLAIN!" Izuku shouted.

"I'm not a villain – I'm Nail!" Nail shouted, striking Izuku in the head.

"Oh! Sorry!" Izuku apologized, rubbing his throbbing head. "Master Nail, is that you? What's going on?"

"As soon as our communication broke down with Gohan, Dende sent me here. Don't worry, you kids are safe now – the police are here!" Nail said, motioning behind them.

Behind them, Krillin somersaulted and landed on one foot, balancing himself up in a classic Oranji Temple stance. Tien landed beside him, tossing off his straw hat and bringing a foot up into a Crane stance.

A blur dashed around in a zig-zag, screeching to a halt beside the fighters – with a puff of smoke, Roshi activated his muscle form. His frail, elderly body ballooned into a hulking, muscular giant, just like All Might.

"All right!" Roshi cheered, twirling his staff in midair with youthful vigor and catching it. "You boys ready to boogie?"

"Wait, I know them!" Izuku shouted excitedly. "They're Japan's Special Forces, right? The original Z-Fighters!"

"Come on, this is no time to geek out. Get a move on," Nail insisted, nudging Izuku to leave with one of the Police Officers. "Don't make me say it again."

"Oh, right," Izuku nodded, leaving with the police officers. "Thank you again, Master Nail."

"And quit calling me 'Master'," Nail yelled as Izuku left with the officers. "It's weird."

With a swift movement, Nail threw his white cape off from his shoulders, preparing himself for Nomu's attack. The breeze from the open entrance made his purple Namekian gi slap against his green skin.

"Master Roshi!" Krillin cried in surprise. "Wow, you're a sight for sore eyes."

"Eh? Wouldn't be such a surprise if you boys visited more often!" Roshi scolded Krillin.

"It's an honor to fight beside you again, Gran Torino," Tsukauchi smiled.

"The pleasure's all mine, my boy," Roshi nodded.

"Man, what a way to get the band back together, huh?" Krillin chortled, bringing his hands up. "The only ones missing now are Goku and Vegeta…"

"Who's the new guy?" Tien asked, motioning at the Namekian with his eyebrow.

"I am Nail," Nail responded, balling his hands into fists and bringing them up. "Piccolo sends his regards."

"What, was he too busy looking for seven-year-olds to kidnap that he couldn't make the trip?" Krillin scoffed. Nail didn't respond, but his eyes narrowed.

"Now, now, Krillin," Roshi said, tapping Krillin on the shoulder. "Don't go around picking fights. The Dragon Clan isn't our enemy right now; the League of Villains is."

The final wave of villains, only about a dozen or so, charged at the line of Pro Heroes.

"Here they come, boys," Roshi called out. "Everyone pick an ass to kick! Let's give it to em, Z-style!"

…

All Might had finally caught up to Nomu again in the Mountain Zone, engaging him one more time with all of his strength. Ever since the League's leadership had abandoned him, Nomu's regenerative powers had been drastically reduced.

Still, there was no stopping that megaton strength.

All Might wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to wear him down, but Nomu flew backwards and smashed All Might against the face of the rocky mountain.

All Might howled with pain and collapsed to the ground. Nomu flew upwards and shot out a ki blast, aiming for All Might's head. But at the last minute, a stronger, blazing fiery energy blast intercepted it, incinerating Nomu's blast.

All Might and Nomu looked in surprise.

A single man was floating a short distance away, hand raised towards Nomu, purple aura blazing. A thick red cape flapped in the wind, falling from the shoulder guards of Vegeta's royal armor. The blood-red sigil of House Vegeta was proudly stamped on the pure golden plates of his armor.

Vegeta gently floated down from the sky and touched down on the ground, arms crossed.

"Stand back this instant! This mockery has gone on long enough. I will be your opponent now," Vegeta growled. His gaze flicked over to All Might.

"Vegeta…" All Might gasped. "Goku's been brainwashed. He's confused and doesn't know what he's doing, but he's still in there!"

"This is a Saiyan affair, All Might," Vegeta spat. "This fight is no longer your concern. I will deal with Kakarot myself."

Vegeta slowly descended onto the tallest rock in the Mountain Zone and stared down at Nomu, arms crossed.

Nomu lowered himself close to the ground, with one arm low in front of his face and the other high over his head. Vegeta smirked.

"I don't know if you're a doppelganger of some sort or the real deal, but part of me is hoping you're really him. Kakarot – the only low level Saiyan who was able to clash fists with the mighty Vegeta."

Vegeta's fiery aura glowed with much more intensity.

"Kaioken Times Ten!" Nomu responded. His muscles bulged and the red tint enveloped his entire body once again.

He shot out towards Vegeta in a move that would've destroyed the entire mountain.

Vegeta simply caught his fist at the wrist with his white-gloved hand.

"Good, no holding back – just the way I like it," Vegeta boomed. His fist cracked across Nomu's face, shattering the mask even further. Nomu began to fly off, but Vegeta caught him by the boot and spun him around several times, releasing him and sending a ki blast flying after Nomu's body.

The blast intercepted Nomu, and his body contorted in an unnatural way. Vegeta appeared directly on top of him and bashed an interlaced, double-handed fist on top of Nomu to send him back down to the ground. Before Nomu could hit the ground, Vegeta appeared down below and juggled Nomu back into the air with a powerful kick. "But while you've been serving as worm food, I've been climbing higher and higher, until I reached a level no Saiyan has even dared to dream of."

Vegeta centered his arms across his core and hunched down, concentrating. A powerful lion's roar that began deep within his belly came out, echoing across the valley of the Mountain Zone. Vegeta's eyes widened and the veins on his forehead bulged and his fiery violet ki came rushing out like a gushing fountain.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Vegeta bellowed, his pupils dilating and disappearing. The purple aura around him intensified and shot out, consuming Nomu's body and blasting him out of the facility.

"Vegeta! Stop!" All Might cried. "Please! You'll kill him!"

"HAHAHAHA!" Vegeta laughed, taking off to the skies in pursuit of Nomu. He tapped on his scouter and the red lens shot across his eyes to shield them from the Full Moon. Sparks of electricity ran down his enlarged muscles and the royal red cape swayed dramatically behind his broad shoulders as he reached Nomu's body. Vegeta punched him so hard that Nomu was sent spinning several miles away, back towards the city. As his flight slowed, Vegeta would speed up and punch him again and again until they were far away from the USJ.

Nomu grabbed ahold of the side of a building in an attempt to regain his balance, but Vegeta burst through the entire top of the building, unleashing a fiery ki blast that blasted him away.

Blazing debris and twisted metal began to fall down towards the busy streets and people screamed, running for cover. Vegeta laughed callously, not caring about the collateral damage. All he cared about was defeating Kakarot.

In his manic desire to get him, Vegeta left himself open and Nomu managed to land a mighty blow across his face. Vegeta grunted as the blow knocked him back into a building. He brushed his gloved hand across his face and smiled when he saw blood.

"Good," he said. "It's been a while since anyone made me flinch, let alone bleed."

But Nomu did not follow up on the attack. Vegeta gritted his teeth in rage and his purple aura blazed when he realized that Nomu was retreating.

Nomu raised two fingers to his forehead and vanished, reappearing further down the city in an effort to escape, but through sheer speed, Vegeta shot in pursuit of the villain so fast that his body vanished and appeared directly in front of Nomu.

"And just where do you think you're running off to, coward?" Vegeta growled, slamming his fists into Nomu's face, stomach and chest with blinding speed. Nomu howled as Vegeta drove him back in mid-air with every bone-crunching blow. "I'll teach you to make a mockery of this battle!"

Vegeta wound his arm back and shot forward with a punch so powerful that it sent Nomu flying through several buildings. Nomu grunted as he crashed through three tall towers, a manufacturing plant and a hotel, bursting out from the other side, where the Lord of Saiyans was waiting for him with his right arm wound back. Vegeta's fist cracked upwards in an uppercut that sent Nomu's body flying upwards.

Without hesitation, Vegeta shot upwards, passing the spinning body of Nomu and stopping on top of him.

Vegeta's boots stomped down onto Nomu's chest so hard that it sent them both barreling down the twelve-story office building, crashing through every single level and bursting out of the first level. Nomu skidded out onto the street on his back with Vegeta still on top of him.

Nomu cried out in pain, with Vegeta's heavy boots still pressing down on his chest, cratering the ground underneath. Finally, Nomu's arms fell on the ground, completely still.

At the end of the road, Toshinori leaped over the devastated buildings and landed a few feet away. He watched with horror as Vegeta pushed off of Nomu and took to the heavens, flying high, leaving behind a violet streak of fire.

"Now, prepare yourself for oblivion, Kakarot!" Vegeta shouted, floating high above Nomu with his arms together over the right side of his head, one leg bent upward as blazing purple fire formed into a ball in his gloved hands. Vegeta's cruel, black eyes blazed with murderous intent and his flaming aura intensified, sending his royal red cape flapping wildly behind him. "This is the end!"

The masses that had been caught up in the Saiyan's fight ran for their lives, clearing out the city square as Vegeta continued to charge his attack, laughing.

"Wait, Vegeta!" All Might cried, running towards the pair of Saiyans as Vegeta's power blazed and intensified in strength. Goku wouldn't survive such an attack in this state. "Don't do this!"

Vegeta laughed maniacally, his eyes wide and predatory.

"I must thank you. When that circus monkey left this world, he left our debt unsettled and for a long time, I lacked purpose. How could you die like that, and leave our score unsettled? How could I live on as the strongest being alive, knowing I became that way by default and not by my own merits? But now, thanks to you, I get to destroy Kakarot once and for all and prove my power beyond any doubts!" He shouted. He swung his arms down, unleashing the blast. "GALICK GUN – FIRE!"

"Vegeta, STOP! PLEASE!" All Might shouted. Nomu wasn't healing himself anymore and he limped to the side on a broken leg. He glanced up to see the ki blast hurling towards him and lifted an exhausted, trembling arm, but it dropped to his side. Nomu could no longer fight.

All Might leaped forward into a sprint, running towards Nomu.

"There you are, Toshi! Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I missed you sooo, so much!"

Goku's little voice rang in Toshinori's mind. He ignored the trail of blood he was leaving behind, the burning, torn muscles and his ragged breaths as he ran full speed towards Nomu.

"Where have you been?! I looked everywhere for you and I couldn't find you! You left me without even saying good-bye! I thought you… that you… w-went to Otherworld with Mom and Dad and Grandpa!"

"STOP!" All Might shouted as the fiery, purple bast shot forward. All Might leaped between Nomu and Vegeta, arms spread out protectively. "STOOOOOOOOOP!"

"I'm so sorry, Goku. But from now on, you'll never feel alone, again. You hear me? Everything is going to be okay. Because I am here, and I'm never going to let anyone take you away from me again.."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I promise…"

Vegeta's Galick Gun fire struck All Might's abdomen. The frictionless fireball tore into him and All Might screamed, feeling every single cell in his body scream out in agony. The taste of his own blood exploded in his mouth.

"YOU FOOL!" Vegeta bellowed, furiously. He closed his fist and the blazing purple fire dissipated. "What on earth are you doing?!"

But the damage had already been done. A large, double-fist sized hole had been torn through All Might's lower right side, vaporizing his flesh, bone and organs. All Might fell to his knees as if in prayer in front of Nomu, gasping for air. Blood poured out of his open wound and his singed lungs struggled to breathe, but none of it mattered to All Might.

The only thing he cared about was saving Goku.

"Goku," Toshinori wheezed, turning and crawling towards Nomu. "Goku!"

Nomu fell to his knees behind All Might and what was left of the Majin Mask fell to the broken ground. Goku looked up at All Might, who was crawling on his hands and knees towards him and blinked several times in confusion.

"T-Toshi?" Goku groaned, holding a hand to his head and supporting himself with the other. "Is that really you? Where am I?"

All Might's eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, it's me. I am here, Goku. Everything is going to be-"

But a purple mist formed underneath Goku's body. All Might leaped forward to swipe Goku away, but Goku's body fell through the warp gate and disappeared, closing up as All Might reached it.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" All Might shouted, slamming his giant fists on the ground where Goku had just been laying so hard that it cratered it. "Go… ku…"

All Might's vision began to haze. He was exhausted and had gone far beyond his limit for the day. As the red and blue lights flooded his blurring vision and he heard the distressed whine of the sirens around him, All Might collapsed forward and lost consciousness.

---

Ending Song:

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

---

A/N: That's it for today's update! I hope you liked it! I'll probably be responding to reviews via PM this time, so leave me your thoughts! Until next time!