A/N: Welcome back to Path of the Dragon! It's perhaps the single most emotional chapter I've written for this series. And i want to apologize in advance, the quality of this chapter isn't that great as my laptop broke and im having to write and edit this entire chapter on my cell phone! T_T
Are we all ready to hate Vegeta even more?:D
He's going through his "Saiyan Saga" phase, so he has that cold-hearted disposition of his that helped me identify him with Enji Todoroki from the start. But of course, he's going to go through a redemption arc the same way that he and Endeavor went through in their respective canon.
Anyway, let me not get ahead of myself. Please enjoy this chapter! Review Responses at the end, as usual!
Opening Song:
"Vandalize" by One Ok Rock
"GOHAN! GOHAN!" Chi-Chi cried out, jumping up and down and waving her hands wildly at her son, but the blaring music and the loud fireworks overpowered her voice. Gohan and his group of friends continued walking until they disappeared into the tunnel that lead out of the stadium, completely oblivious to his mother's presence up high in the Capsule Corporation balcony.
Chi-Chi shook her head and desperately started to climb over the protective railing, prepared to leap down.
"Chi-Chi, are you nuts?!" Mitsuki yelled, grabbing Chi-Chi by the shoulders, pulling her back. "You're gonna get hurt!"
"That's my son!" Chi-Chi cried, pulling Mitsuki along with her.
"Ahhhh! Inko, do somethin'!" Mitsuki cried, but Inko shook her head in panic.
"I can't! My Quirk only works on tiny objects!" she shouted back. "If only Miruko were here, she could use her Ultra Gravity on her…"
"Well then grab an arm and put all that weight to good use!" The blonde shouted back.
"HEY!" Inko shouted defensively.
"Chi-Chi, please calm down!" Bulma pleaded, grabbing ahold of Chi-Chi's left arm while Inko grabbed the other. Together the women began to overpower Chi-Chi, pulling her back to safety.
"You don't understand!" Chi-Chi cried. "That's my boy down there!"
"That's it – she's officially lost her mind!" Mitsuki called through strained teeth. "Goten's barely eight, ain't he?!"
"Not Goten, Gohan!" Chi-Chi responded, pushing all three woman along with her as she began to overpower them. "It's him – I know it is!"
"Chi-Chi, let me talk with the teachers," Bulma begged, her cheeks red from exertion. "I'm sure I can arrange for you two to meet."
"Um, actually…" a timid voice said from behind them. All four women paused their struggling and redirected their attention to the black haired woman with apprehensive navy blue eyes. She hugged the elbows of her yellow jacket to keep herself from trembling.
"Miss Ikoma?" Chi-Chi asked, releasing her iron grip on the bars. The other three women dropped to the ground, exhausted.
"Hi," the young, shy teacher squeaked. "If you're trying to meet one of the UA Students, there's a special meet and greet session after the final tournament. But there's an issue-"
"There, see!" Bulma huffed and puffed, swallowing gasps of air. "So it works out, right? I'm sure I can arrange something with the teachers to let us cut in front of the line."
"Yes, but-" the teacher was cut off again.
"You really think they'd let us cut in front of the thousands that no doubt will want to meet the students, too?" Inko asked.
"Of course they will!" Bulma said, raising her nose confidently and pinning her fists against the sides of her short red dress. "I'm Bulma Briefs."
"Ha! If you're thinking of flirting your way through security, you're about ten years too old, sister!" Mitsuki chortled. "Just let me do it. I'll show you how it's done!"
"Excuse me, we have a situation here!" The teacher said, her voice growing loud as she ran her fingernails across her scalp, eyes twitching.
"Oh? Is that a challenge, Baku-babe?" Bulma's eyebrow twitched. "I'll have you know I'm the prettiest woman around here! Besides, there's no issue that money can't buy-"
"TRUNKS AND GOTEN HAVE GONE MISSING!" The teacher shouted, eyes closed and watered, having finally lost her patience.
"WHHHHHAAAAAAT?!" Bulma and Chi-Chi shouted in unison.
"We looked everywhere for them and can't find them!" The teacher cried.
"Okay, where is Fuyumi?!" Bulma growled through gritted teeth.
….
The blue and gray halls of UA High were as dull as they had been on the day he had left them. Those days were memories that Vegeta had long ago buried in the sands of time. His time at UA had only been a dream – no, not a dream. More like a mirage; the deluded aspirations and naivety of a young Saiyan Prince who had been too eager to prove his might.
But soon enough, he learned the truth. They were all beneath him; insects under his boot.
Vegeta felt no nostalgia or sentimental longing for the past as he traversed down the halls, the flames of his Super Saiyan form blazing brightly, catching the stares of teachers and other heroes as he purposefully marched forward, arms crossed. The royal red cape swayed behind his every step, bouncing off of the golden armor and black bodysuit he wore.
Some of the teachers, Vegeta still remembered from decades ago.
The fools; meaningless meandering and attachment to the past had condemned them to a life frozen in time, wasting away with the comfort of yesteryears, devoid of any true purpose, not unlike the handful of Pureblooded Saiyans of old, whose attachment to traditions and tribal histories led to their downfall.
That is why Vegeta was above them all now. Through his own might, he carved out his own path and had achieved the Golden Form of Legend that his father had long sought out after, but could never hold in his hands.
Vegeta's transformed green eyes glowed, fixed onto one individual in particular; a student who had just gotten out of the showers and had changed into a fresh new gym uniform.
Gohan held his gym jacket draped over his shoulder, tying the newly washed and dried Namekian hachimaki back up on his forehead. His muscular arms poked out of the purple sleeveless undershirt he had chosen to wear.
The radiant glow of Vegeta's ultimate form caught Gohan's attention.
"Oh, hello Vegeta!" Gohan said with an enthusiastic smile. "Wow, a Super Saiyan! You know, when I used to watch you on TV as a kid, I always thought that fiery golden form suited you, but never in a million years did I think that someday I would have the opportunity to-"
"Shut. Up," Vegeta growled. His viciousness caught Gohan off guard and hiss smile faded instantly, replaced be a confused stare. Vegeta held out a black envelope with the red stamp of his agency to him without making any further eye contact. Gohan stared at the three-pronged, trident-like symbol of the Saiyan agency.
"Oh, right!" Gohan said, pulling out a capsule from his pocket and dropping it on the floor. It opened with a hissing rush of air, revealing several folders packed with envelopes and letters with official seal stamps on them.
"Thank you so much for your consideration, Mister Endeavor," Gohan said, bowing and accepting the letter. "I promise I will read through your offer carefully."
"Hmph," Vegeta huffed, then continued marching past Gohan.
"Well… thanks anyway!" Gohan called out to him, placing the envelope among the hundreds of other agency internship offers he had received and tossed the capsule back at it, compressing it instantly and clipping the capsule back into his capsule box.
Gohan was ready to leave when Vegeta stopped in his tracks a few feet away.
"In the following days, the Hero Courses will be starting their six month long internships, aside from their schoolwork," Vegeta said without turning to face Gohan. "This Festival serves as an opportunity for hero agencies across Japan to scout out the students who fit in with their agencies. But make no mistake – should you accept my offer, it will be six months of culling that fragile, flawed Namekian mentality you have been infected with. I will guide you down the Path of the Mighty, the path of true power."
Gohan stared at the back of Vegeta's head. The golden flames bounced and waved off of his blonde hair and royal Saiyan armor.
"You will soon learn the limits of that flawed Namekian philosophy – the so-called Path of the Dragon. Power for self-defense?Foolishness. Atrue warrior does not react to the world around him; that only brings pain, suffering, and loss," Vegeta said, stepping forward to leave. "A true warrior molds the world in his image and forces it to yield to his will. Remember that, Son of Kakarot."
There was anger in Vegeta's words, but it was not directed towards him. He spoke with experience, and perhaps even a tinge of regret. What had happened in Vegeta's life that lead him to this point?
Gohan stared silently at Vegeta until the Saiyan Lord rounded the corner and disappeared.
Vegeta made his way towards the stairs when a powerful voice called out to him from behind.
"YO! I didn't expect to see you here!" All Might boomed with a friendly tone that made Vegeta's stomach turn. He turned to see All Might wearing a navy blue suit with a white long sleeve shirt and a dark red neck tie. A one-armed Namekian was standing beside him, staring silently at the Saiyan Lord.
"Look who else I found roaming around!" All Might said, pointing at Piccolo with his thumb. Piccolo's cold, slitted eyes crossed Vegeta's emerald gaze and the two old enemies glared at one another."Been a while, hasn't it, you two? Let's catch up, Endeavor."
"All Might..." Vegeta growled. The flames of his Super Saiyan form blazed and fanned out from his body, dancing between Vegeta's glowing green eyes.
…
Fuyumi was on the phone with Hercule Satan, the coach of the Junior League Team when Bulma stomped towards her, hands balled into fists.
"I checked everywhere for them, sir!" Fuyumi was saying worriedly. "But they're not in the lunch room, the gym or the food stands!"
"Well, I'd love to help, Fuyumi, really I would," Hercule responded. "But I've got autograph signin' and meet and greets scheduled for the next hour and a half. I'll leave it up to you and Ikoma to find those little hellions."
"Gee, thanks, Herc," Fuyumi said with dry sarcasm.
"Fuyumi!" Bulma shouted, stomping towards her.
"Aw, shit." Fuyumi sighed and ended the call, turning to the furious blue-haired mother. "Miss Briefs! I swear, I kept my eyes on them the whole time, but-"
"Ohhh it's not you that I'm mad at!" Bulma growled, her blue eyes wide with rage. "I told Trunks not to wander off without supervision. Oh, when I find him, he's gonna get it! Where was the last place you saw him? Chi-Chi and I will help you look for them."
"Great!" Fuyumi said with a sigh of relief. "I've contacted security and one of the teachers is helping to find them, as well. Don't worry, I'm sure the boys just got excited and wanted to explore UA. They'll turn up just fine, you'll see. There's no way that Trunks would miss his chance to shine in the tournament."
"We should probably start in the cafeteria," Chi-Chi said. "If I know one thing about Saiyans, even hybrids, it's that voracious appetite of theirs… no offense, Fuyumi."
"HA! None taken, Mrs Son," Fuyumi said quickly.
"Hey, Sis!" A voice said from behind Fuyumi. Fuyumi turned to see her brother Natsu holding up a bag of packed food. "I thought you'd be a little hungry, so I picked up your favorite pork cutlets and some rice-"
Natsu suddenly froze and his expression tightened into a scowl as soon as his eyes landed on Bulma.
"N-Natsu…" Fuyumi said, noticing her brother's dark expression.
Bulma's angry glower dissipated and she stepped forward to stand beside Fuyumi.
She gulped shyly and forced a smile on her face.
"Wait…that's Natsu?" Bulma said. "Wow, look at you. The last time I saw you, you were this big! But you've grown into a full man, now!"
"Tsk, chatting like we're old friends," Natsu scoffed. Without another word, he swiveled around on his heel and turned to leave.
"NATSU!" Fuyumi called out. "Don't be so rude!"
"Sorry, Sis," Natsu grunted, pointing an accusing finger at Bulma. "But after what they did to Mom, I have nothing to say to that home-wrecking skank. I'll leave your lunch in the waiting room."
Inko and Mitsuko exchanged cringing, knowing glances.
"HEY!" Chi-Chi shouted. "You're way out of line, young man! Get back here and apologize"
"No, Chi-Chi, it's okay," Bulma said quietly. "Please, just leave him be."
"I'm so sorry about him," Fuyumi sighed, clasping her hands together. "My brother never could get over what happened… well, you know…"
"I understand. And I don't blame him," Bulma sighed. "After everything you children went through… Anyway, don't worry about it. Let's go find the kids."
…
In the Girl's Locker room, two tiny figures worked quickly to rummage through each locker. Rows and rows of lockers had been broken into and the floor had become littered with the books, clothes and other miscellaneous items.
"Hurry up, Trunks!" Goten grunted, doing his best to steady his footing as his best friend Trunks stood on his shoulders, forcing his way into each locker.
"Shhh! Just a few more lockers left," Trunks whispered back. The sunglasses that were part of his hero costume shined under the light as the short, lavender-haired boy rifled through one locker, tossing out its contents to the floor carelessly. "Just be quiet and hold still. It's gotta be in one of these last few."
"This better be worth it," Goten complained. "We missed the entire first half of the Sports Fest just to try and find it."
"Look, Goten! I know what I heard, okay?" Trunks argued, rummaging through the next locker, tossing books out. "One of the Hero Students said she had an invisibility cloak that she wasn't allowed to wear. If we can find it, we can disguise ourselves as her and fight in the Final Tournament. I don't know about you, but I, for one, actually want to fight someone who can put up a challenge."
"I guess that makes sense…" Goten sighed. "Just hurry! I'm getting hungry!"
"AHA!" Trunks said victoriously, having broken into Hagakure's personal locker. "Found it!"
He pulled out a cloth from the locker that was big enough to cover them both. Trunks's hands disappeared under the cloak.
"Final tournament, here we come!" He shouted victoriously.
"I don't see anything," Goten complained, scratching his head.
"Goten, you big dummy, it's an invisibility cloak," Trunks responded. "That's kinda the point."
"Oh! Oh yeah!" Goten giggled childishly.
The door to the locker room opened and loud, heavy footsteps walked in.
"Oh, crud!" Goten hissed. "Busted!"
Trunks leaped off of Goten's shoulders and the two boys pressed themselves against the lockers to hide.
"Look at all this mess! They must be in here! Fan out and find them," a gruff voice commanded. "They may respond to their hero names, The Future and Mighty Mask."
"Yes sir," five men responded.
"Oh, this is bad!" Goten hissed. "Mom's gonna kill us both if we get caught! What do we do, Trunks?!"
"HEY!" One of the security guards shouted, pointing at them from across the long aisles of lockers. "I found them! Stop right there, you little hooligans!"
"Run!" Trunks shouted, dashing forward. The two boys rammed into the guard and knocked him down. The guard fell with a wounded yelp and the boys leaped over him, reaching the end of the aisle to find that the room was being swarmed by security guards.
"Uh, let's split up!" Trunks shouted. "You take the cloak and make a B line for Miss Todoroki's!"
"But what about you?!" Goten shouted back. Trunks made a sweeping movement over Goten's head to put on the cloak. "I'll distract them! There, you're invisible now!"
"Wow, really?!" Goten shrieked happily.
"Yes really, now go!" Trunks ordered.
"OK! See you back at Miss Todoroki's then!" Goten shouted and ran off in the opposite direction. As soon as they saw Goten running away, all of the security guards peeled away and chased him while Trunks was left there standing with an evil chuckle.
"Sorry, Goten," Trunks said with a smirk. He reached up and covered himself with the cloak. All of his body, from his neck down, disappeared instantly. "I'll honor your sacrifice, my friend!"
Trunks stepped out to leave in the opposite direction when a giant yellow-maned wolf-like teacher stepped out in front of him. His razor sharp canine teeth bared under the muzzle he wore in his snout.
"You come here, pipsqueak!" Hound Dog barked, pointing a large meaty finger at Trunks.
"Uh-oh!" Trunks gasped. He reached back to the hood of the cloak and threw it over his face, disappearing completely.
He took off running but to his dismay, the teacher chased after him, hot on his trail.
"I may not be able to see you, but I can still pick up your scent!" Hound Dog howled.
"Yeah, good luck catching me, flea bag! By the way, your dog breath stinks!" Trunks taunted leaping up into flight and flying down the halls. After turning several corners, he glanced behind him and Hound Dog was nowhere in sight, but security guards were spilling out into every hall looking for the children.
"Dammit," Trunks said to himself. "I gotta find a place to hide and lay low until I can get these guys off my back!"
Up ahead was a dark room that was tucked just out of sight from the main hall which seemed to circle back around to the locker room. From there, the waiting rooms were only one level down stairs. If he could hide long enough for security to relax, he could find a way to make it back to the waiting room.
Trunks sped up his flight and dove for the dark room, slamming the door shut behind him and flying into the darkness as far as he could before his head slammed into a wall. With a grunt, Trunks slid down the polished wall and crumbled on the tiled, cold floor.
Outside, Hound Dog and the rest of security ran past the room, their footsteps vanishing around a corner.
"This way!" Hound Dog barked. "He might have gone upstairs!"
Trunks sat up and rubbed the sore spot on his head with a moan.
Where was he? It was a cold, damp room with no windows and the floor was so polished, it was almost slippery.
Trunks was still rubbing his head when somebody opened the private entrance. Bright lights flashed on, inundating the room with a white light that blinded Trunks, who squealed, covering his eyes to protect them from the bright light. It was only then that Trunks realized where he was. Silver shower heads lined the room, with small chairs and buckets to collect water and soaps.
"Phew!" Mina said walking into the shower room, stripping her sweaty gym shirt off. "I am exhausted!"
"You said it, sister!" Toru moaned, rubbing her invisible neck. "I still can't believe I lost the Cavalry Battle!"
"Cheer up, ladies," Melissa Shield said, pulling her undershirt off. Her long blonde hair fell down to cover her body. "We still have all of the games and activities to look forward to before the main event! What's say we freshen up and get something good to eat!"
"Sounds like a plan!" Ochaco said cheerfully, unzipping her gym pants and bending over to step out of them. She reached up to her pink and white sports bra and pulled it off. "I'm starving!"
"Mmm," Momo moaned, as the water hit her head and washed over her silky black hair. "This shower feels soooo good."
The rest of the girls from the other classes poured in for their showers, leaving Trunks stranded in there with the invisibility cloak. His eyes poked out of the invisible cloak and widened as the steam from the showers rose up to cover him completely.
…
After twenty minutes or so, all of the girls had finished their showers and had moved into the locker rooms to change into fresh clothes.
Trunks stepped out of the girl's shower room with shaky steps, eyes wide and glossy, holding the invisibility cloak folded in his arms.
"Psssst!" A voice called out to him from across the hall. "Hey, Trunks! Over here!"
Trunks silently followed the voice and rounded the corner to find Goten, staring angrily at him. His tiny fists were shaking comically as he glared at him.
"What the crap, Trunks!" Goten growled angrily, throwing his hands up in the air. "You told me I was invisible, but I wasn't! When I showed the guards the finger, they saw it! It took me forever to shake those guys! Do you have any idea how much trouble I'm in now?!"
Trunks was still silent. He handed the cloak over to Goten and dropped it in his arms.
"You can have it," he said with a dead, monotone voice.
"Huh? What's wrong, Trunks?" Goten asked, suddenly worried.
"Monsters..." Trunks muttered, eye twitching. "They're monsters... every last one of them!"
"Monsters?! Where?" Goten asked. "Lead the way! There's no monster than can stand a chance against The Future or Mighty Mask!"
"Y-Yeah, look Goten'," Trunks said, his eyes red and unblinking. "I, uh… I just don't wanna play anymore, okay?"
"Huh… oh, I know what will make you feel better!" Goten said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a snack wrapped in a white napkin and handed it over to Trunks. "When Mister Hound Dog was chasing me, I ran into the kitchen and knocked over a bunch of boxes filled with condiments. That's how I was able to shake him off my tail. And while I was there, I sneaked out a siopao or two. You can have one."
"Whoa, thanks, Goten," Trunks said, stuffing the meaty loaf into his mouth and swallowing it whole. With the food, some color returned to his flushed face and he looked up at his friend with a grateful smile.
"Ahh, that hit the spot!" Trunks said with renewed energy. "Thanks, man! Come on, let's get the heck outta here and go back to Miss Fuyumi's before we get into even more trouble."
"But, the invisibility cloak!" Goten protested. "What about the plan to pose as the invisible girl for the Final?"
"Doesn't matter anymore, the stupid girl got knocked out in the last Round," Trunks shrugged.
"Oh, that's too bad," Goten sighed.
"Oh well," Trunks said. "I'll think of something later."
"YO! I didn't expect to see you here!" A booming voice said from around the corner. All Might's voice made the two boys instinctively squat behind the corner for cover. They slowly poked their heads around the corner.
All Might, Vegeta and Piccolo were standing together, talking.
"Hey – it's my Dad!" Trunks said, overjoyed. He started to walk out into the hallway, but Goten grabbed him by his jean jacket.
"Wait!" Goten hissed, pulling Trunks back into the safety of the corner, away from All Might or Endeavor's eyes. "Think about it, Trunks. We're wanted men! If your dad or All Might sees us, we're gonna be in biiiig trouble!"
"Y-yeah, I guess you're right," Trunks mumbled back, scratching his cheek. The two kids poked their heads around the corner to get a better look at the conversation taking place between the three adults.
"What nonsensical mockery is this?" Vegeta was growling, arms crossed, eyes viciously narrowed. His nose had wrinkled like a raging predator. "I hope you're proud of the way you neutered him, Piccolo. Gohan is a Saiyan. He should be dominating the competition, not scraping by in last place! His days with you Namekians have made him soft, like his father!"
"Typical Saiyan," Piccolo spat out with a look of utter disgust in his eyes. "All you care about is power. Gohan is a true warrior who embodies more than mere brute strength, and everyone watching him can see it."
"He's right, Vegeta," All Might added. "Gohan may not be finishing in first place, but he is certainly winning the love and respect of his peers, not to mention that of the Pro heroes watching him."
"Pathetic," Vegeta growled. "The only thing I see is a pampered child who knows nothing of his true potential."
"Is that why you're throwing your hat in the competition to lure him into your agency?" Piccolo asked him with a mocking smirk. "Because he's so 'pampered'?"
"AAAHAHAHA! Is that true, Vegeta?" All Might asked, leaning back into a booming, hearty laugh with his giant arms folded across his massive chest, making Vegeta's teeth grind."So you really are enjoying Gohan's performance, just like the rest of us. Well, just you keep your eyes peeled, Vegeta. That boy is going to take this competition by storm, come the Final Tournament. Despite what you may think, Piccolo and the Dragon Clan have been taking really good care of him until we can find his mother."
"His mother?!" Vegeta scoffed loudly. "You still haven't found her? It's hard to believe that overbearing woman let Gohan out of her sight for so long."
"We looked all over Musutafu, Paozu and even Frypan, but we can't find her. It's like she disappeared without a trace," All Might shrugged. "Actually, I was hoping you could ask Bulma if she knew anything about her whereabouts."
"HA!" Vegeta huffed. "And what makes you think I have any sort of communication with that vulgar woman?"
All Might paused and stared at Vegeta, his eyes twitching. Piccolo stayed silent, observing the encounter.
"...What did you just call her?" All Might hissed, voice rising through suddenly clenched teeth.
"Hmph. Oh? Don't give me that. You know the type of woman she is. After all, you were once pining for Bulma back in the day, weren't you, Toshinori?" Vegeta scoffed. All Might's smile dissolved into a strained frown. "Until that fateful summer night in California, that is!"
"Vegeta, I'm warning you…"
"Did it destroy you when you found the woman you loved in my bed?" Vegeta pressed with a cruel smile. "Did it honestly come as a surprise? Bulma was always reckless; you know how she she always was a little firecracker, wasn't she? And firecrackers should know better than to play with fire, Toshinori," Vegeta gave All Might a cruel smile and his emerald eyes blazed brightly.
All Might's large hands balled up into shaking fists, and he tried his best not to let Vegeta's taunts provoke him further.
"This has nothing to do with the past, Vegeta," All Might said. "We're talking about here and now. Besides, Bulma is the mother of your son – Trunks! Are you telling me that you don't even make an effort to be in your son's life?"
"And what of it? Spare me your self-righteous indignation, Toshinori," Vegeta snarled. "There was never any relationship or commitment between Bulma and I, as if we were one big happy family. No,the only reason that lecherous woman climbed onto my bed in the first place was to get her hands on Raditz's scouter after I laid claim to it. It was little more than a business arrangement. It meant nothing more than that to either of us. She meant nothing to me, and neither does her son."
"You are a cruel, greedy, heartless… BASTARD!" All Might bellowed, his anger boiling over to rage. The school staff and the other heroes around them looked up at the commotion stirred up by All Might's uncharacteristic outburst as the large man stepped up to within inches of the shorter Saiyan Lord.
This time, it was Vegeta who burst out into loud, mocking laughter, seeing how deeply his words had injured Toshinori.
"HE IS YOUR SON, DAMN YOU!" Toshinori shouted.
"That mollycoddled boy is nothing more than a mistake. I have a son, Toshinori," Vegeta responded coldly. "He is passing through a rebellious phase right now, but once he comes to his senses, he will live up to the reason I created him and become the mightiest warrior this world has ever known – I swear it to you, All Might. Shoto will become stronger than Kakarot's son and Bulma's. Stronger than Nappa's daughters, even. And yes, he will surpass even you, Toshinori."
From around the corner, the two boys had been watching the entire exchange.
"Boy, Trunks!" Goten said, poking his head back in from around the corner. "Your old man sure is cranky! But what's he talking about him having other sons? Does this mean you have stepbrothers? …Trunks?"
When Trunks didn't respond, Goten glanced over to his best friend. Trunks wasn't even watching the scene anymore. His head was bowed, and his lavender hair fell over his eyes and his hands were stuck to his face. The boy was quietly crying. He brushed his hands over his eyes and his shoulders trembled with steady sobs.
"...Trunks?" Goten asked, drawing closer to his friend and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and pulled him into a hug, unaccustomed to seeing his friend displaying so much emotion. "It's okay, don't cry…"
Trunks glared up at him with a flushed scowl, his eyes red and furious.
"Get off me, Goten," he sobbed, shoving Goten away. "Let's go! Who cares about that stupid old man anyway?"
Trunks sniffed back a final sob and wiped his face with the sleeve of his denim jacket. As they turned to leave, they bumped into a third party who had walked in on the encounter between All Might and Vegeta.
The tall teen's dual colored eyes slipped from Vegeta down to the tiny heroes at his feet.
"Watch where you're going, idiot!" Trunks shouted.
Shoto Todoroki stared at the boy for a Trunks's reddened crying eyes, Shoto saw a reflection of himself from many years ago… a similar looking crying boy with a similar looking bowl haircut, whose sobbing, furious tears had been provoked by a father who did not love him.
"Are you deaf or just plain stupid? Quit staring at me and move!" Trunks shouted again, stomping his foot down in front of him.
"I am… so sorry," was all Shoto could say.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE – SPORTS FEST INTERMISSION: MOTHERS & SONS
Gohan had joined Ochaco, Izuku, Fu and Melissa by the food stands just outside of the Sports Fest stadium. Afterwards, they walked over to sit under the shade of tall trees to eat their lunch. It had been just what he needed to take his mind off of Vegeta's words.
"Mmm," Gohan moaned, dropping his chopsticks on the stack of empty plates in front of him and leaning back against his chair and tapping his stomach with a lazy, satisfied smile. "Boy, that really hit the spot! Thanks, Melissa!"
"You shaid it, bro! Delicioush!" Fu said with a full mouth. He moaned as he swallowed his food and swooned back and forth comically. "Ah! I'm so famished, I could go for another plate!"
"Another one?" Melissa glared at him playfully. "Fine, but you get to pay for it this time."
"Man, oh man!" Fu groaned, rubbing his stomach dramatically. "Getting shot in the gut by Melissa Shield really made me hungry, you guys!"
He gave Melissa a pleading puppy-eyed gaze and Melissa sighed, rolling her eyes. Her still drying hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head.
"Okay, fine!" She said with a laugh. "Come on, I'll buy you another one."
"Can I come, too?" Izuku asked, lifting up his empty plate. "For some reason, I'm a little hungrier than usual today."
"No kidding," Ochaco said, staring at the six plates Izuku had just wolfed down. "Whoa! Your appetite is even starting to rival Gohan's!"
"Yeah, no matter how much I eat today, I'm still starving!" Izuku chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ok point taken! Let's go, you gluttons!" Melissa said cheerfully, beckoning for Izuku and Fu to follow her with a jerk of her head.
The two boys got up to follow Melissa back to the food stands, leaving Gohan and Ochaco alone in the table. Gohan glanced over at the girl who was quickly tapping away at her flip phone to send a text message. When she noticed Gohan's look, she quickly closed it, hiding the text message.
"I really can't convince you to get a smart phone?" Gohan asked her playfully. "All that tapping's gonna make your fingertips fall off."
"Haa! Thanks, but no way. My daddy bought me this phone," Ochaco said, staring at the pink phone with a smile. "It means a lot to me."
"Yeah, I get it," Gohan nodded. "It's too bad he couldn't make it here today."
"Ah, it's alright," Ochaco said with a shrug. "I'm sure him and mom were watching on TV anyways. I'm kinda used to it. With daddy's work and all, it was always hard to get him to attend my school activities, so that's why Mom or one of my teachers would always record them, whether it was my soccer games, my school awards, or my dancing competitions, and then Daddy would watch them later. It would make him so proud to see me growing up and achieving new things, and he would always encourage me to find what I loved and pursue it. Even though he was never there, he was always watching, ya know?"
Gohan smiled and nodded.
"Your dad sounds like a great man, Ochaco. Both of your parents sound like really good people. I think I'd really like to meet them someday." He said.
"Oh yeah?" Ochaco asked. "They wanna meet you, too. Especially Dad! He's been wanting to meet you ever since the USJ incident."
"No kidding?!" Gohan laughed. "After the Sports Festival is over, I'm planning to hire someone who can help me track down my mom. Then once I find her, maybe we can plan for us all to meet together for a dinner or something. On me, obviously."
"Yeah, obviously!" Ochaco joked with a short chortle. She nodded quickly. "I'd love that."
The warm early summer breeze blew past them, caressing against the students. Ochaco breathed it in and stretched.
"So hey, listen," she said, rising to her feet. "I saw something I wanted to get you for your birthday from one of the vendors. Give me a sec and I'll be right back, kay?"
"Oh, um, sure!" Gohan said. "Take your time."
"Great!" Ochaco nodded. "Be right back."
Ochaco jogged over to the vending stands, disappearing into the crowds of students. Gohan stretched and glanced down at his watch. They still had half an hour before the Sports Festival resumed. As he waited for Ochaco to return a few girls from the other classes asked for his autograph or to pose with them for pictures, which he obliged, though it did make him a bit uncomfortable.
As the guardian of Namek City, the Namekians praised him for his heroic actions, but he never revealed his true identity to them, so he was not weighed down by the excessive baggage of fame. On the other hand, the attention did present him with a platform…
Gohan breathed in and out, clearing his mind. That was something he'd have to learn to deal with as a Public servant.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes glued on to him. Gohan lifted his gaze up to meet Shoto Todoroki's. The dual-haired half-Saiyan stared at him with a blank expression, hands in his pockets.
"Gohan," Shoto said.
"Hey, Todoroki," Gohan responded with a neutral expression. "What's up?"
"Do you have a moment?" Shoto responded, motioning with his chin to a private area hidden away from the other students around them. "There's something I need to ask you."
Gohan breathed in a heavy sigh.
"This isn't another declaration of war, is it?" he joked. "Because I think I've had enough of those for one semester."
Shoto didn't respond. He simply started walking towards the private spot without waiting for Gohan.
"Aw jeez," Gohan groaned, getting up to follow Shoto. "It really is another declaration of war, isn't it?"
…
Chi-Chi, Bulma, Inko, Mitsuki and Fuyumi were checking through Gym Gamma for the boys when word got back to them that they had been found safe and returned to the waiting room after a stern scolding.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Fuyumi cried with relief, ending the call on her cell phone.
"What happened?" Chi-Chi asked. "Did they find the boys?"
"Yeah, they sure did," Fuyumi said with a nod. "Apparently they had decided to go exploring deeper into the main campus. But they're safely back in the waiting room, now, eating their lunch."
"Oh finally some good news!" Inko sighed.
"Eh, I was never worried," Mitsuki shrugged. "My Kacchan would sometimes disappear into the woods for hours, exploring."
"My Goten is the same way," Chi-Chi agreed. "Boys will be boys."
There was a high pitched ring coming from Chi-Chi's cell phone. She reached down for it and read the text message and instantly became excited.
"It's from Ochaco! She's going to bring Gohan down to meet me at one of the waiting rooms!" She shrieked.
"Ah, you see?" Inko said, hugging Chi-Chi. "It all worked out in the end! Go on ahead, we'll let you have some privacy."
"Yes, thank you very much!" Chi-Chi said and hurried away from the group towards the waiting rooms.
"Come on," Fuyumi said with a smile. "Let's get back to the boys before they decide they want to slip away again."
The women began to walk back to the Sports Festival stadium, but Bulma stayed back, her eyes glued onto the floor.
"Bulma?" Mitsuki asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"Yeah, you've been awfully silent for a while now," Inko added.
The women stared at Bulma, who remained silent, even as she lifted her face to Fuyumi.
"Fuyumi?" She asked with a hoarse voice. Fuyumi gulped.
"Y-Yes, Miss Briefs?" Fuyumi asked hesitantly.
After a brief pause, Bulma sighed and steadied herself.
"Thank you," she said. "For looking out for Trunks and for putting up with his constant antics all the time."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me for that!" Fuyumi laughed. "It's my job! Besides, even if you are his mom, Trunks is still my little brother, and I love him just as much as I love Shoto or Natsu. Why wouldn't I look out for him?"
"It's not just that… it's just… I mean…" Bulma gulped back her words, chewing through them carefully.
Fuyumi gave Bulma a compassionate stare, giving her time to compose her thoughts.
"This is about what Natsu said earlier, isn't it?" Fuyumi asked, softly.
Bulma's eyes dropped back down to the floor and nodded.
"Yes," she murmured.
"Bulma, it's in the past. None of it matters any-"
"But it does to me," Bulma responded. "It's something I've held onto for years and I need to get it off my chest."
"...okay," Fuyumi sighed, holding her hands together to let Bulma speak.
"I swear, Fuyumi, I never meant for it to get as far as it did that night, between me and your father," Bulma whispered and her eyes watered. "I was young and stupid and selfish and impressionable, and so used to having everything go my way. I had everything under control one moment, but the next…"
"Please stop. You don't have to do this, Bulma," Fuyumi said. "That was ages ago."
"Even so, seeing the pain and anger in Natsu's eyes today," Bulma responded. "I just never got the chance to apologize to any of you and that guilt kills me."
Fuyumi sighed loudly and her shoulders slumped down.
"Bulma," she said, crossing her arms. "It wasn't what happened between you and Dad that tore us down so badly. Trust me, you weren't the first pretty face to enter into his life aside from Mom. We weren't some happy united family with a loving father that was suddenly betrayed. No, that incident was the climax of a hellish life we'd all been subjected to since the day I was born…"
…
Gohan stepped into the shadowy hallway and was surprised to find Izuku standing there with a plate of food in his hands.
"Oh, hey Gohan!" Izuku said nervously. "So Todoroki wanted to talk to you too, huh?"
"Izuku? What's this about, Todoroki?" Gohan asked.
"Yeah, my food's kinda getting cold," Izuku said. "You should get something to eat, too. Don't you think?"
Shoto stared at the two boys silently, leaning back against the opposite wall. Finally, Shoto raised his left hand and closed it into a fist.
"When you counterattacked my team in the Cavalry battle… or rather, when Gohan shot Yaoyorozu with a ki blast, I felt overwhelmed," he said, his voice so low and hoarse that it was almost a whisper. "And it made me break the promise I made to myself a long time ago…"
"Are you talking about using your fire?" Izuku asked. "That fiery ki is just like Endeavor's Quirk, isn't it?"
"In that moment," Shoto continued, ignoring Izuku's comment. "I don't think anybody realized it. Iida, Yaoyorozu, Fujisake, Uraraka or Shield… None of them can sense power levels like you and I can."
"Um, well actually, I'm still not very good at that," Gohan confessed. Shoto gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Point is," he said sharply, "in that moment, when you gathered up your energy for the ki blast, I was the only one who could sense your true power and it reminded me of something… It was a ki signature I had only experienced once in my life, when I was six or seven years old. Gohan, tell me…"
Izuku gulped and glanced over at Gohan with nervous eyes.
"Your father," Shoto said with a pensive stare. "His name was Kakarot, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Gohan said. "But his friends and family called him Goku."
"Goku," Todoroki repeated. "Yes, that's right. Well that confirms it; now I have even more reason to beat you."
"Ah! I knew it was another declaration of war," Gohan groaned, throwing his head back. "Well, if that's all you wanted to say-"
"Your father was the reason I was created," Shoto said, his eyes glossing over and gazing into the past for a moment. "Nappa tells me that my father held a grudge against him over something that had happened when they were teenagers, apparently. One day Vegeta challenged him to a fight in front of my grandfather and the other elites. But after a long-fought battle, Goku defeated my father in front of them all. From then on, my father turned his raging obsession onto his family, to forge a weapon who would one day surpass his old nemesis, Kakarot."
"Todoroki…" Izuku breathed.
"But you can't forge a weapon without fire, can you?" Shoto asked, looking back down at his left hand.
…
"Kakarot's strength was like a demon in my father's head," Fuyumi continued. "It consumed him in every waking moment. He was the elite, the prince of a Royal Bloodline, so why was Goku so much stronger than him? When he found out that I could only use ice, he went to my mother and forced her to birth him another child. But neither Toya, nor Natsu were ever good enough for him. Each failure made Dad grow angrier and more abusive towards us and especially towards Mom. And then, one day at last, Shoto was born."
Fuyumi hugged her elbows, remembering the past.
"I had never seen my Dad smile before, and it terrified me. That Saiyan tail that Shoto had made him oh so happy. Finally, we thought that the nightmare was over, but it was only just beginning, especially for Shoto and Mom."
…
"My old man is a proud Saiyan Elite," Shoto said. "He used his powers to make a name for himself, first as a mercenary, and later on as a hero. But what always drove him was his ambition to be the perfect warrior, and to finally surpass Goku. When your father died, Gohan, Vegeta's chance to one day surpass him died too, and that consumed him. He's still at it, though. Trying to ascend to a level beyond that of a Super Saiyan."
"I see," Gohan sighed. "I'm living proof of his failure to surpass my dad."
"Exactly," Shoto said. "Have either of you two heard about Quirk marriages?"
"I remember reading about those in history class," Izuku said. "They were a real problem when the first generation of superpowers emerged, right?"
"That's right," Shoto nodded. "Among the Saiyans of old, it was viewed as a traditional old fashioned arranged marriage. It was simple – Elites needed to have powerful children, and would use their strength, position or wealth to force others into relationships. It's a practice that's was prohibited by law for over a hundred years, but among the handful of Elites that still remained back in the day, that didn't matter."
Shoto closed his hand and looked back up to the two boys who were listening intently to his story.
"My mother was Rei Kazahan, a fourth generation Saiyan hybrid from the Mountain Regions with Ice Ki powers. My father was not only the Prince of all Saiyans, with a long, rich history of accomplishments and influence among the Saiyans, but he had a lot of money to throw at his problems, as well. He bought my mother's relatives to get his hands on her rare Ice Ki Quirk, and ever since I was born, he's been trying to raise me to usurp All Might."
Shoto gritted his teeth and growled in frustration.
"It's so annoying. I refuse to be a tool for that scumbag. In order to forge me into a perfect weapon, he forced me to train my body to exhaustion, and then beat me mercilessly when I couldn't keep up with him. My mother tried to intervene every single time, and every time, Vegeta's rage would turn against her."
Izuku's eyes widened. A long pause fell between the boys as they waited for Shoto to continue. When he finally did, his voice had softened.
"In every memory I have of my mother, I only see her crying," Shoto said. "Every memory, except the final one, that is…"
…
"When the story broke that our father was having an extramarital affair, my Mom was the one who received the media press's wrath. Her family disowned her, looking down at her as the poor, pathetic wife who couldn't even keep her house together. She began the proceedings for divorce, she looked for support from her family, she attempted to escape…" Fuyumi paused, her fingers tightening around the her elbows.
"But this hero-dominated society sided with Endeavor and he threatened to take everything and leave her with nothing. After all, he had his perfect weapon now. He had no more use for a down-trodden housewife anymore, especially one who was about to humiliate him and publicly tarnish his image with the divorce. Maybe my Mom felt cornered, like she had nowhere to turn to. So she found the only way to escape from this hellish life…"
Fuyumi looked up, her eyes shining with tears.
Inko brought a hand up to her mouth and Mitsuki gasped.
"No…" Inko whispered.
Fuyumi breathed in and out, in an effort to regain her composure.
"Yes... And the worst part?" she said with quivering lips and breaking voice. Her tears spilled out. "Shoto was the one who found her."
…
Gohan and Izuku stared at Shoto in horror at the revelation.
"There was nothing I could do to save her," Shoto whispered. "She was gone. And as I stared into her still, faded eyes, I reached out and grabbed the knife from my mother's cold hands…" he said, his eyes staring into the past. He licked his lips. "I placed the blade against the base of that damned Saiyan tail that Vegeta was so proud of…"
He glanced up at the two boys with a ferocious gaze.
"...and I severed my connection with that cursed race."
Izuku gasped. Both boys were speechless, completely paralyzed by the horrible story that Shoto was telling them. Shoto reached up with his left hand and touched his face.
"Maybe if the scar had been physical, it would be easier to get through," he said. "Were it so easy…"
The look of longing and sadness faded away from his eyes, replaced with steely, icy ferociousness.
"The reason I picked a fight with you, Gohan, was to show my old man what I was capable of doing without having to rely on his damned Fire ki Quirk. You see…" Shoto removed his hand, revealing the dark iris of his left side. "I'm going to show him that I reject his power, and that I can defeat Kakarot and All Might's successors without using it.
There was a point of finality to Shoto's words, and he shoved himself off the wall to walk away.
"All Might?" Izuku gasped. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Todoroki's eyes squinted.
"Don't try to deny it, Midoriya," he said. "You're obviously connected to All Might somehow, as well as the Saiyans."
"Saiyans?!" Izuku shouted. "What do you mean."
"Hmph. Don't try and hide it from me," Shoto said. "I can sense the power coming from you every time you use your Smash attacks. It's definitely Saiyan."
"Whoa, really?" Gohan glanced back at Izuku, amazed. "Saiyan power, huh?"
"I've said what I needed to say," Todoroki said, leaving. "Just know that no matter how fiercely either of you come at me in the future, I will defeat you both using only my right side. I can assure you of that."
"Todoroki, wait," Gohan called out. Shoto froze in his tracks and turned one final time to look at Gohan, who stepped towards him.
"You and I," he said. "We are one and the same."
"What are you talking about?" Shoto barked.
"Our childhoods," Gohan said. "I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to lose your mother in such a terrible way, but I know what it's like to be ripped away from my family. You may not know this, but when I was a little boy, I was kidnapped by a Super villain. I was tortured, too, and submitted to brutal training. They wanted me to become a weapon, too. So I understand your anger and frustration. Because I've lived it, too. But I've been given so much since then. I have a home, a people to call my own and a city to protect. I owe it to everyone who's believed in me to do my best. I was forged into a weapon, but I am choosing to become a force for good, like I told you at the start of the day. And that's why…"
Gohan looked up at him, meeting Shoto's cold blue right eye.
"...that's why I'm going to beat you, and take first place, Todoroki."
Shoto stared at Gohan for a long moment, but finally tore his gaze and walked away without another word.
Izuku stared at the two boys and gulped.
He himself had plenty of reasons to give it his all in the final tournament as well.
Saiyan power? Toshi had told them the story of One for All and how one of the previous users was a Saiyan. In fact, it had been Son Gine, Gohan's grandmother! What could this mean? Was he somehow tapping into her power without even realizing it? Yeah, he needed to talk to All Might as soon as possible. Without saying goodbye to Gohan, Izuku turned back to the tunnel and made his way to the teacher's lounge.
…
Two intense encounters with the Todoroki's had been enough for one day for Gohan.
He walked back over to his picnic table, where ants had laid claim to his cold food.
"Aw, great!" Gohan sighed, plopping down on his chair. "Well, have it, you guys," he told the ants.
"Hey, there you are!" Ochaco called cheerfully, running to his side. "I've been looking all over for you!"
"Oh! Sorry," Gohan said, looking down at the ants.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, holding the plastic bag behind her back.
"Yeah, no problem," Gohan sighed and nodded. "It's just Todoroki. He had a lot to get off his chest, so… yeah…"
"He's always so intense, isn't he?" Ochaco said, glancing around the park area for the other Saiyan hybrid. "Kay, so I've got the perfect birthday gift for you. You ready? Close your eyes!"
"Uh… okay," Gohan said tiredly, but he closed his eyes.
"One… two… open!" Ochaco squealed. Gohan opened his eyes to see what Ochaco had bought for him. They were matching bracelets made of Namekian leather with a single orange marble on it. "Tada! Dragon Balls! I got one for me, too!" Ochaco showed him her bracelet, which had the Five Star Dragon Ball.
"Hey yeah, look at that!" Gohan said with a smile, taking the gift from her hand and wrapping it around his wrist. "Four Star… my favorite!"
"I know, it's so cool!" Ochaco squealed. "Now we can make a wish come true!"
"It doesn't… really work like that," Gohan laughed. "You need all seven to summon the Eternal Dragon of Law, Porunga."
"Oh, but maybe it might just work this once! Plus, check this out! When you put them together…" Ochaco insisted, sitting next to him and taking his hand in hers. The tiny dragon ball charms glowed and hummed from the proximity.
"Hey, that's pretty neat!" Gohan said, staring down at the golden glow.
"So, are you gonna make a wish or not, birthday boy?" Ochaco asked, squeezing Gohan's hand.
"Well… okay," Gohan nodded, deciding to humor her. Gohan closed his eyes and squeezed Ochaco's hand gently. "Takkaraputo Popurunga Pupirittoparo," he said, reciting the ancient summoning prayer in Namekian. "Namekya ko Nakita!"
After saying his wish, he opened his eyes.
"So, what'ya wish for?" Ochaco asked excitedly.
Gohan gave her a rueful smile, releasing her hand.
"Something I've been wishing for for a long time," he said. "I told Porunga I wanted to see my family again."
Ochaco smiled excitedly and grabbed his hand.
"Hey… follow me. I've got one more birthday gift for you."
"O-okay!" Gohan said, getting up and following Ochaco back towards the stadium.
…
"Okay, this is it," Ochaco said, bringing Gohan to the waiting rooms.
"...Really?" Gohan asked, raising his eyebrow. "Ohh! Is it a room full of catered food? Because I'm starting to get a little hungry again."
"No! Even better!" Ochaco said, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "But Gohan? Before we go in, I want you to promise me something," she said, drawing closer to him.
"Okay, sure," Gohan said, rubbing his sideburns with his finger. "What is it?"
"I want you to promise me that no matter how difficult things get in life, no matter how impossible it might seem to be, no matter how far away you might stray from home or how lost you might feel… promise me that you'll never, ever lose hope," she said, staring into his eyes. "That path that leads back home will always be there. Whether we're near or far, beyond that distance, the people who love you will always find you. I'll always find you…"
Gohan gulped and smiled.
"Wow, that was really beautiful. Thanks, Ochaco," he said with a chuckle. "Okay, I promise!"
"Oh, hey! Kaminari!" Ochaco shouted, waving Denki down, who was drinking a lime soda as he walked down the hall towards them.
"Hey, you guys," Kaminari waved, approaching them. "What's up?"
"Listen, I'm gonna go give Gohan his birthday present in Waiting Room 4, but we really need some privacy," Ochaco explained. "Can you do me a huge favor and just keep a lookout so that we don't get interrupted by anybody?"
Kaminari shivered and his hand crushed the empty soda can. A lecherous smile formed across his lips.
"Uh, yeah! No prob, you can count on me!" Denki said, his voice cracking.
"Great! You're the best!" Ochaco said, pulling on Gohan's hand and ushering him into the waiting room.
"Yeah, no problem. Have fun, you two!" Kaminari called with a smile.
The door shut and despite having just finished his soft drink, Kaminari's mouth was already dry again. After several long seconds, Kaminari casually glanced down both ends of the hallway. There was nobody in sight.
With a lascivious smile on his face, he ran up to the door and greedily pressed his ear against it, allowing his imagination to soar with the endless possibilities of what lewd, passionate sounds he might hear.
…
Ochaco pulled Gohan into the room, quickly stepping to the side and closing the door behind them.
"There's someone who has been looking for you for a very long time…" Ochaco said.
"Who?" Gohan asked and Ochaco motioned for him to step forward with her chin.
The room was completely empty, except for the single person standing by the farthest wall, turned away from them, staring at the class pictures with her hands behind her back. The picture that she was staring at intently was a framed newspaper headliner that showed Gohan holding the defeated Spopovich up by one hand.
"Happy Birthday, Gohan," she said with a tearful smile, holding her hands together and leaning up against the wall.
Gohan didn't recognize the woman standing in front of them at first. She was muscular and stood tall with long black hair fell down to her waist, tied by a red hair tie at the base of her skull. This stranger… there was an air of familiarity about her.
Gohan tilted his head to the side and walked up slowly to her and the woman turned to face him. Gohan's breath froze in his lungs and his eyes widened and watered.
"M...Mom?" he whispered, but his voice broke with emotion. "Is it really you?"
His mother didn't respond. She stood there, frozen as well, staring at him, her eyes welling up with tears and her shoulders heaving up and down in slow breaths, her mouth slightly gaped open, breathing in emotional gasps for air. Time itself stood still for this singular moment until Gohan felt like he was going to choke on his own emotions.
"Mom…?" Gohan took a step forward.
"I… I looked everywhere for you," Chi-Chi whispered with a hoarse, wavering voice. "The police found your shoes floating in the ocean. They told me you had drowned. We mourned you for months. My son was gone… But then this morning, I could hear the crowds chanting my son's name again and again and again. They're calling him a Hero."
"Y-Yeah! I am – or at least, that's what I'm hoping to become; a hero," Gohan said quickly, his voice choked and distorted by emotion. "L-Look!"
He quickly withdrew a capsule from his capsule box and tossed it on the table, revealing the giant folder with Internship Requests to show to his mother.
He pulled out a few of the requests and held up one of the papers up.
"It's from the Genius Office – Best Jeanist's Agency: 'Capable and selfless, able to stitch together an unbreakable bond with his peers.' And this one, from the Ryuko Agency:'Kind, hardworking and courageous. He has the heart of a true hero.' And this one, too, from the Mirko Hero Office: 'Quick on his feet, especially when running to help those in need.' Even Endeavor wants to give me a chance to intern with his agency. Mom, I found it. I found what I want to do with my life. These powers, and the amazing things I can do with them – I want to use them to make this a better world for everyone just like Dad and Uncle Toshinori did."
Chi-Chi's eyebrows furrowed and her eyes spilled over with tears as well. Gohan picked up the five hundred applications and handed them to his mother with a respectful bow. His mother took them without taking her eyes off of him.
"I, uh… I know that it's not quite the Diploma that... that you had always... asked for, Mom," Gohan said, sobs entering into his voice as his tears spilled out. "But it gets my foot in the door to all of these prestigious Hero Agencies. But the Diploma's coming though, so don't… don't… worry…"
"Gohan…" Chi-Chi whispered. "It's really you…"
"It's true," Ochaco said softly, wiping away her tears. "Your son is not only alive, Miss Chi-Chi. Gohan is a Hero."
When she heard that, Chi-Chi's crying gasps escaped her lips and she dropped all of the applications on the desk, surging forward and pulling Gohan into a tight, tearful embrace.
"Oh, Gohan!" she cried, sobbing into her son's ear. "You're alive! It's really you!"
Chi-Chi's tears fell like soft rain on Gohan's shoulder, soaking up his shirt and Gohan couldn't contain his tears anymore. He wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders and, digging his fingers into her shirt, he finally let his emotions out in heaves of emotional sobs.
"MOOOM!" he cried, like a child who had been lost in the dark for so long and had finally found the light. "MOM! I missed you so much! I can't believe you're actually here!"
"Oh Gohan! My Gohan! Where have you been?! I looked everywhere for you and I couldn't find you!" Chi-Chi cried. "I'm so sorry, Gohan! I'm so so sorry – for everything! For bringing you up in poverty and hardship, for lying to you about your past, and about your heritage, and about your Quirk, for kicking you out into the streets when all you needed was love and reassurance. I'm so sorry, Gohan! I'm a failure of a mother."
"No, please don't say that, Mom. That's not true at all," Gohan pleaded. He reached up and gently wiped his mother's streaming tears with his thumbs and kissed her cheek. Mother and son embraced again. "You did your best, Mom. You did your best – I know you did. I love you so much, Mom."
"I love you too, sweetheart," Chi-Chi said into Gohan's shoulder. "And I'm never letting go of you again!"
"But wait a second, what are these?!" Chi-Chi said, gripping Gohan's chiseled shoulders. "The last time I saw you, you were a skinny, timid little teen with a cute bowl haircut who was shorter than me, and now look at you!"
"ME?!" Gohan laughed happily, sniffing back his stuffed nose. "Look at you! You look amazing, Mom! Have you been working out or something?! Are these actual muscles?!"
"Yes, believe it or not!" Chi-Chi said shyly. "I picked up Martial Arts again so I could train Goten. It's changed my life completely in a way I never thought possible!"
"Wait… you are training Goten in Martial Arts?!" It was almost comically too paradoxical. His mom, who abhorred heroes and fighting, was now training Goten to become one?
"Yes," Chi-Chi said. "Honey, do you remember a few weeks ago, when the League of Villains attacked the Marketplace nearby?"
"Of course I remember!" Gohan said. "I was there."
"So were we," Chi-Chi said, her voice dropping. Gohan's heart froze over.
"What?!" He gasped. "Where?!"
"We were shopping in the mall when it got leveled by those villains. We would've died had it not been for this heroic young lady who saved us…"
Gohan's mouth dropped and he slowly turned to Ochaco.
"Ochaco…? You-?"
"Yeah," Uraraka nodded, holding her hands together behind her back. "When you sent me and Midoriya to go through the mall, looking for survivors, I found your mom and little brother pinned under a pillar with water rushing in. So it was thanks to your leadership that Midoriya and I were able to rescue them."
"Ever since that day, I realized how important it was to be able to defend ourselves, and what a vital role heroes play in our society in this day and age," Chi-Chi said.
"Ochaco, you saved my family," Gohan breathed, staring at Ochaco in disbelief.
"Yes she did," Chi-Chi confirmed, taking Ochaco's hand in hers and Gohan's hand in her other hand. "And not only that, she's the one who planned for us to meet here today! All of this was Ochaco's idea. I must say, you found yourself a selfless, capable and kind young woman to be your girlfriend, Gohan."
Ochaco's eyes flicked over to Gohan's nervously, searching for his reaction with a bite of her lower lip.
"Yes she is," Gohan said after a brief moment, reaching out to take Ochaco's hand.
Just outside, the rest of Class A had been returning from lunch and found Kaminari with his ear pressed against the door of Waiting Room 4. He was sobbing and snotting and wiping away at his eyes.
"What the heck is up with you, Jambrain?" Kyoka asked.
"Oh, it's… s-so beautiful," Kaminari sobbed. "G-Gohan… gasp just got reunited with his long-lost mother!"
"What?!" Mina shouted, glancing at the girls. "Gohan's mama is here?! I wanna meet her!"
"Me too!" Toru cheered, shoving past the crying Kaminari.
"Outta the way, ladies!" Melissa shouted, leaping past Mina and Toru to open the door. "Best friend here, coming through!"
The girls burst through the door and Chi-Chi jumped in surprise.
"Hi Mrs Son!" Melissa sang happily. "Ohh! It's so cool to meet you in person! I'm Melissa Shield, one of Gohan's best friends! Class Rep Son's told us so many wonderful things about his family!"
"And I'm Toru, the invisible girl!" Hagakure introduced herself.
"Mina Ashido!" Mina called out with a peace sign in her fingers. "Oh wait till the rest of the class hears this! Hey, Kaminari! Call Iida! Tell him to bring everyone here, pronto!"
"Oh, it's lovely to meet you all," Chi-Chi said, a bit overwhelmed at first, but once she saw how beloved Gohan was in Class 1A, she immediately knew that he was in good hands. In the following minutes, she spent time getting to know each and every one of Gohan's classmates as they continued to flood into the room.
…
In time, after meeting Gohan's classmates, it was time for Class 1A to prepare for the afternoon festivities and Chi-Chi had to return to her seat.
As she made her way from the waiting rooms back up to the Capsule Corporation balcony, the hardest thing for Chi-Chi was letting her son out of her sight again. She kept glancing back at her son again and again and every time, Gohan would smile and patiently wave at his mother until he disappeared from sight. It hurt to let him go again, but in her heart she knew that Gohan had been taken care of in that year or so since they had been separated.
As if on cue, two figures stepped in front of her and waited patiently for Chi-Chi to notice them. Chi-Chi raised her head and drew in a deep, heavy sigh. She did not think that she would have to face these two men so soon – All Might and Piccolo.
"Chi-Chi," Toshinori said with a tired, gentle tone.
"All Might," Chi-Chi breathed. "I mean, Toshinori… It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yes," All Might said with a smile. His tense muscles relaxed. "It really has. Please, will you allow us to walk you back to your seat? There's so much we have to talk about…"
Chi-Chi sighed deeply but smiled up at the man who was practically her brother-in-law.
"Sure," she said. "Let's talk."
…
The call was made to prepare the students for the afternoon games as well as the Junior League tournament. Class 1A returned well rested to the waiting room and Gohan met Ochaco just ouside, around the corner, out of sight from everyone else.
"Thank you, Ochaco," Gohan said sincerely. "This has been the best birthday gift ever!"
"I'm so happy for you, Gohan," Ochaco said, smiling and holding her hands together in front of her. "You deserve this. You see? It looks like Porunga answered your prayers and granted your wish after all! I told ya it would work, didn't I? Even without the other five dragon balls to-"
Without a word or warning, Gohan took Ochaco by the waist and leaned down towards her. Before Ochaco could even register what was happening, Gohan pressed his lips against hers in a loving kiss. The sudden warm rush of emotions flooded through Ochaco's body, making her limp. The two teens pressed themselves against the privacy of the wall, and Ochaco reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck for support, losing herself in the warmth of his lips.
No. There was no need for any more words to be spoken. Gohan's loving embrace said it all.
Ending Song:
"Child-error -" by My First Story
A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry for making you wait this long for the next chapter. I had a lot of ideas that I wanted to cram into it, but unfortunately, writers' block and life kept me from being able to make much progress. Plus my laptop broke so I couldn't write even if I wanted to.
I'm currently typing this chapter up on my phone so if it's a little shorter and less descriptive that's why. I just couldn't sit and wait on it any longer.
I was going to hold the Junior League fight here in this chapter, but I decided it was a good place to stop.
Well, there you have it. The revelation of what really happened to Rei Todoroki, as well as Gohan's tearful reunion with his mother. Yeah, pretty messed up what happened to the Todoroki's right? Can the damage be repaired? Well, we'll find out in the arc following the Sports Fest…
In the next chapter, we'll see his reunion with Goten ;) I can't wait for it! See you all next update!
Review Responses:
Luna Bellanova chapter 11 . Feb 28
Oomph. My heart melted with that last scene! We have officially crossed into holding hands territory! It's only a matter of time now until the inevitable kiss comes and I can't wait for it.
It's so cool how you've managed to turn Izuku into a supporting character without demeaning him. I respect that. The close friendship of the Musutafu gang is so wholesome!
Your endnote made me chuckle! Come on don't be afraid to spice it up even a little. You won't hear me complaining! ROFL! Jk
Ooh! And thank you for reading my OneShot and I've given a lot of thought to the interesting ideas you proposed there! Thank you so much!
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Keep going, you're almost there! No, there will be no "spicing up" of anything lmaooo oh yeah! No problem! I really enjoyed the one shot, even though it was depressing as hell! But you've got a budding talent, so keep at it! Thanks again for your review!
ArguableReader chapter 40 . Feb 28
ALRIGHTY~ SO, What to say here?
The cavalry battle was, exaggerative, to say the least,
then again, it's japan so, they've got a right to be like that I guess.
Kendo VS. Ochaco...
First comes the denial, then comes the acknowledgement, then acceptance,
and lastly full on encouragement.
Kendo may lose, obviously, but sooner or later, she will accept it,
and when that day arrives, the sisterly bond of Kenocha will be born,
with Kendo being as fearsome as a lioness defending her pride-sister, and her mate...get it?
Oh yeah~ right, Melissa DOES, kinda have her, foot-in-the-door, for both companies doesn't she?
Well whatever the two brainiac's and their allies come up, I'm sure it'll be fantastic.
Trunks & Goten huh?
Goten unfortunately, may not be the brightest, but he's at least honest.
Trunks is pretty much the sole reason he ends up being scolded so,
I wonder if goten will ever realize the trouble he gets into,
is his friendship, with trunks, at some point or another, you know? (Poor Fuyumi)
The reunion, at this moment, I'm listening to (DBZ Bruce Faulconer track: New Earth) and,
it hits man...it hits, HARD (T_T) (_) teary face followed by smiley face.
(You got to do it for yourself when wright up that scene okay?)
Hey! Thanks so much for your review and yeah, like you said, once the love rivalry cools down between Ochaco and Kendo, they'll have a strong sisterly bond no doubt!
And yeah Goten just looks up to and cares so much about Trunks even if he gets in trouble because of him often. They both really care about one another really. The unofficial brothers.
Oh yes I love that OST track so much that I turned it into a fictional book that Gohan reads in the Season finale of season 1. The New Earth.
And if your curious about the music choice for the reunion, I based it off of "The New Symbol of Peace" by piano prince of anime. It's really good! You should check it out if you have a chance!
Thanks so much for your review and sorry to make you wait so long for an update!
Saiyanwarrior22 chapter 40 . Feb 28
Kendo did the Vegeta thing with her thumb. She's automatically just lost the whole match. Great chapter though, super excited to see Gohan finally bust out Ozaru and all the up coming fights
Hehe you saw that huh? It's going to be a fun fight and I can't wait to get to all of the match ups in the final tournament! Thank you so much for your review!
Guest chapter 40 . Mar 1
Good chapter, it is very appreciated that Gohan does not win everything being number 1 and with a lot of difference against second place XD
The only thing I didn't like was Kendo's personality change, I hope it's not permanent :(
By the way, it has nothing to do with the chapter, but I was wondering if you plan to include fusions?
Hi guest, thank you so much for your review and don't worry, Kendo's competitiveness isn't permanent. She'll get a slice of humble pie and come back to her senses soon.
Yes indeed my friend. In fact if you check out the Season 1 Recap you might have seen a fusion or two at the very end ;)
Thank you so much for your review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
X3runner chapter 40 . Mar 1
I liked the Itsuka Ochaco bit, would have been neat if the argument between them boils down to the idea of what a significant other is ment to do for the other . Like Ochaco could believe in supporting their significant other snd making certain they are happy. On the other hand Itsuka could view things as you are supposed to make your significant other the best that they can be and not be a drag on them kinda like she did by pointing out that gohan should have placed a lot higher in the competition. Meaning that they both want what's best for him just they disagree on the method meaning that deep down they are both good girls Also I really liked the Fu bits he's super fun and I really can't wait to see more of his shenanigans . This was a really fun chapter
Hi X3! Yes bro that's exactly the dynamic I'm looking for with those two and that's why I figured they would be an interesting romantic rivalry because of their very different views on what love means.
And you'll definitely be seeing a lot more Fu in the Fu...ture haaa pun lmao thanks so much for your review!
JustinCase chapter 40 . Mar 1
Ooooh I'm loving the Yamcha and Tien reference! Their hero names are pretty straightforward - well, Wolf Fang is, but Thrice for Tien is unexpected, but pretty creative. Thrice, I really like it. It just rolls of the tongue lol
Yamcha and Mount Lady? yehhh dasss hawt :)
It's funny how they all immediately recognized Gohan, whom they've not seen since he was a kid, but Chi-Chi didn't... but ah well, I'll let it go. I'm still looking forward to that reunion between Chi-Chi and Gohan and of course Goten next chapter. Ima cry like a little bitchhh to be honest.
Speaking of Goten, I can't wait to see what crazy shenanigans he and his little hooligan buddy Trunks are getting themselves into! I can picture the hilarious madness now and I can't wait! Poor Fuyumi, she's going to have to face angry mama bears Chi-Chi and Bulma to let them know that she lost their kids in a stadium of a half a million strangers! XD
I like your twist on the Cavalry Battle, too and how Kendo came in clutch to try and rescue Midoriya's team in the last minutes, even if she proved to be no match against Todoroki's ice. I kind of felt sad when she cried, knowing the truth behind Todoroki's words, but not being able to accept them.
I see her anger towards Ochako being a way of lashing out, because deep down she knows that Gohan is in love with Ochako, whom Itsuka thinks is holding him back, and if Gohan would just open his eyes and see who was on his side, pushing him to become the best, then he would finally notice her. So i definitely feel for her and I think you struck gold in choosing her as the love rival. I hope that the girls can grow in time and hopefully go from being rivals to best friends one day. That would be really sweet. They really are good girls, both of them.
And one last thing, my favorite quote of the chapter, if not the entire arc thus far was when Iida said "He's getting up again?" and Melissa says: "Of course he is. He's Son-fucking-Gohan" Absolutely legendary bruh! Loved that bit! Can't wait until the next chapter man! This story keeps getting better and better!
Hehe you're not the only one aboard the Kendo train! Let's see where it goes. I'm open to letting the characters decide for themselves. And yeah I figured Yamcha and Yuu would be a good ship. Both are so superficial that they're perfect for one another haha
You'll see more of Yamcha later ;)
Thanks for your review!
KaijuEmperor chapter 40 . Mar 3
Well Shoto is pulling a bunch of bitch moves against Gohan in this story(wonder if Vegedeavor is gonna be pissed that his son is doing what he views as a cowards way of attacking) and Itsuka is going full tsundare on poor Ochako, though I do hope she grow out of it soon cause I don't like it when she's a tsundare(at least she's not Asuka or Sakura level)
And Fucking FINALLY! We'll finally see the reunion we've all been waiting for without the dumbass plot getting in the way! Now let's just hope my heart can take it.
Hi Kaiju! Yes I agree, Shoto's been a bit too much of a tactician when he should have been able to obliterate his opponents. And no doubt Vegeta would feel annoyed by that. Just wait until he fights in the Final Tournament. He'll fight a lot more directly and viciously.
Oh no! I'm not gonna let Itsuka get down to Sakura levels! Don't worry, her competitive edge is going to cool off soon and the girls are going to bond in the sweetest way. And from then on, yeah they'll still be rivals but it won't be hostile.
Hehe yes after almost two years the reunion is finally here! I hope you enjoyed it, though it's not over. Gohan still has to meet up with Goten... and so does All Might. And you can already imagine why it would be an emotional meeting for Toshinori as Goten is the mirror image of kid Goku who was basically All Might's little brother! Lots of waterworks in the next chapter as well hehehe
Thank you so much for your review, Kai! I hope you enjoyed it!
Brandon Dupere chapter 40 . Mar 5
Quel chapitre, il sont ait passé des choses. La seul chose que je peux reprocher et le même problème qu'il y a dans l'anime quand il s'agit de temps. Dans dbz, Freezer dit à Goku que la planète namek va exploser dans cinq minutes mais au final, le combat a duré je ne sais pas combien d'épisodes. La c'était la même chose, dix secondes qui ont duré une minute minimum. C'est le seul point négatif que j'ai à dire. Maintenant que la rivalité amoureuse entre les deux filles est officielle, ont peux s'attendre à des choses folles qui vont se produire. Aussi, j'ai trop hâte de te la réaction de Satan lorsqu'il verra sa fille arrivé en tenue de pom-pom girl, à cause de Minoru et Denki, ainsi que de voir les combats de la ligue juniors.
salut brandon!
ouais je peux comprendre ce point concernant le passage rapide du temps. Je pense que ce qui le fait paraître encore plus long dans l'anime, c'est que beaucoup de scènes se déroulent simultanément, mais sont montrées comme se déroulant l'une après l'autre, ce qui le fait paraître plus long qu'il ne l'est en réalité. il y a des utilisateurs de youtube qui ont fait des batailles dbz "en temps réel", y compris le tristement célèbre combat de frieza de trois heures et le tournoi de puissance en super, mais compressé pour montrer à quoi l'actuon aurait ressemblé en temps réel. si vous le regardez, cela met en lumière à quel point les combats se déroulent à une vitesse incroyable ainsi que quelques choses ici et là qui se produisent en même temps.
et bien sûr c'est quelque chose que je m'efforcerai d'améliorer, alors merci de me l'avoir signalé.
bien que les combats et les jeux du milieu du festival (y compris les pom-pom girls sexy de 1A) n'aient pas eu lieu dans ce chapitre, soyez assurés que cela arrivera dans le prochain épisode. je ne pouvais tout simplement pas tout mettre dans un seul chapitre car je l'écris sur mon téléphone portable haha
Merci pour votre avis! J'espère que vous avez apprécié ce chapitre, même s'il était court et émouvant. J'attends également avec impatience votre prochain chapitre de votre crossover Sailor Moon ! ça devient vraiment bien ! jusqu'au prochain chapitre, mon ami!
ZEDNEMwashere chapter 6 . Mar 7
The romance feels really really forced bro it's so bad that I feel like dropping this, but damn do you write a compelling story I really wanna know everything about this story I would rate this fic a 10/10 but the Romance like I said is pretty bad so a 8/10.
Hi Zednem! Yeah I really suck at writing romance and just writing in general honestly. Some of my friends even mentioned to me that they don't read it for the romance but rather for the story. I hope you can make it this far for the twists but if not I completely understand. In any case, thank you so much for giving my little fic a chance and for the generous rating. I sincerely appreciate it!
ZEDNEMwashere chapter 8 . Mar 7
Bro where tf is Chi-Chi and Goten. I swear bro I'm betting that All for One got his hands on them.
Nah if All For One ever tries to put his hands on our sweet little Goten, he will regret it! It was just chance and circumstance, but now they've finally been reunited!
Elchico 64 chapter 40 . Mar 10
What a battle! It was very intense on every moment, especially Team Todoroki and Bakugo, this last one was on rage mode every second.
I got the impression when Melissa join with Todoroki, he doesnt see them as friends, just allies and he would every thing to prove his strength without his flames or saiyan genes. And having Gohan as a rival just give him more motivation. You nailed on top.
And, oh man, the way he protect Momo. Gohan return the favor back there, eh.
Bakugo was... well, Bakugo there isn't too much that makes a real difference. But hey, he deep in his heart likes (strong word) his team.
Then it was Kendo and man, she is doing everything to take Gohan away from her. I'll admit, she's obsessed with him, at the point not only wants to fight him or keep it from Ochaco. That confrontation was tense thin in air. Not only that, she make look Ochaco like dead wheight (like Nero from Devil May Cry XD) and she's not. Gohan loves her and you can sed it from afar and wont change his mind.
Of course, that doesnt mean I will abandon Gohan x Kendo (at least, not in PoD). Good try, but not enough :)
Oh, also I forgot to mention in the chapter 39 the creeps gave me the Cell hive. It was waaaay darker than I thoght it would. It was amazing!
I think this all, sorry for the delay. Had a rough weeks and many things that make me move between many places to help family and friends. At least I finalmy could began the production of chapter 4 of Expelled.
This chapter was astonishing, your writing is getting better! Hope to read soon the next chapter, the tournament is about to begin! Stay healthy, my friend!
PD: NEW BUDOKAI TENKAICHI LET'S GOOOOOOOO!
Bro! Yessss! Sneaky guy tried to keep his crush safe but Gohan gave it back to him which triggered his flames (this is important for later!)
As for Bakugo yeah he's still cranky but starting to form a tiiiiny bit of respect for the Bakusquad (kiri, Videl, Mina, and later Jiro and kaminari)
I hope this chapter gave you a little more glimpse into Shoto's wounds, his internal scars and why he rejects his Saiyan side so openly.
And then he have our girl Itsuka! Don't worry, she won't be this grumpy for much longer. Just needs a reality check and after that she'll be good to go. Actually, she and Ochaco will have a sweet moment after the Sports Fest when tensions will have cooled, though that doesn't mean she will have stopped crushing on Gohan, but it won't be as toxic!
I hope you enjoyed the reunion! There's one more coming up in the next chapter! Thanks so much for your review Chico and yessss I'm eagerly awaiting for your next chapter of EfM!
TheNewGen chapter 40 . Mar 11
Absolutely love what you're doing with the story and love it in general, the way you integrate elements of both series is truly phenomenal. I had one question though, you said Goku was twenty one when he "died", but wouldn't he be like in his mid to late twenties by the time All for One captured him. You might have explained it in an earlier chapter and I missed it, but I was just a little confused on how old he was seven years ago.
Thank you so much for your review, New Gen! And for the correction as well, as Goku would've been in his mid 20s like you mentioned. My mistake!
I'll have to correct it as soon as I get my laptop back up and running! But I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks so much once more!
That's it for review responses. Again I'm sorry for the long wait and for the short review responses, as mentioned, my laptop broke so I'm typing this up on my phone.
My poor fingers! XD
See you all next time!