A/N: Welcome back to Path of the Dragon! And happy two year anniversary to this fic! I wanted to include a mini "celebration" of sorts before diving into the fights. It's a little corny and honestly kinda cringe, but I had fun writing it… Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter, if you can. There are some things I wanted to say.
But for now, without further ado, please enjoy the chapter. I'm sorry it took so long :(
Review Responses at the end, as usual.
Opening Song:
"Vandalize" by One OK Rock
"Come on Goku. Come on, you can do it!" Toshinori encouraged in a high pitch voice, giving the pint-sized toddler a gentle nudge. Goku's eyes were comically huge and he shivered as he stared down the stairs. Goku's tiny fingers clung onto the wooden handrail like nails, refusing to budge. His pudgy naked legs trembled against his diaper with apprehension.
"Why the heck are ya wastin' your time, Toshinori?" Raditz grunted, laying on the grass a few feet away, with his hands tucked behind his head, chewing on a piece of wheat straw in his mouth. "Kakarot's nothin' but a big, dumb baby. He couldn't even walk two weeks ago! All he's ever good at is cryin'."
"Don't listen to him, Goku. I know it looks like a long way down, but I'm right here with you," Toshi said with a patient laugh, crouching down on his haunches to be at eye level with the toddler. He held Goku's tiny hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Whether the ten month old boy understood him or not, or even comprehended what Toshi was telling him, Goku's tiny hand squeezed back. Slowly, his left hand uncurled from the wooden hand rail and on wobbling legs and hesitant steps, followed Toshi down each step, holding onto his left hand tightly.
"Yes that's it! Look at you go, Goku!" Toshi shouted proudly. Raditz rolled his eyes and laid his head back down on his hands, closing his eyes for a nap.
Goku gave off a chortling shriek of joyful laughter. His tail wiggled happily in the air.
"I knew you could do it, Goku!" Toshi said excitedly. "Always remember, as long as I'm by your side, I'm never gonna let you fall!"
…
Present Time
"And then the very next step he took sent him tumbling down the stairs, and he bumped his head on a rock pretty, hard!" Toshinori said, bursting into laughter. Beside him, Chi-Chi gave off a chortling cackle, and Piccolo smirked silently, his left arm tucked under the stump of his right arm.
"Oh no, my poor Goku!" Chi-Chi laughed, wiping a tear away from her eye with a tissue. "That's one story he never told me."
"That's because I never told him! AHAHAHA!" Toshinori and Chi-Chi leaned back with another laugh. When they finally settled down, Toshinori looked down at Chi-Chi with glistening eyes and a relieved smile.
"Listen, Chi-Chi…" He said, folding his hands together. "I want you to know that I loved Goku very, very much. He was my little brother. I promised his mother that I would always be there to protect him and his family. The last thing I ever wanted was to be the cause of so much pain in your lives. Not a day passes without it haunting me. So please, let me atone for it."
Toshinori bowed respectfully in front of Chi-Chi, who gasped, taken aback by the hero's show of emotion.
"Please, let me guide young Gohan down the righteous path, so that he may become an even greater man than his father and I could ever dream of becoming. This time, I will remain by his side and I refuse to let him fall!"
"I know, Toshi." Chi-Chi said with a gentle smile. "And believe me, Goku loved you, too. We all did. But after we lost Goku, I spent so much time and energy hating the world and myself, that I just lost focus of what really mattered – giving my children a chance to reach their dreams. Rather than teaching them the lessons passed down to us about breaking past our limits, I was tying them down to a life that was a lie. So we both have things to atone for, huh? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I… I forgive you, Toshinori," Chi-Chi whispered. Taking a swift step forward, Chi-Chi closed the gap between them and embraced Toshi.
The two hugged like long-lost siblings.
"Thank you, Chi-Chi," All Might said, heaving a tired, but relieved sigh. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words."
"Toshi, if that's really your intent," Chi-Chi said, wiping her eyes. "If that's really what you want, then please, stay by my son's side and continue to help him grow. Besides…"
Chi-Chi shot Toshinori a mischievous smirk as she pulled back from the hug.
"My youngest is your number one fan, after all. How could I not tell him that his uncle is the great All Might?!"
"Youngest?!" Toshinori and Piccolo gasped. The larger man smacked his huge hand on his forehead. "Ohhh, that's right! You were pregnant the last time I saw you!"
"That's right," Chi-Chi said, holding her hands behind her back. "Goten is eight years old now – and he's just like his father. Stick around for the Junior League Tournament and you'll get to watch him compete."
"I will!" All Might said with a cheerful laugh. "You bet I will!"
"I will guide Gohan as well," Piccolo said. "He is part of our Clan, now. As a Dragon of Namek-"
"I don't think so," Chi-Chi's smile melted and she glared at the Namekian man. "You're part of the reason why my son left home in the first place!"
"Left?" Piccolo scoffed. "Such a pleasant word, as if the boy headed off to camp for the summer. How did the boy end up at my doorstep, homeless and without a damned clue about who he was? Hmm? Thin as a nail, weak in body and in mind and in spirit! 'Left'? Don't make me laugh. That's not exactly what happened, was it, Chi-Chi?"
Chi-Chi gritted her teeth, unable to reply.
"Look, I get it. It wasn't right, what I did to your family back then," Piccolo said in a lower tone, dulling the edge in his voice with a sigh and a shake of his head. His dark eyes denoted a faint sadness, far different from the cold, murderous eyes of the man who had kidnapped her son so many years ago. Piccolo's eyes were underlined with wear and regrets.
"You have plenty of reason to hate me. I was young and ambitious then," Piccolo continued. "I was so driven by rage towards a society that cast me out and looked upon me as nothing more than a Demon. But Gohan was different. Even though he was a child, he did not see me as a monster. With his warm, noble heart, this child taught me that it's not the darkness that surrounds us, but the light that shines from within that defines who we truly are."
"And suddenly you found clarity, did you? Well, how nice for you," Chi-Chi interrupted, hissing through gritted teeth. "You sacrificed my son to the Devil, Piccolo, and that bastard used him to destroy an entire city. Thousands of lives!"
"I tried to save him," Piccolo said, clenching his jaw and looking away. "In fact, I double-crossed All for One just to get Gohan away from him, but that wicked man was always a step ahead of me. I lost my Quirk, I lost my arm, and I almost lost my life. But I would gladly lay my life down for him, without hesitation. Because he is more than a friend – he is my family. And I, too, have much to atone for."
"Chi-Chi," All Might stepped forward with a soothing, reasonable tone. "Remember how you said that the police found Gohan's shoes floating in Dagoba Sea? When he ran away from home, Piccolo took him in and trained him in Mount Paozu. He formed the strong foundation that lead him to this point now – without Piccolo's help, Gohan surely would have died out there, alone. But now he has a home, he has a family that loves him and he's excelling at everything he does, largely in part because of what Piccolo here has done for him."
Chi-Chi looked away and swallowed her rage with a sob.
"Piccolo has been a father to Gohan when he needed him the most, and he is doing his best to move heaven and earth to give Gohan the best possible future."
Toshinori placed a hand on Chi-Chi's shoulder and Chi-Chi looked up at him with watery, angry eyes. Toshinori's voice dropped down to almost a whisper.
"Can't you find it in your heart to forgive him, too?" He asked. Chi-Chi looked over to Piccolo, who was staring straight at her.
"Nothing I say can change the past. But what I can assure you of is that matter what comes in the future," Piccolo said, "No matter what trials the boy faces, I will never lose faith in him. You can be sure of that, Chi-Chi. We will always be by his side, and he will never be alone again."
Chi-Chi gulped and bit her lower lip, but nodded.
"Thank you, Piccolo," she said.
"Always, Chi-Chi. You can count on us – we got this! Now, enough moping around," Toshinori said, puffing up his chest. A wide smile broke out in his face. "The Sports Games and the Junior League will be starting soon. Let's get out there and cheer the boys on!"
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO – SPORTS FEST IV: CHEERS!
(A SECOND YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL)
Izuku had been looking for All Might for a while now, but the smiling hero was nowhere to be found. Not in the cafeteria, not in the locker rooms, not in the teachers' lounge. Izuku was almost about to give up when he heard that iconic booming laughter ringing from down the hall ahead.
"There he is!" Izuku said, running towards the sound of his teacher's voice, but as he rounded the corner, he saw him standing in front of Miss Chi-Chi, of all people. A towering Namekian who resembled Nail in everyone, minus the missing arm, stood next to them.
Miss Chi-Chi wiped her eyes with a tissue and stepped forward to hug All Might. The two embraced, and Izuku gasped, taken aback by the familiarity of it all.
How on earth does All Might know Miss Chi-Chi?! Was she perhaps an old flame of his from back in the day? Wait a minute – what if Goten is All Might's secret love child or something?! Oh, come on, knock it off, Izuku. Izuku shook his head and banged it with the lower palm of his hand to expel the ridiculous idea. I'm starting to sound like Todoroki now…
Clearly, it was an emotional reunion and Izuku didn't want to intrude, so he thought it best to just leave them alone.
"Oh well," Izuku sighed in defeat. "I'll just have to catch him later."
As he walked down the hall, he looked down at his palm and squeezed it into a fist. His thoughts traveled back to what Todoroki had said to him and Gohan just a little while ago.
"I can sense the power coming from you every time you use your Smash attacks. It's definitely Saiyan."
"Saiyan power…" Izuku whispered to himself. Could it be…? But how was that even possible?
Suddenly, a voracious growl roared out of his belly, protesting loudly, even though he had already eaten twice! Why was he so ravenous today? Would he even make it back to the food stands in time before the start of the afternoon games? Probably not… Izuku took off running down the hall and dashed into the boys' locker room. It was empty by now, as most of the students had already returned to the waiting rooms. Izuku ran over to Gohan's locker, next to his.
"Sorry about this, Gohan!" Izuku said, as if Gohan could hear him. "But I know you saved some snacks in here. I'm starving!"
Izuku opened Gohan's locker and rummaged through, finding some packaged crackers and a drink. Bingo! Izuku greedily tore into the snack and was chugging the soda when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Izuku Midoriya," a woman's voice called out to him. Izuku looked up to see the beautiful woman who had been following him around the Sports Fest all day and almost choked on the drink. She walked over to him and stopped with a few feet of distance between them, putting her yellow gloved fists against her hips and smiling proudly at him.
Finding himself alone in the locker room with such a beautiful woman like this made an involuntary wave of heat shoot up his neck, and he tried his best not to let it show.
The fluorescent lighting shined off of the hero's beautiful dark eyes and the navy blue bodysuit she wore accentuated every single curve of her muscular body. Her white cape draped over her shoulders and fell just inches above the floor. A smaller red cape was clipped around her hips.
"Oh, h-hi!" Izuku said with a sheepish grin, unable to meet the beautiful woman's gray eyes.
The woman chuckled.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. Just happened to be around and wanted to talk to you. That's a mighty strong punch you got there," she said, leaning down to examine him closer. So close! Izuku squeaked.
"Nice Quirk, kid!" she said. "It kinda reminds me of All Might's Smash."
"Oh, really?" Izuku lied, avoiding eye contact. "Funny you should mention that; everyone keeps telling me the same thing. Actually I'm a really big fan, so yeah, a lot of my moves are inspired by him…"
"And yet, it seems like you've been holding back when using your powers. Why is that?" she asked, bringing a finger up to her cheek and holding her elbow with her other hand. "I'm not really an expert, and without my husband's scouter, it's really hard to determine for sure, but I'd say you're capping out at about nine, maybe ten percent of your overall power level."
"Ten percent?!" Izuku gasped. That's it?! I'd been aiming for at least fifteen or twenty by now! And what the heck is a power level?!"I'm trying my best, but it's complicated. My powers come with a cost, and I'm limited to what I can do for now. I'm just not… like… my classmates."
"You mean like Gohan?" She asked.
"Yeah," Izuku sighed.
The lady cocked her head to the side with a smirk.
"Why not?" She asked with a curious tone.
"Because," Izuku said. "Gohan's amazing and his powers are nearly limitless! He's got multiple Quirks and he never surrenders. It's like he gets stronger every time he gets knocked down. Not that I'm jealous of him or anything. In fact, I find him to be super inspiring! But he's in a league of his own altogether. I'm nowhere even close to his level."
"HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The lady leaned back, hands on her waist, laughing so loud that it caught Izuku off guard. That hearty, booming laugh had an eerie resemblance to All Might's laugh. Izuku stared, dumbfounded, until the lady regained her composure.
"Sorry, sorry!" She said, wiping a tear from her eye. "You just sounded an awful lot like Toshinori back when he was going through his First Year Sports Fest. Back then, he always looked up to me for my powers. It took him a little while to believe in himself, too."
"Holy whoa!" Izuku gasped. "You mean to tell me you knew All Might since before he was All Might? You must be an incredible hero, ma'am? What's your name?"
"I am the Midnight Hero: Moonlight Might! And yes, I've known Toshi since he was just a little boy! But don't let this young, beautiful face fool ya. I'm old enough to be your grandma, kid!" She laughed, passing a hand through her bushy, waist-length black hair. "Listen, Izuku. It's true that Gohan's got extraordinary strength. But what you just said about him, doesn't that describe you, too? I sure think it does!"
"I… I don't know…" Izuku said sheepishly. Deep down inside, Izuku knew that she was right. He had been blessed with One for All, a crystallization of powers. And after what All Might told him before the start of the Sports Fest, he would soon begin to inherit multiple powers from the previous users… but still, to put himself in the same category as Gohan felt completely absurd.
As if she could read his thoughts, Moonlight smiled and gave him a mischievous side look.
"Izuku, let me tell you something I once told Toshinori – the true strength of a hero doesn't come from his Quirk, or his fists. True strength comes from someplace much deeper than that. It comes from in here."
She reached out and placed a gloved finger on Izuku's chest. Then she brought it up to lift Izuku's chin with her finger in a warm, maternal gesture.
"In that sense, you and Gohan are the same. You've got heart, kiddo, and a whole lot of it!" she said. "I've seen it throughout the Sports Fest, when you helped defend your classmates against the dangers of the obstacle course, when you helped your Quirkless friend finish in second place, and when you lead your team to victory in the cavalry battle. You just have to find that inner strength within and pull that sucker out! So don't be too hard on yourself, okay? Believe in yourself, because all eight of us have faith in you."
"Eight?!" Izuku asked, confused. "Oh, are you part of a bigger scouting agency? Is that it?"
She laughed and shook her head.
"All I'm saying is, stop doubting yourself. Stop holding back, and give it your all in the coming tournament, Plus Ultra style," she said, curling her arm and flexing her chiseled, muscular bicep. "And hey, maybe you can even learn a move or two from Gohan. You two boys are going to grow into mighty heroes, and you're going to change the world. I can foresee that."
Izuku sighed and nodded.
"Thank you, Miss Moonlight, for your encouraging words. I'm gonna do my best."
Moonlight Might winked at him and turned to leave, raising a yellow-gloved hand behind her in a wave. Her white cape swept through the air behind her.
"See that you do. I'll be watchin' ya closely, Izuku Midoriya! We all will!" She called over her shoulder.
Izuku closed his hand and smiled, watching the hero walk down the hallway and exit the locker room. She was right. So many people had helped him reach this point, and he couldn't let them down now. He had to reward their faith in him.
You must present yourself to the world and proudly say 'I am here!', All Might had told him before the start of the Sports Fest. Izuku opened his locker and reached into the very back. A neatly folded, beautifully vibrant red fabric was sitting in the corner. It had been a gift from Nail, Gohan's Namekian friend and mentor who had taken some time to train him for one afternoon and teach him an important lesson.
He had planned to wear it at the start of the Sports Festival, but when he had seen Gohan inherit Elder Guru's Hachimaki, he just didn't feel worthy enough to represent a clan that he wasn't even a part of. It was just like Miss Moonlight had said; he was putting his own obstacles in front of him.
Izuku studied the beautiful crimson cloth in his hand. Then again, whether he belonged to the Dragon Clan or not, was never the point of the scarf, was it?
"Whoa, this thing weighs a ton!" Izuku had said about the weighted scarf when Nail had gifted it to him.
"This thing is a constant reminder that you have a long way to go," Nail had responded. "But if you keep striving to surpass all limits, if you forge your soul into an indomitable spirit, you will always succeed. This is what the Symbol of the Dragon Clan stands for."
Izuku stared at the red scarf with the symbol of the Dragon Clan, the same symbol that Gohan proudly wore on the white hachimaki on his forehead now.
'You and Gohan are the same…'
Maybe he wasn't strong like Gohan, but in that moment, Izuku determined to continue to break past his limits and go beyond, just like Gohan always did. With a firm nod, he brought the scarf up and wrapped it around his neck.
Miss Moonlight Might, All Might, Nail, they were all trying to teach him the same lesson. If he wanted to grow, it was time to stop shrinking back from from his limits, and instead, smash right through them. That's what Gohan would do, and that's exactly what he was going to do from now on, no matter the cost. He needed to show the world what he was truly capable of. What an inspiration Miss Moonlight Might had been, and Izuku had to wonder if she had given All Might any inspiring words of encouragement like this when he had been in his shoes…
It was only that realization suddenly dawned on Izuku.
Wait a minute! Moonlight Might…? All Might…? AHHHHH! Shewas the Hero who inspired All Might's Hero Name! She has to be!Holy whoa, I didn't even get her autograph!
Izuku took off running after Moonlight, but when he turned the corner, there was no sight of beautiful hero. It was like she had completely vanished into thin air.
The bell for the intercom suddenly whined to life, catching his attention.
"What's up, Sports Fans?!" Present Mic's voice shouted through the speakers. "In just ten minutes, we'll be starting off the afternoon festivities, so please find your seats! You're not gonna wanna miss this!"
Oh well, Izuku thought, letting the back of his head hit the wall. Maybe I can catch Miss Moonlight later on during the Meet and Greets…
For now, though, he had to focus. This was his moment. After an hour or two of various sports games, they would finally be starting the Finals Tournament. But before it, he would get a chance to cheer Goten on in the Junior League. With a smile on his face, Izuku steadied himself under the added weight of the Namekian scarf and took off running back towards the stadium field.
…
The Sports Games were a random assortment of non-combat competitions that all students could participate in, regardless of Quirk or study course. The games ranged from basketball competitions, to tennis, sack races, and other sports games and activities, all happening at the same time all throughout the stadium field.
One of the games was tug o' war. The contestants were grouped off in random teams of four players to encourage working together with students from other classes, and lined along the edge of the field. As each team won, they were allowed to progress to the next game down the field.
"HELLOOOO! Earth to Ochaco!" Melissa strenuously yelled through clenched teeth, her hands slipping on the rope. A bright red streak ran across her face. "Wake up and pull!"
But Ochaco was too distracted, staring off at the tug o' war match that was happening three rows from them. The losing team, Sato, Shishida, Tetsutetsu and Awase were trying desperately and failing to dig their heels into the soft grass below.
"C'mon, put your backs into it!" Tetsutetsu shouted at his teammates in his metal form, anchoring his toes into the grass with a sharp kick, but only managing to plow through it as he was being dragged.
"I'm trying!" Sato cried, teeth clenched, muscles bulging. A blue blush formed over his face. "Too… Strong!"
Shishida was in his Beast form, but even the hairy, roaring monster couldn't stop his classmates on the opposite side, Gohan in his kaioken form, Kendo with her giant hands, Kirishima in his hardened body, and Izuku with Full Cowling. Together, they were successfully pulling them over to their side.
"We got 'em on the ropes now, team – let's finish this! PULL!" Itsuka shouted victoriously at the forefront. Gohan yanked on the rope with all of his might, flinging the opposing team to the ground and finally dragging them across the grass until the flag at the center of the rope passed over the goal. The sudden pull also sent Gohan's own team stumbling back. Gohan tried to catch Itsuka, but the redhead crashed into him, sending the two teens to the ground. She landed squarely on his lap.
"That's it!" Midnight announced. "Kendo's Team wins!"
"Aww we lost again?!" Tetsutetsu whined. "Dammit!"
"YEAAHHHH! We won!" Kirishima cheered, raising his hardened fists in the air.
"Yeah, enjoy that win, rock boy," Tetsutetsu said, picking himself up. "The real test will come in the Finals Tournament. We'll see what's what, then!"
"I can't wait to see you lose again, metal mouth!" Kirishima taunted, baring his teeth.
Meanwhile, Gohan found himself laying on the ground, his hands still around Itsuka's waist to keep her from hitting the ground.
"Oops! Sorry about that!" He apologized with a laugh. "I guess I really got into it for a moment there. Are you okay, Kendo?"
"Are you kidding? Don't you apologize!" Itsuka said. "We won! And it was all thanks to you!"
"Well, I wouldn't say it was all thanks to me," Gohan said. "We accomplished this together."
"Mhm, yeah, you're right. That's our fourth First Place win in a row!" Itsuka gloated. "We make a great team, don't we?"
"Yeah, I'd say so… can you get up now?" Gohan chuckled. "My leg's starting to fall asleep."
"Whoops! Sorry about that," Itsuka laughed and picked herself up, extending a hand to help Gohan stand.
"Come on, the next game is a Centipede Race. Let's hydrate first, though." she said with a sparkle in her green eyes, pulling Gohan along with her. "The last thing we need is to get heat stroke."
"Heat stroke?" Gohan laughed, following Itsuka towards the refreshment stand. "I ran into a burning building – your burning building, to be exact, and fought a super villain with fire powers. I think I'm okay as far as tolerating the heat."
"Hey! Don't fight me on this, Gohan," Itsuka said firmly, patting Gohan's arm. "I'm all for endurance training, but when it comes to actual competition, we need to stay in top shape if we want to keep competing at our best."
"Uh, well I guess that makes sense," Gohan conceded as they arrived to the covered refreshment stand.
Several giant umbrellas blocked out the blazing spring sunlight, protecting the rows of ice boxes filled with drinks and benches on which the students could rest. Special machines created by the support course created a cooling mist that fell over the heads of the resting students, providing some relief from the scorch of the day.
Itsuka walked up to one of the ice boxes and plunged her hands into the ice box
"Apple or Grape?" She asked, picking up the two different cans of soda from the wide, rectangular ice box.
"Grape, please!" Gohan nodded, taking the small purple soda can that Itsuka handed to him and took a sip. Itsuka settled for an apple soda and the two teens sat down on one of the benches, enjoying the refreshing cool-down from the mist that fell over their heads.
Itsuka took a long gulp from her soda and glanced over, catching sight of Gohan staring off in Ochaco's direction, tapping his thumb against his soda can anxiously. Ochaco's team was trying their best, but it was clear that in due time, Team Jiro was going to win. Itsuka bit her lip and sucked on it, clearing her orange bangs from her face.
"So! You and Uraraka…" Itsuka mused, trailing off on purpose. Gohan glanced back over to her with a blush. "I bet you wish you were there with her, huh?"
"She's my best friend," Gohan said, rotating the can slowly in his fingers. "And she's always been there for me through my highs and lows. I can't even begin to tell you all the crazy stuff we've been through together, or how much I care about her. So yeah, I wish I could be there for her now…"
"So what does that make me, huh?" Itsuka scoffed, karate chopping his shoulder. "Chopped liver?!"
"N-No!" Gohan said quickly. "I didn't mean it that way. Of course, I'm glad to be your teammate!"
"HA! Relax, I'm just kidding," Itsuka laughed, slapping Gohan's arm. "Obviously, there's nothing wrong with wanting to team up with friends. And yeah, I get it, wanting to be with someone and not being able to… But Gohan? Don't you think it'd be good for little Ochaco to spread her wings a little, and learn to fly on her own for once?"
"Hey, I taught her how to fly, okay?" Gohan laughed.
"See?" Itsuka said, throwing her hand up. "I mean, you've been there for her all this time, right? Winning her battles, creating a shadow for her to depend on. Sometimes it's good to let go for a little while. It'll be good for her, too. She gets to learn how to be independent, and you get to win for once, yeah?"
"Yeah, I guess," Gohan sighed. "You're right, Kendo. Maybe it's the Dragon in me. I find myself wanting to protect her, always."
"Why?" Itsuka asked.
"Because," Gohan said, looking back up to Ochaco. He smiled. "I love her."
"Oh, I see," Itsuka whispered. Her hand tightened around the soda can ever so slightly. After a brief pause, she brought the can up and gave several long gulps.
"Whoa, Kendo, slow down!" Gohan said, watching as the girl tilted the can all the way up and finished the soda with a final gulp.
"Ahh!" she sighed, slapping her abdomen a few times. "A good chug always puts a fire in my belly. Okay, Gohan! Enough lovey dovey crap for now. Now that we've only got a handful of games to get through before the Finals Tournament, just forget about Uraraka for a little longer and stick with me, okay? I'm not gonna give up till I make sure we win everything together!"
Gohan studied Kendo with a mischievous grin.
"What?" Itsuka asked, catching Gohan's stare.
"Winning first place is very important to you, isn't it Kendo?" Gohan asked.
"Ha! Well, yeah, sorta," Itsuka snorted, staring down at her soda can. After a brief pause, she looked back up with a smile.
"You know," she said, "I lost my mom when I was a little girl, around six or seven years old. Valese had a really high fever one night and Papa still hadn't made it back from work, so Mama went out to look for some medicine. But she never made it back. Namek City was so unforgiving back then, with the Triads and the Yakuza at war with one another, and war has its casualties, even defenseless, innocent women. Well, you've been fighting the Triads, haven't you? You know how ruthless they can be.
It took us a long time to recover from that. Papa turned to alcohol and violence. He lost his job, went into debt, and even got arrested a few times for starting fights. As for me? I didn't really have time to mourn or feel sorry for myself because I had to raise and look after my baby sister in the shithole that was Namek back then. But then everything changed when Mister Piccolo discovered my Papa. He sponsored him and got him to fight for him at Papaya Island. Little by little, my papa made a name for himself. That got us out of poverty and helped redirect Papa's negative tendencies towards something positive.
I remember Miss Piiza would sneak me into Papaya Island just to watch my Papa fight. It took him a little while to climb the prizefighter ranks, but he finally got there – The Tenkaichi Budokai; the World Martial Arts Tournament. It was scary at first, watching him get hit and knocked down so many times, but seeing him get back up after every time was so exciting and inspiring. And then I watched my papa, all bruised up and bloodied, crying and snotting as he raised up that World Champion belt in the air for the first time. I was so proud of him and I wanted to be just like him. In a city with no agencies or future, my Papa was my Hero."
A nostalgic mist formed in Itsuka's eyes as she recalled a hundred-and-one million moments in that one instant.
"So I told him that I wanted to be fighter like him, and to my surprise, Papa agreed to train me. Oh, poor Papa. He used to come home in the evenings, dragging his feet after working out to the point of exhaustion, and he would pick me up after I finished my homework and put Valese to bed, and then we would drive right back to the gym, where we would both work out and train for hours," Itsuka let out a laugh and wiped a tear from her cheek. "But you know what? He never once complained about it. 'Hard work makes tough people,' he would say. 'Tough times don't last forever, but tough people do.' I take that philosophy to heart in everything I do. That's the indomitable Namekian spirit, right?"
Itsuka crushed the can with a determined smile.
"So yeah, I'm gonna work hard and keep on winning. Now my Papa's the one who snuck in to watch from the stands. He thinks I can't see him, but it's pretty much impossible to hide such a giant guy in the crowd! I just saw Valese, too!" she said, glancing over at Gohan, who hadn't even touched his soda again since Kendo started her story. "Knowing that they're watching me makes me wanna win this even more! I'm gonna fight for them and I'm gonna pay Papa back all of those nights he stayed up late, training me. I'm gonna win First Place, for him. And after I graduate and get my hero license, I'm gonna work hard to start my own Hero Agency in Namek, so that no little girl has to wonder why Mama never made it back from the drugstore again."
A silence fell between them for a moment as Gohan stared down at the sparkling water in his can. In so many ways, he and Itsuka were so alike. They were both young souls who had lost so much and yearned for justice, who wanted their families to live in a peaceful society of promise and were determined to make their dreams into a reality for themselves, and for the city they called home, too…
"Hey, you haven't touched your soda," Itsuka said, playfully karate-chopping Gohan's neck lightly and bringing him back from his brief thoughts. "What did I say about hydrating?"
"Huh? Oh, right!" Gohan said, taking in several long gulps from his soda.
"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" Itsuka chanted, waving her fists up and down as Gohan finished the drink and let out a gasp for air.
"Ahhh! It burns!" Gohan cried. He leaned back and let out a loud, involuntary burp that made them both laugh.
"Yeah! That's the spirit, Gohan!" Itsuka cheered, patting him on the back. "That'll put a fire in your belly."
"Kendo…"
"Itsuka!" Itsuka corrected him. "We're not strangers anymore."
"Right. Itsuka…" Gohan said with a nod. "Thank you for telling me your story. We're more alike than you might think. And your Dad sounds like a good man. But you said he works for Mister Piccolo? What's his name?"
"Yup! He's Mister Piccolo's top contender." Itsuka said. "His name is Rappa Kendo."
"What the wha-? RAPPA!" Gohan shouted, falling from the bench. "Rappa Kendo is your father?!"
"Yuuup, Papa Rappa!" Itsuka said with a shy blush, wrapping a finger around her ponytail. "Why, are you a fan of his or something?"
"A fan?! I fought him before!" Gohan shrieked. "Last May, at Papaya Island, in a steel cage match!"
"Hold on, are you serious?!" Itsuka asked excitedly. Her mouth dropped and her eyes shined. "You fought Papa in the ring?! Last May… That must have been during last year's World Martial Arts Tournament. Wait a sec! No way – you're Skinny?"
"Skinny?" Gohan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's what my Papa calls the fifteen year old who knocked him out of the cage, the only one brave enough to answer his challenge that day. So it was you all along!" Itsuka laughed with him. "Wow, that's neat! He's definitely gonna wanna see you after the tournament. Oh, and Valese, too! Gohan, it's just so crazy… You fight Papa in the ring, then you rescue Valese from that fire villain, and then I run into you here at UA! Fate keeps bringing us together, it seems…"
"Yeah… I guess it does… Hey, Itsuka?" Gohan said, raising a fist towards her. "Let's go win the rest of these games!"
Itsuka's green eyes brightened up with an excited smile and she gave him a firm nod.
"Yeah!" Itsuka agreed, bumping his fist with hers. On her wrist, Itsuka's bracelet held a One-Star Dragon Ball charm and it interacted with Gohan's Four-Star that Ochaco had given him. The two golden orb charms glowed and hummed with their proximity.
From afar, Itsuka's best friends, Yui Kodai, Setsuna Tokage and Reiko Yanagi were watching Itsuka and shared a glance.
"Big Sis Kendo is really getting into this competition, huh?" Setsuna teased. "But it seems like the Sports Fest isn't the only thing she's into…"
"I mean, Itsuka's always been super competitive," Reiko shrugged. "But you're right, I don't think I've ever seen her like this. It's almost like she's got something to prove."
"Clearly," Setsuna chuckled, raising a finger. "She's trying to impress Class Rep Son."
"Strong spiky-haired weirdos are her type," Reiko conceded. The two girls turned to the shortest in the group, Yui. "What do you think, Yui?"
Yui stared motionless at the two Class Reps in the distance, her blue eyes soft and expressionless.
"Hmm…" She moaned softly, her usual response to anything.
"...wise words," Reiko said with a sweat drop.
Meanwhile, the final tug-o-war match between Team Ashido and Team Jiro was still raging. Unfortunately for everyone in Mina's team, as Ochaco watched the interaction between Gohan and Itsuka, she tripped and involuntarily activated her Quirk on Mina. Suddenly their four woman team turned into three, as Mina began to float
"HEY, WHAT THE HECK ARE YA DOING?!" Mina screamed. Immediately, the much stronger team consisting of Jiro, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu and Ibarra began to drag them over to their side.
"Ah, sorry!" Ochaco yelled, letting go of the rope and bringing her hands together. "Release!"
"NOOO!" Mina cried. "Don't let go of the-"
But it was too late. Mina, Melissa and Toru all collapsed forward on top of each other, taking Ochaco with them. All four girls slid across the finish line along with the flag.
"And finally, the last tug-o-war match ends!" Snipe announced, firing off a blank from his pistol into the air that was so loud it scared everyone.
"Are you kidding me with that gun?!" Jiro shrieked, covering her ears.
"Team Jiro wins!" Snipe called.
"Aww well," Melissa sighed, picking herself up and looking down at her tired, burning hands. "We gave it our all, ladies, there's no need to be ashamed."
"Hey, are you okay?" Mina asked, helping Ochaco get back up. The brown haired girl's bangs fell over her eyes and she stared down at the grass. "Feeling sick or something?"
"I'm not sick but…" Ochaco's hands wrapped around her stomach. "But I just don't feel good."
Mina's irritation quickly eroded into worry over their depressed classmate. Melissa nudged at Mina with her elbow and the two girls looked over at the refreshment stand where Kendo and Gohan were sitting closely together, laughing at something.
"What's wrong with Uraraka?" Jiro asked, running over to their side with Yaoyorozu, a worried look in her eyes. "Did she hurt her ankle or something?"
"No, it's worse than that," Toru said. "She's heartbroken."
"Why? It's just a silly game," Yaoyorozu said, rubbing her chin. "Who cares? You win some, you lose some. Just try your best in the next game."
"That's not it," Melissa said, pointing at the refreshment stand discreetly.
"...Heat stress?" Yaoyorozu asked, making the other girls throw their heads back with an exasperated sigh. "You want something to drink? How about some tea?"
"I'm so sorry, you guys," Ochaco said, unable to look up at her classmates. "I'm trying my best, but I keep making us lose… I don't understand why I can't get my head in the game. There's this cold, sinking feeling in my chest. I don't like it!"
"So it's not heat stress…" Momo said, rubbing her chin.
"Ya know, for someone with the highest grades in class, you're kind of an airhead sometimes, Yaomomo," Toru teased.
"Huh?!" Momo blurted with wide eyes. "That's so mean!"
"Ch'yeah, must be all that time she spends with Todoroki…" Mina snickered making Toru and Jiro giggle. "Ignoration by association."
"It's 'ignorance', Mina," Momo corrected her with a twitch of her eyebrow.
"You bet it is!" Mina shot back.
"Agh! This is childish," Momo sighed. "If Uraraka is fine, I'm going to get something to drink. I am utterly parched!"
"Girls, you're wasting time," Mister Snipe told them. "If your little partner here don't need no medical attention, I suggest you move onto the next game."
"C'mon, Mister Snipe!" Toru shouted, bringing her fists up to her chin. "Don't you see we're in a crisis here!"
"No, he's right," Ochaco said with a sigh, standing up. She finally looked up at her classmates and her eyes sparkled with tears but she smiled and wiped her eyes with her forearm. "You guys are the best. I'm so sorry I worried you. But we have to keep moving on. If I don't focus, I'm gonna keep making us lose. As much as it hurts, I have to put these feelings aside right now and concentrate, because I know my mom and dad are watching. I can't let them down. Maybe I'll feel better after drinking something."
"Heh. Law of life. Drink the pain away, little lady," Snipe chuckled to himself. He looked up to see all of the girls giving him a questioning, angry glare and he cleared his throat and turned to leave without another word.
As Ochaco sadly moped over to one of the refreshment stands, the girls stared at their friend.
"She's acting strong, but I know inside it must be killing her to see Gohan and Kendo together, especially after all the terrible things that girl said to her earlier," Toru said.
"Absolutely!" Melissa agreed with a nod. "Imagine that you put in so much effort to be with a guy you like, and then some pretty redhead bats her sparkling green eyes and promises to steal him away. You'd be heartbroken, too!"
"Seriously? But I was watching Gohan and Ochaco make out from under the stairs like half an hour ago!" Jiro blurted out, catching the attention of all the girls immediately. A blush formed over her face and she looked down, grabbing at her earphone jacks.
"Uhm, I mean…" Jiro cleared her throat, face glowing red. "I was… I was looking at them while I was hiding in the… THE POINT IS! I saw them smooching. So doesn't that mean they're together already?"
"WHAT? Again?" Toru shrieked. "Why am I never around for the good stuff?!"
"Even if that's the case, that's not gonna stop her from getting a little jealous," Mina said. "If anything, that's probably what's making it worse. But I think it goes further than that. Remember what Kendo told her in the parking lot? That she's holding Gohan back? Now that Gohan's with Kendo and winning everything again, she might be starting to believe it."
"Ugh, and we haven't exactly been winning anything, either," Toru lamented. "She's probably pinning all that blame on herself! Poor girl. I feel super bad for her, you guys. Surely there's something we can do for her to cheer her up. Something that shows her how talented she really is!"
The girls thought for a moment before Mina's face brightened up. Down from the tunnel at the edge of the field, dozens of girls in cheerleader outfits were running out, waving their pom poms in the air as they cheered on the contestants.
"Ohhh yeah, I've got an idea," Mina chuckled, cracking her knuckles with a smirk. Turning to the refreshment stand, she ran off towards Yaoyorozu. "Hey, Yaomomo! Wait up!"
…
"Hey, Sports Fans! Have you been enjoying the Sports Games?! Well just keep those foam fingers in the air!" Present Mic announced. "Because it's almost time for the Junior League of the World Martial Arts Tournament, followed by the Sports Festival Finals Tournament! We even brought in cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping!"
"YEAHHHHHH!" The crowd roared, vibrating the entire stadium. The beautiful women danced and cheered around the edges of the field. Down at the center of the field, Cementoss had created a large battle stage and fashioned it with a firm, but protective training mat similar to the ones in Gym Gamma.
Beside the battle stage, two golden trophies dazzled brilliantly under the afternoon sun – the first place trophies for the Junior League, and the first place trophy for the First Year Sports Festival.
"Hold on!" Mic screamed in confusion.
"Gah! What the hell are they doing?!" Aizawa growled to himself in disbelief.
"V-Videl?! What on earth are ya wearin'?!" Hercule shouted, pulling on his hair.
All eyes fell on the seven girls of Class 1A who were dressed from head to toe in blue and white cheerleader uniforms that consisted of dual colored blue and white chokers, a form-fitting blue tank top with the letters UA on a white stripe across the chest that left the midriff completely exposed, a tiny blue skirt that covered very little of the thighs and knee-high white socks.
"Holy crap, Babe!" Kirishima howled. His face flushed as red as his hair. "Lookin' so damn fine!"
"Woohoo! Videl, you're a bombshell!" Yelled some of the teens in the stands.
"Hey you! All o' you! Quit ogling my daughter, punks!" Mister Satan shouted from his seat.
"Uh-oh!" Mic said. "It looks like Class 1A is going full-on fan service!"
"This is utterly indecent, my girls!" Midnight said, standing with her hands on her hips. "But I just love the look!"
"Alright, Miss Midnight" Yaoyorozu said with a steadying huff and a firm nod. "We're ready for the cheer battle."
"Cheer battle?" Midnight asked her, scratching the back of her head. "What cheer battle?"
"H-Huh?!" Yaoyorozu gasped in horror. She craned her neck to look over at Mina and Toru with simmering anger, as the girls shook their pom poms with a mischievous grin.
"You tricked me?!" Momo shouted, eyes whitening out with rage. "You two are gonna regret this!"
"So wait, there isn't going to be a cheer battle?" Ochaco asked, confused. "Aww man, I was kinda looking forward to it."
"What kind of sick, perverted joke is this, Pinkie?!" Videl vociferated, throwing her pom poms to the ground. "Oooh! When I get my hands on you-"
"Girls, just hear us out for a moment-" Tsu intervened.
"Wait, you're in on this too, Tsu?" Momo asked, mortified.
"Yes I am," Tsu said. "And so are Jiro and Melissa."
"Et tu, Jiro?!" Momo whimpered dramatically, falling to her knees. "I even used my Quirk to make these outfits!"
Her best friend nodded, biting her lower lip.
"I wasn't a fan of the idea either, but it's for a good cause, I swear!" Jiro said, looking down at her shoes with a blush.
"Yeah," Melissa nodded. "I have to admit, I've never worn anything this revealing and it's kinda uncomfortable but… if it's for Ochaco, then I'm all in!"
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?" Ochaco asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
"A couple of weeks ago, Tsu told us all about how you and her were in a dance team together in Junior High. You know, I'm something of a dancer, myself!" Mina said, proudly flicking her thumb up at herself. "And we know you've been a little bummed lately, so we decided to put something together to cheer you up!"
"Yeah!" Melissa said, shaking her pom-poms. "I mean, I've got nothing but left feet, so maybe you can teach me some of your moves, Ochaco! I'd love that!"
"It'll be you and me, Ochaco-chan! Just like in Junior High! Ribbit." Tsu said.
"You guys… did this… for me?" Ochaco asked. She looked down at her shoes and her eyes filled with tears that she had been holding back for a while now. She bit her trembling lips to keep her sobs from escaping and her face reddened with gushing emotion.
"Ochaco, hon, there's something you have to realize," Mina said, putting her arm around Ochaco. "A teen girl's life is only 50% boys; the other 50% is with us – your girlfriends!"
"Add on another 30% for food, please!" Toru chirped, joining the hug from the opposite side.
"Couldn't have said it better myself, girl!" Mina agreed, slapping her hand against Toru's in a high-five.
"N-Nooo, that math's just not…" Momo rubbed her temples with a tired sigh. "Oh nevermind."
"Mina's right," Tsu said. Joining the group hug. "We love you, Ochaco. Who cares about winning first place? What really matters, whether we win or lose, is that we're in this together!"
"And we'll be cheering you on in the Finals Tournament, no matter what!" Jiro said joining the hug.
"Indeed!" Momo nodded, hugging the girls.
All of the girls in the group hug looked up at the last remaining girl, Videl, who had thrown her pom-poms on the ground and was standing with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Well, what are you waiting for, V?" Mina shouted angrily. "Get in here!"
Videl shot Mina a murderous glare, but finally, blowing out an exasperated sigh, she rolled her eyes and walked over to the group hug and reached out to give Ochaco a tepid, friendly tap on her shoulder.
"I hate you guys," Videl grunted with sarcastic anger. She gave Ochaco a rare, but genuine smile. "But Ochaco? You're cool, I guess…"
With her friends surrounding her, the crushing weight Ochaco had been feeling lifted from her chest and escaped in happy tears.
"I love you guys so much!" Ochaco sobbed. She reached up and wiped her tears one last time, returning with a cheery smile, her brown eyes sparkling with joy. She picked up her blue and white pom poms and gave them a firm shake. "Okay! There is this one song that always cheered me up. And the choreography isn't too hard to learn. Let's dance it off a little, girls! Is that okay, Miss Midnight?"
Midnight ran her finger along her jawline in thought.
"Hmmm… You're going to be missing out on the rest of the games but if that's your deepest desire then… I'll allow it!"
"Oh well, it can't be helped. Let's turn up the music, and give it up for Ochaco Uraraka and the Angels of Class 1A! YAHOOO!" Present Mic slammed his fist on the console, unleashing a salvo of fireworks and lights as the music started booming. The crowd roared as Ochaco led the girls towards the center stage.
"I can't believe you're both actually encouraging this!" Aizawa sighed. "I'm already cringing."
"Aw, lighten up, Mummy Man!" Mic said, slapping Aizawa's bandaged arm. "It's an impromptu Half Time show and the crowd is eating it up!"
"Whatever, I'm not watching this. I'm gonna take a nap," Aizawa groaned, pushing off from the console.
"Ohh, Miguel is gonna kill me!" Hercule groaned, sinking in his seat as he watched his daughter join the 1A girls on the center stage, shaking her hips to the delight of her many male fans in the stands.
Momo swallowed her embarrassment and created a microphone for Jiro, which connected wirelessly to the stadium sound system. Jiro gulped and gave off a calming sigh. As Mic pointed the laser lights down on the girls, a catchy tune started playing, catching the attention of all of the Sports Fest contestants.
Ochaco and Tsu led the rest of the girls into a choreographed dance, encircling Jiro, who gripped the microphone tightly and opened her eyes with a smile and started to sing with high energy.
"Had to have high, high hopes for a living!
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing,
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision.
Always had high, high hopes!
Had to have high, high hopes for a living!
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling,
I was gonna be that one in a million.
Always had high, high hopes!"
"Whoa, Jiro can sing?!" Kaminari said, admiring his purple-haired friend from his scavenger hunt.
"Well, she is the daughter of Hiro Jiro, the lead singer of Deep Dope," Kirishima responded.
"Oh my gosh!" Kaminari swooned. "She sounds just like an angel!"
"Hey, the pit is open, man!" Kirishima pointed. "Come on, what are we waiting for?"
The two boys dropped their Scavenger Hunt clues and took off running towards the stage, followed by more and more contestants. They all crowded together in front of the stage to cheer for their dancing friends.
If Jiro and the girls were flustered by the growing crowd, they didn't show it. Ochaco used her Quirk to make the other girls weightless and Tsu used her strength to flip the girls into the air to create a "UA" body pyramid.
"GO UA! GO UA!" the girls cheered, and the crowd responded with a thunderous yell. In the middle of the pyramid, Jiro continued to sing as Melissa and Momo lifted her up.
"Mama said
Fulfill the prophecy
Be something greater
Go make a legacy
Manifest destiny
Back in the days
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said
Burn your biographies
Rewrite your history
Light up your wildest dreams
Museum victories, everyday
We wanted everything, wanted everything!"
Izuku and Gohan had moved on from winning the centipede race to the Scavenger Hunt by now.
"Holy whoa, check out Melissa and Ochaco!" Izuku said, tapping on Gohan's shoulder. "Look at those moves! I didn't know they could dance!"
"Neither did I," Gohan gulped, blushing.
"Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes! High, high hopes!
Mama said
It's uphill for oddities
Stranger crusaders
Ain't ever wannabes
The weird and the novelties
Don't ever change
We wanted everything, wanted everything
"Warp refraction!" Toru shouted, as the girls picked her up and tossed her into the air for a spin, creating a dazzling shower of light that enchanted the entire stadium.
"Wow, look at Toru," Ojiro said, admiring his invisible friend from afar. "She's so… perfect!"
"How do they even know where to pick her up from?" Shoto wondered, rubbing his jaw with his index finger.
"Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down, oh.
Stay up on that rise,
Stay up on that rise and never come down!"
"Gohan!" Itsuka called, running up to him with Monoma in her giant hand. "I got our 'Perverse Person'. Were you able to find something 'Sparkling'?"
Gohan smiled and slipped his Scavenger Hunt clues into his pocket.
"Yeah," he said, lifting up into the air. "I sure did…"
Without another word, Gohan hovered over to the stage to watch the dance. Itsuka watched him slip away and sighed in defeat. Although, she did have to admit that with the booming song, Jiro's energetic stage presence, the girls' improvised but well choreographed dance, the lights, sounds, fireworks and cheers from the crowds… it was all so cool.
"Hey, why are ya smiling like that, Kendo?" Monoma said in her grasp. "Oh don't tell me you're actually impressed by that brown-haired idiot's stupid little dance."
"Chill out, Monoma," Itsuka said, annoyed. "She's actually pretty good at it. And just because she's my rival doesn't make her an idiot, okay? Show some respect. We're all UA in the end."
By now, all of the contestants except for Bakugo had surrounded the stage, watching the dance.
"Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
They say it's all been done but they haven't seen the best of me
So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see!
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes!"
Mina caught sight of Gohan floating above the stage and with a devilish grin, she pointed up at him discreetly. The other girls immediately understood the assignment.
As Ochaco twirled towards them, creating a trail of dazzling pink aura produced by her Quirk, the girls led her to Melissa and Momo's arms. The two tallest girls of Class 1A lifted Ochaco up into the air with a strong heave, that sent Ochaco floating up high into the air, aimed straight at Gohan. The dazzling sparkle of Ochaco's aura left behind a bright neon pink streak behind her.
The two floating teens met in midair for a moment that seemed to freeze. Gohan's eyes were wide and excited, and full of admiration. Ochaco giggled and gave him a sweet, endearing smile, closing her eyes and cocking her head to the side.
Gohan caught her, holding her tiny elbows in his hands and she placed her hands on his chest, landing on top of his brown boots. The two stared at each other for a moment.
"Ochaco…" Gohan whispered in awe. "You look amazing!"
"Thanks! Flip me, Gohan," Ochaco whispered back with a blushing smile.
"Huh?"
"This one's for you. Flip me!"
Gohan obliged and gave her arms a gentle but firm toss. With her Zero Gravity, Ochaco flipped backwards into a double loop, before touching back down on the stage, where Momo and Melissa caught her.
The pink aura trail that Ochaco's Quirk had left behind had looped into the shape of a sparkling, neon pink heart. As soon as Gohan noticed it, his face reddened noticeably. Ochaco winked at him and joined back into the dance.
"Come on, ladies!" Ochaco cheered. "Last chorus – let's make it count!"
At this point, even the American cheerleaders had joined in on the dance onstage.
"Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes!
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes! High, high hopes!"
The girls bunched in together, bringing their pom poms into the shape of a "1A" as fireworks set off behind them. Then they curled the 1 into a U. The entire stadium was on their feet, cheering for the girls who finally separated and took a bow on stage!
"What a performance! Give it up for the ladies of CLASS 1A!" Mic announced as the girls cleared the stage with a wave of their pom poms. The crowd of students and spectators roared, cheering on the girls as they exited through the tunnel with the rest of the cheerleaders. "Man! That was so much fun! We definitely need to think of incorporating Cheer battles into the Sports Fest for the upcoming years. And with this amazing half-time show, it's time to start the Junior League Tournament! ARE YA READY?! For that, we'll turn it over to the Sponsor of the Junior League, Mister Satan! Herc?"
"Y-Yeah, I'll explain everything later, Angel," Hercule was apologizing profusely to someone on his cell phone, dripping with nervous sweat. "Y-Yeah, I know her skirt was too short! ...Yes, I am aware that she wasn't wearing a bra! Of course, she's totally gettin' grounded for this!"
"HERCULE!"
"Yeah, yeah, gotta go, okay? Gotta go!" Mister Satan ended the call and turned off his cell phone.
"Mic, don't ever marry an angel!" Hercule said, wiping the large bead of sweat from his eyebrow. "Even after they divorce you and take half your stuff, they still wanna control your life! Ahem!"
Hercule scooted over to the microphone and cleared his throat.
"YEAHHHHHHAHAHA!" He growled. "It's just like Mic said, it's time to get to the part we've all been waitin' for – watchin' kids beat the ever livin' snot outta one another! The Junior League of the Martial Arts Tournament has always held a special place in our hearts because it lets agencies discover possible prodigies from an early age. It's main goal is to help teach youngsters to use their Quirks and all o' that endless energy in a positive way. As a matter of fact, that's how UA's very own Shota Aizawa was discovered!"
"Don't remind me," Aizawa mumbled as he crawled out of his sleep mat and went to join Present Mic and Hercule at the console. "I was young and desperate. I needed the cash… Besides, Hizashi strong-armed me into it."
"Mic! Is that true?" Hercule gasped.
"Hey! I just pointed at a sign on the side of the entrance and said it'd be fun to join," Mic said with a shrug. "This dolt said, 'Yeah sure, why not?' and walked right in."
"Anyways…" Aizawa said, rolling his eyes.
"Uh, right. Anyways, we'd like to take a moment to thank our sponsors, the Endeavor Agency of West City, The World Martial Arts Federation in Namek City, and UA High, for allowing us to broadcast during their Sports Festival. Now, without further ado, let's get this party started!"
"As a reminder," Midnight interrupted. "The Finals Tournament will commence directly after the Junior Tournament, so the sixteen finalists that made it in have the option of watching the Junior Tournament, or sitting it out to get some rest. Everyone else, please head on up to your designated classroom seats and enjoy the show."
"Gohan!" Izuku called, catching up to him as Gohan made his way down the tunnel. "You're not gonna watch the fights?"
"Sure, but I want to go look for Ochaco, first," Gohan said. "And there's something I need to grab real quick. I'll catch up with you guys in a sec."
"Oh, okay," Izuku said. "Hurry back, then!"
Izuku peeled away from Gohan and followed his classmates up the stairs towards their classroom box.
"Take a good look at these sixteen pint-sized heroes, everyone! They are the ones who emerged victorious from the preliminaries held three weeks ago in Namek City, out of five hundred contestants. One of them is going to be our next Champion!"
Among the line of kids dressed up in crude, homemade hero costumes, was a pint-sized boy with big wide innocent eyes and a sleeveless green costume with a bunny ear hood.
"Go get 'em, Goten!" Izuku cried, cupping his mouth with his hands. Goten looked up at him and his eyes shined with excitement. The little boy jumped up and down with a wide, childish grin, waving at Izuku excitedly.
Izuku allowed himself a chuckle and sat back, taking his notebook and a pencil.
"Who's the kid? Is he your little brother or something?" Melissa asked him, taking a seat beside him, now wearing her blue gym uniform. Her long blonde hair was now tied back in a ponytail and she kept her blue and white cheerleader choker on. "I saw him earlier by the waiting room before the Sports Fest started."
"Oh hey, Melissa! Nah, his name is Goten," Izuku said with a smile. "He's an incredible little guy that Ochaco and I rescued from the Marketplace attack. He's been looking forward to this tournament, and I can't wait to see him shine. He wants to be a hero like us when he grows up, so this is his chance to make his mark."
"Ahh, so that explains the green bunny costume," Melissa said, tapping her cheek with her finger.
"Y-Yeah, he's something of a fanboy, now," Izuku said sheepishly.
"Aww, so he's your very first fan," Melissa gushed. "That's adorable, Deku! Look at little Trunks, though! He's only eight, but that jean jacket makes him look like a teenager already."
Melissa waved at him, catching his attention. Trunks saw his older cousin and turned his face away with an embarrassed blush and a confident smile and flicked his thumb across his nose.
The sixteen children were lead to an outside dugout area where they would sit and watch the tournament, waiting for their turn to fight. As Goten took a seat next to Trunks, they heard a commotion at the far end of the bench. One of their classmates who had made it past the preliminaries with them, a boy with muscular, protruding jaws was attempting to bully two of the other contestants.
"Who are they, Trunks?" Goten asked, staring at the interaction.
"I dunno, Goten," Trunks responded. "I've never seen them here before. They're probably new meat, like you."
"Huh, no wonder Takuto's already trying to bully them," Goten said.
The two kids who were being targeted were a skinny girl who wore a long green duster jacket, khaki combat pants and black boots that reached up to her shins. Her face and hair were hidden behind a pilot helmet with an transluscent, green visor. A green bandanna covered the lower half of her face.
The other boy had a canine mutation Quirk that resembled a Shiba Inu breed. He was much shorter, with golden brown fur and a bushy tail. He was wearing a purple ninja gi, with a sword attached to a string behind his back.
"Come on, you mangy mutt! Do a trick for me!" Takuto said, laughing. At his height, the fat bully towered over the two children. "Beg! I might even give you a treat!"
"Back off, you big jerk!" the girl said, stomping her foot forward. She reached for the canon strapped onto her back, but the move didn't intimidate Takuto.
"Don't worry, you can get it too!" Takuto snapped his long snout at the girl, who yelped and stepped back. "I'm not afraid of hurting a girl!"
"Hey! Knock it off, Takuto!" Goten yelled. "Quit being so mean to them!"
"Yeah, what he said." Trunks added, folding his arms over his chest and his eyes narrowing. "Save it for the ring."
Takuto snickered and smacked his jaws together.
"Oh, don't think I forgot about you two! This time, there will be no teachers to stop the fight," Takuto taunted. "My friend from Orange Star City is gonna take you both down!"
"Who, Ikosa? Tch! Yeah, bring 'em on!" Trunks laughed. "I'll just crush him, too, just like last time."
"I don't think so, Briefs," Takuto barked. He glanced over at the girl and the dog boy and gave them a final snap of his snout. "This isn't the end!"
With a final grunt, Takuto left them and took his seat towards the back. The girl's fists unfurled and she let out a sigh of relief. Her friend sank down to his haunches, sticking his tongue out in a doggy pant.
"Ah, thanks Mai!" The pup boy said with relief. "As far as teeth go, his are way bigger than mine!"
"Don't worry about it, Shu," the girl named Mai said, kneeling down to pet her friend on the head in a tender manner. "That's what I'm here for. I'm not gonna let some overgrown gator guy bully my friend around!"
She glanced over at Trunks but didn't say a word to him. Her stoic dark eyes gazed at him from under the helmet's goggles.
"Gee, thanks for stepping in, you two!" Shu said, wagging his tail to Goten's delight. "You'd think us Mutation types would stick together, but no!"
"Takuto's just a big meanie," Goten said, placing his fists on his hips. "He always tries to bully everyone. Just ignore him, right Trunks?"
"Uh, right!" Trunks stammered, tearing his gaze away from her. "Don't worry about him. He knows he doesn't stand a chance so he tries to scare the others to give himself an edge."
"I dunno about this, Mai," Shu said worriedly, rubbing his shivering arms. "Some of these other kids look really strong."
"Relax, man," Trunks said, patting Shu on the arm. "These punks are cakewalk! If there's anybody you'll have to watch out for, it's me and Goten!"
"Guess we better stop fraternizing with the competition, then, huh?" Mai joked with a steely, sharp tone that was muffled by the bandanna that covered the bottom half of her face. She reached up and flicked to fingers off of her helmet in a wave. "Thanks again, Champ. See you in the ring."
"Uh, yeah. No problem," Trunks said as the two friends left to take their seat in the second row. Yeah, probably not. If they're scared of a weakling like Takuto, these dude's probably won't make it past the quarter finals…
"Alriiiight! And with that, we'd like to remind everyone about the rules! We're obligin' by the Sports Festival and World Martial Arts Tournament rules here. This is a no holds barred competition. You win by knockin' out your opponent, sendin' him out of bounds, or gettin' him to give up like a little wimp! We have Recovery Girl on standby, so don't be afraid to let loose. And also, Midnight and Cementoss will watchin' the matches closely with state o' the art scouters, courtesy of Capsule Corporation."
Midnight and Cementoss each attached a white headset over their heads, clipping the white-shelled cups over both ears. Pressing the red button on the side sent a holographic lens shooting out from one ear cup, across their eyes and connecting to the other. A microphone extended out and positioned itself over their mouths.
"We'll be monitoring the contestants' power levels with these babies!" Midnight said, raising her thumbs up.
"Power levels?" Mic asked, rubbing his chin. "What the heck are those?"
"Great question, Mic! In short, Power Levels are a numerical quantification of the power output of an individual's Quirk," Midnight said, glancing around at the crowd of students sitting in their classroom seats. "In layman's terms, it's a measure of how powerful you are. These numbers can fluctuate in battle, depending on how much power you produce. Take Class 1A's Denki Kaminari, for example."
Midnight's purple scouter zoomed in on the electric blonde who was sipping soda through a straw. As soon as he saw his image pop up on the screens around the stadium, Denki choked on his soda and jumped up onto his feet.
"Who, me?" Denki shrieked. The scouter beeped at it scanned the stunned teen for a few seconds, and then tagged him with a yellow light and a flat beep. Power Level of 6.
"As you can see, as long as he's not using his Quirk, our Kaminari is quite weak and feeble."
"HEY!" Kaminari yelled angrily, unleashing a short burst of electricity.
"But when he activates his Quirk…"
The number floating above Denki soared upward to 1,750 with a steady beep. As soon as the electricity was expelled from Kaminari's body, the number fell down to 1,100.
"…You see? His number has fluctuated to indicate his new Power Level."
"Amazing!" Izuku said in awe, quickly flipping to Kaminari's page on his notebook and writing both power levels down. "I never thought about Quirks like this. It's kind of like a magic meter in a videogame… The more you use it, the more you drain your power level? This opens up a whole new can of worms of possibilities!"
"So that's why Gohan kept passing out when he would overuse his Quirk," Melissa said, rubbing her chin in thought. "Poor boy was pushing full steam ahead while running on fumes."
"Yeah, I remember that," Izuku said, biting the aluminum part of his eraser. "I wonder what my Power Level looks like."
"It's gonna be exactly zero, ya damn nerd!" Bakugo growled from his seat.
"Theoretically, if a fighter with a high Power Level faces off against an opponent with a significantly lower power level, they will prevail. But remember what the good old book once said: The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. In the case that a contestant tries to use an attack that could cause insurmountable bodily harm to his opponent, Cemontoss, myself and even Eraserhead will step in. Otherwise, feel free to give it all you've got! Whip those bodies into high gear, ladies and gents!"
"Alright! Thank you for that fine explanation, Miss Midnight!" Hercule said, taking over the mic again. Midnight and Cementoss made their way to their referee stands on opposite sides of the stage.
"Now it's time for some bone crunchin' action! We'd now like to call on our first two contestants! Did you think we'd save the best for last? Well, think again! We're kickin' off our first match with the crème de la crème! He's tough, he's smart, he's cute, and he's as cool as a cucumber! He's the defending Champion of the Junior League – THE FUTURE, Trunks!"
"Looks like I'm up first," Trunks said.
"Yay! Go Trunks!" Goten cheered as Trunks stood up and made his way from the dugout down to the fight stage. His costume was a simple black pants, a black sleeveless tank top and a blue Capsule Corporation jean jacket. An orange colored belt matched his combat boots.
"And his challenger is a boy from his Elementary School classroom, makin' his return to this competition for the second time. He's got jaws for days and a biting attitude. Sink your teeth into this one, folks! It's Takuto, the JAWBREAKER!"
Takuto ran up behind Trunks, snapping his large, alligator-like jaws loudly at him in a taunt. Trunks continued walking forward with his hands on his orange belt, staring forward, ignoring Takuto's taunts.
"Well, what do you know? I get to try my hand at you sooner rather than later. Hey, guess what I found in one of my big brother's old magazines?" Takuto howled. "It was a picture of your mama in a hot red bikini, bending over on a motorcycle! She had such a nice ass, back in the day! What a slut! I'll bring it to class next week to show all the boys!"
Trunks' teeth gritted but he didn't say anything. Takuto waited for a reaction that never came, so he switched up tactics.
"Ha! Look up there, Briefs!" Takuto mocked with a scornful laugh, pointing up at the stands. "My daddy came to watch me win. Where's yours, hmm? Ohh that's right! You don't have a daddy, do you? The only men in your life are that old geezer you call gramps and your little boyfriend Goten. Well, don't you worry. My boy Ikosa's gonna tear that little punk a new one, and this time, you won't be there to save him."
That molly-coddled boy is nothing more than a mistake, Vegeta's words rang in Trunks's ears, forcing him to bare his teeth and ball his hands into fists. She meant nothing to me, and neither does her son!
"Aww. What's the matter, Briefs?" Takuto taunted. "Did I go too far? Don't tell me you're gonna cry now!"
"I hate you," Trunks growled, glaring at the boy through his bangs..
"What's that?" Takuto mocked, cupping his ear. "I couldn't hear ya over your scared little whimpers!"
"I said I hate you!" Trunks snarled. "I hate everything about you – the way your stupid jaws flap around with those ugly sharp teeth, your nails-on-chalkboard laugh and your stupid insults."
Trunks brought his fists up and squatted into his fighting stance, feet spread apart. He powered up with a growl, unleashing a gust of hot wind that picked his lavender hair up into a wild flail.
The TV screens howled as Trunks's Power Level surged to a massive 3,000 points and continued climbing.
From up in the Endeavor Agency's VIP box, Vegeta noticed the surge in power and stood up from his seat, arms crossed, watching Trunks unleash his power.
"Over three thousand! Mighty little tick, ain't he Vegeta?" Nappa said from his seat with a smirk. "Like Father like Son, am I right?"
"Hmph. Shut up, Nappa!" Vegeta responded with a twitch of his eyebrow.
Steam began to rise, creating heat waves that contorted the light around Trunks's body. Takuto raised an arm to shield his face from the hot rushing winds emanating from Trunks.
"Now I get to put you in your place, and your little buddies aren't here to jump in for you this time," Trunks said with a ferocious smile. "Consider this payback for everything you did to Goten on the daily."
The intensity of Trunks's wild eyes and superheated aura melted Takuto's cocky smile.
"I'll end this quickly, so I can face someone who can actually put up a fight."
"The Future vs Jawbreaker!" Midnight presented from her elevated referee stand, raising her whip into the air. "Ready? CLASH!"
Trunks's body shimmered and he disappeared into thin air, reappearing directly in front of Takuto instantly. Takuto's eyes widened, barely able to register what was happening.
"Wait, Trunks!" He cried, raising his hands. "I give u-"
Trunks swept his leg low, crashing across Takuto's feet, knocking him off balance. Before his body could hit the mat, Trunks spun into a backflip and delivered a powerful kick upwards, sending Takuto up in the air, crying.
Trunks used the same speed to jump into a series of back flips and finally landed on his feet. He shot his arms forward, winding his hands together in quick succession in x figures, gathering ki. As Takuto fell back down to the mat, Trunks crossed his arms, then swung his hands forward, forming a diamond shape with his index fingers and thumbs.
The hot winds around him roared into a live fire that spun into a wild orb in Trunks's hands.
"Eat this! BURNING ATTACK! HAAAAAA!" Trunks roared. The bright orange blast lit up Trunks's face and hair with its blazing fire, then shot out from his hands like a meteor towards the falling Takuto, catching him and engulfing him completely before sending him over the ring. Takuto screamed, landing on the grass below in a smoking heap.
Takuto moaned and rolled on the ground, his arms and legs into the fetal position, putting out the flames.
"Tch, pathetic," Trunks said, taunting the bully who started to cry. "Just as I thought. All jaws, no bite. Just be glad I held back. Now you can go cry in the arms of your daddy, punk."
Midnight swung her whip upwards.
"Jawbreaker is out of bounds! The Future wins!"
Trunks slapped his smoking palms together and then pumped his right fist up in the air as the crowd roared and cheered over his display of power.
"Not bad, kid," Midnight said. "But Takuto was about to surrender before you attacked him. So this is your first and only warning. Next time you do that, you'll be disqualified."
"Was he? Oops," Trunks responded with a cold shrug, grabbing onto his belt with both hands and turning to walk back towards the dugout. "Sorry ma'am. I didn't hear him. I guess I was just having a bad day, is all. I'm over it now, though."
"WAAAHOOO!" Mic cheered. "Amazing display of power from the son of the retired Invention Hero, Bulma Briefs! Those flames were simply out of this world! Give it up for THE FUTURE!"
"Yeahhhh!" Melissa cheered, raising both fists in the air. "Woohooo! Good job, Trunks! Did you see that, Deku?!"
"I sure did!" Izuku said with a stifled fanboyish giggle, looking up from his notebook. "That speed is incredible. Not to mention the strength of his flames. Your little cousin is amazing, Melissa!"
"Aunt Bulma says he's a real handful at home, but everything he sets his mind on, he achieves," Melissa smiled, looking down at the boy who made it back to the dugout. "He is a Briefs, after all. That determination is so inspiring, and honestly kind of reminds me of you."
"Ah! Really?" Izuku gasped, caught off guard, which made Melissa giggle.
"Mhm!" She nodded with a smile.
"Th-Thanks, Melissa."
"That kid's so punk rock," Jiro said with a smirk, twirling her earphone jack on her right finger, her feet propped up on the back of the seat in front of her. "What's up with that cool exit, anyway?"
"Yes, he is a plucky little man, isn't he?" Momo giggled, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "I love him."
"Remind you of anyone, Jiro?" Kaminari teased, nudging Jiro with his elbow and pointing at Shoto.
"Tch. Shut up, Kaminari!" Shoto huffed, crossing his arms and turning away with a blush.
Ending Song:
"Child-error-" by My First Story
A/N: "They say it's all been done, but they haven't seen the best of me
So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see!"
God, I love that song! It's like an energy drink without the sugar! And it encapsulates perfectly what it's like to be a content creator, whether it's social media, fanfiction, music or anything else.
Okay, so maybe the cheer dance was a little cringe. But I had a lot of fun doing it. They are like little moments similar to the school festival concert that bond our characters closer together and create incredible memories for them.
I hope you enjoyed it, as well as a little backstory into Kendo's life. And if you were wondering why I had switched around Kendo Rappa's name in the early chapters of this fic, well there you have it. I love Rappa, and originally his role was going to be much bigger, as the father of Gohan's original love interest. But still, he's going to play a major role when it comes to the Hassaikai arc. They're already scouting him, those beak-masked freaks!
And also my slight reinterpretation of Power Levels. Just trying to create something with both universes in mind.
So, onto some real life stuff… I am so grateful to those who have stuck by this lil fic these past two years and also, thank you to those that gave it a chance but decided it wasn't for them, and I especially want to thank the really close real life friendships I've made thanks to this fic, elChico64, Tbossk, Brandon Dupere, Luna Bellanova, JustinCase, and so many, many others.
Thank you very, very much for inspiring me and supporting me as a writer, and as a person. To another year of writing, hopefully!
Lastly, I wanted to let everyone know that I opened up my Writer Twitter Page, and I'm posting fan art for this fic. So if you're interested in seeing some of my crude sketches as well as Behind the Scenes look into this story, you can follow me there under the same name, zzEclipse.
Okay, onto Review Responses:
KaijuEmperor chapter 41 . Apr 11
….Deep inside I'm crying like Franky from One Piece, that mother and son reunion is so beautiful Great Work(now I can't wait for the brothers reunion and see All Might's reaction to seeing his little brother's face on Goten).
I know that Vegedeavor is going to get a redemption arc to make up for what has done and all, but after hearing all of his past sins there's just one thing I would like to request when Gohan masters his Super Saiyan powers,,AND THAT'S HAVING GOHAN BEAT VEGEDEAVOR'S STUPID FACE INTO A BLOODY FUCKING PULP! Seriously Endeavor didn't get that in canon until early Season 6 by cancel culture through Dabi and I still think he should've gotten worse before his redemption arc, please Please have someone beat his flaming arrogant ass either Gohan, Goku once more(assuming he'll break free from All For One later) or Broly will do.
Hi Kaiju! Aww, I'm so happy to hear that! I will admit, I shed a couple of tears as well, writing that scene. Our moms always tried their best with what they had, and that's something all of us appreciate and admire.
And once Gohan and All Might get reunited with Goten, ohhh yeah there's gonna be fresh tears, for sure!
Oh I agree about Endeavor's punishment! He has to pay for what he's done. In the original DBZ, Vegeta paid for his sins by dying on Namek, and later when he reverted to asshole mode and killed a bunch of innocents people in the Buu arc, he once again paid with his life. I'm not saying I want to kill him off, since death is kind of a permanent thing without the Dragon Balls, but he's gonna get his chance to suffer for what he's done. And yeah, he gonna get that royal ass beating he deserves, a slice of humble pie!
He definitely needs it. There are some serious, permanent consequences he will have to face for everything he's done.
Thank you so much for your review, Kaiju! I'm so sorry it took this long to get another chapter! I'll try my best to get the next one out as soon as possible, which is already almost halfway done anyway. Until next chapter!
ArguableReader chapter 41 . Apr 11
This chapter is both, good and bad, but not in that order.
First it's bad because Vegeta, for being vegeta, then it's good because of the reunion moment.
EVENTUALLY, Endeavor canonically returns to his heroic origin's and let's go of his past,
so there WAS that much at least.
In a weird way, Izuku managed to bring closure to the Todoroki family,
as far as I was made aware, even a couple of Vid's are made up of it,
on you, tube, last I checked, hah, makes it funny to see that,
Green-bean, managed to repair a dysfunctional family like that.
Leftover Dialogue:
Well looks like Kid-trunks' mentality has finally been broken,
for good or bad, only time would tell there.
Hi, Arguable! Thank you for your review!
I'm glad you liked the chapter. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride that distinguished the difference between Gohan's relationship and his mother, against Shoto and his mother. But there were a lot of similarities, too. Both mothers suffered tremendously, but they did their best to protect their children. There's one more piece to the puzzle, the reason why Shoto resents all Saiyans (even the good ones) and not just his father. And Izuku is the one who will help him start to heal, too, by getting him to accept who he is. Gohan will help Shoto heal in a huuuge emotional way, too, at the very end of the Sports Festival
And as for Endeavor's arc, it won't be a two chapter redemption, for sure! Long lasting consequences will linger due to his part in the breakdown of his family. And he himself will have to contend with the person he was back then. It's a long, narrow road, but Vegeta won't have to travel it alone.
It's going to be gooood! I can't wait to reach that point, soon.
Thank you so much for your review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
X3runner chapter 41 . Apr 11
Sorry for the late review but I got to say I really enjoyed it while I'm all for a vegihead redemption there should be done permanent repercussions to his actions especially since his actions led to the death of todoroki's mother. Also since toys ran away would that imply he didn't accidentally immolate himself. If he didn't you could reference yet another DBZ character by funding dabi/tota and the old DBZ broly it would stillrun with the whole power that's too much for the user to properly control thing that they both have going for them and the whole I hate my dad thing too. Also is todoroki going to obsess over gohan. how is chichi going to react to not just uraraka's relationship with gohan but Itsuka's declaration of intent towards gohan. Honestly I could see Johan becomes ng miruko's side kick thing since you could use what happens to her during the attack on the hospital later as a reason to have one of those good old Hogan completely going ballistic moments hell you could have that be a transformation moment. Even having her become an older sistse in all but blood towards him. Lastly fuyumi is beyond just best girl she's the best girl
Hi, X3! No, not at all – forgive me! For taking so damn long between updates. I know everyone is looking forward to the big fights, and I am too. So I apologize for taking so long in between updates. I'm gonna try to bust out these next few chapters so we can get to the good stuff!
Ohhh yes, Vegeta will face lasting consequences for what he did to Rei, and by extension, to the rest of his family.
You're right, Toya did not immolate himself until he faced Gohan in chapter five or six, when he fell victim to his own flames. But his father's agency found him and brought him to a secret base, where he was partially healed in a Rejuvenation Chamber before Stain attacked and killed everyone and basically adopted him. On this, you will see Stain again, but also the other misfits he's adopting. He has a following, his own small cult that the original story did not expand upon, and I wanna explore it and add more life to it.
As for Shoto, I can confirm that he and Gohan are going to become close as brothers, especially in the internships arc, where they will work together. And when the War arc comes around, you can bet that Gohan will make an impact that changes some things that happen in the original story, for sure! Let's just say Mount Lady isn't the only giant creature that Gigantomachia will have to face!
And I'm glad you liked Fuyumi. She's always been a kind and forgiving girl, despite everything she's been through. Like you said, Best Girl, one hundred percent!
Thank you so much for your review, X3! I really appreciate it, as always!
JustinCase chapter 41 . Apr 12
Bro you typed all of this on your cellphone? What a freakin beast! Props to you and your dedication to getting this out and I hope you get your laptop fixed soon
Finally the reunion we've all been waiting for! It hit right in the feels for me. I think we can all relate to Gohan, knowing that our moms always did the best they could for us. Damn!
And fuck Vegeta right now. He's my favorite DBZ character and his arc is masterfully done but seriously fuck him. How can he be so cold and heartless against his children and his wife? No wonder Dabi turned out the way he is and I hope he gets punished brutally to atone for driving poor Rei to suicide.
But I can see the parallels thee between Shoto and Gohan and how Gohan is set up perfectly to help Shoto heal. Gosh I love and hate this chapter because of the revelation and I just can't wait for Vegeta to get his karma!
Also the little adventure of Trunks and Goten was hilarious! Poor Trunks, he was in heaven he just didn't know it yet!
I like their hero names. The Future is so tongue in cheek because it's an obvious reference to Future Trunks and Might Mask so cute!
Next chapter please. I challenge you to update this weekend please One month is way too long!
Hi Justin! I may have found a workaround hehe plugging my laptop to one of my TV's, I'm able to use it as a monitor. I know it's ghetto AF but until I can get my laptop fixed, that's the only way I can continue writing.
I'm so glad that you liked this chapter. It's like you said, I put my own feelings towards my mother in this chapter. She, too, was an immigrant, and even though we grew up without a lot of things that my friends had, I know she and my dad tried their best to give me the best life they could. So a bit of a self insert, but I hope it helped to make the reunion a lot more emotional and raw.
Yeah, Gohan is set up to help Shoto in huge ways. Actually, he will become one of Shoto's closest friends, though first they will have to beat the snot outta one another hahaha Shoto and Izuku will have a great friendship as well. We've got exciting things coming! I won't make you wait another month before the next chapter, though. It's almost finished.
Thanks again for your reviews and constant support, man! It means everything to me!
Brandon Dupere chapter 41 . Apr 13
ENFIIIIIIIIIN ! Gohan et sa mère se sont enfin retrouvé, il était temps. S'était une scène tellement émouvante à lire, quel bon travail que tu as fais. Et le moment où Trunks se retrouve coincé dans les douches des filles était trop drôle, il a vue plus de chose qu'il était sensé voir à son âge, s'est Minoru qui sera jaloux s'il apprenait ça. Quoique, je me serais attendu à ce que l'une des filles remarque Trunks, retire la cape d'invisibilité et donne ainsi lieu à la scène la plus drôle de ce chapitre. Parceque tu as beau être invisible, tu n'es pas intangible, donc, la brume ou la vapeur créé dans les douches aurait donc rendu "visible" la présence de Trunks puisque ça ne l'aurais pas traversé. Un exemple est que durant le camp d'été, on pouvait voir la silhouette de Hagakure dans le "bain". À part ça j'ai aimé ce chapitre et je suis curieux de savoir qu'est-ce qui va amener la rédemption de Végéta. Et aussi... NAPPA À DES FILLES ! Bordel, je suis encore plus curieux à propos de ça. Hâte au prochain chapitre.
Oui vous avez raison! C'était une occasion manquée pour lui, d'autant plus que son cousin était juste devant lui. Il aurait pu y avoir une scène hilarante de violence familiale animée! Cette scène aura des répercussions dans le prochain chapitre, et oui, Mineta aurait la bouche pleine de jalousie s'il l'apprenait.
Même si Mineta n'est pas entré dans UA dans cette histoire, il a quand même continué son chemin en tant que héros ailleurs, et nous pourrions bien tomber sur le petit pervers quelque part dans le futur...
Quant aux deux filles de Nappa ? Nous les rencontrerons dans le prochain arc, après le Festival des sports. Ils sont forts, comme leur père. Et attendez de découvrir qui est leur mère. J'ai pensé qu'il serait approprié que la partenaire de Nappa soit une femme du monde de My Hero Academia.
Je suis si heureux d'apprendre que vous avez été ému par la scène des retrouvailles. C'était un moment qui devait arriver le plus tôt possible, et j'ai pensé qu'il était important de montrer visuellement que Chi-Chi mettait de côté toutes les lettres et distinctions que Gohan avait reçues, et embrassait simplement son fils, car il est le plus important. chose pour elle, encore plus importante qu'une carrière prestigieuse ou des notes scolaires.
Contrairement aux Chi-Chi de DBZ qui se souciaient plus d'étudier que de sauver la terre.
La division des combats pour les enfants est la suivante. C'était juste trop long pour l'inclure dans un seul chapitre. J'espère donc avoir ce chapitre bientôt, mais beaucoup d'inspiration est également venue de la lecture de votre histoire !
Merci beaucoup pour votre avis, mon ami. Jusqu'au prochain chapitre !
Elchico 64 chapter 41 . Apr 14
Woah, what a chapter... Seriously, it took my heart. A lot emotions go through on each scene. Starting with the variant origin of Shoto, it feels way darker than the original, I swear it give me the creeps!
I can't say I hate (or will) Vegeta, like you said, It's on his "Saiyan Saga" phase, he doesn't care for anybody at all but only on strength and power. That's something Endeavor and Vegeta have in common. Either way, I'm surprise All-Might doesn't hate him, he has a grudge but not too deep.
And poor lil' Trunks... he shouldn't heard that, it broke him, man :'(
Now, the most emotional part; the reunion of the Son family. Finally, it was time! Gohan reach the expectations of education on his own way and the fact ChiChi supports him it gave her a better development. I already want to see the reunion with Goten, he will cry a lot.
All thanks to the kind heart of Ochako! She already has the approve of Gohan's heart, so its sealed.
In conclusion, great chapter and well deserved emotional moment for the protagonist before the finals. The battle with Gohan against Shoto surely will be awesome and full of action. Hope you get your laptop fix, I understand your pain... Specially with the fingers, writing with the phone its tedious. Even so, you managed to complete it!
Hey bro! Thank you so much for your review. It's like you said, Vegeta is going through a dark phase right now where the only thing he cares about is strength, nothing else. He's not a genocidal maniac anymore, but he's still a major dick.
I think the reason why Toshinori doesn't hold a grudge is because he himself never made a move. So that's something I'm saving for the All Might / Goku prequel spinoff, and actually there was even a hint in the flashback of one of the USJ chapters, where Young All Might and young Bulma had a thing, but Toshinori's true love is Justice, and he was always so focused on just that. So if anything, he puts it on himself, the fact that Bulma ended up with someone else, even though as mentioned by Vegeta, it was just a fling to get something she wanted.
You know, one of those "you give me the dragon balls, and I'll let you have a little peak" moments turned up to eleven! That's why it's so easy for Vegeta to discard the son he fathered with her. To him, it meant nothing. But of course, that's gonna change real soon..
The reunion between Gohan and his mother is one of the moments I had most anticipated, and originally I was going to wait until the end of the Sports Fest to show it, but I figured it was time for destiny to take a break and stop interfering.
And you're right, I think Ochaco and Gohan have already accepted their feelings for one another. Now all that's left is to make it official, though everyone can pretty much see it by now.
OH yeahhh, Shoto vs Gohan is gonna be epic! But Shoto and Izuku… that's where I'm hiding the magic! Get ready for it!
Thanks so much for your review bro! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!
Luna Bellanova chapter 12 . Apr 18
Hey youuu! You know, Vegendeavor was something I got spoiled about way back in October of last year and I was looking forward to seeing how he turned out. And yeah, he a royal dickwad, but at least now Gohan learned of his true race and of the Zenkai boosts
Major heart squeeze at the end there! The Ochako and Gohan moments are getting sweeter and their feelings are starting to liven up, I feel. Something is definitely up in the air now, pun intended
btw check ur inbox!
Hi Luna! Thank you for your review. I'm glad you're liking the story so far! You're so close to my favorite part of that first season. Yeah, Gohan and Ochaco turn it up a bit more. I know it's a lot more focused than in the original story, but one of the main reasons I started it was because of the ship.
But even though the ship is a huge part of the story, there are other elements that are about to come into play! Thank you for your review!
Dreams0fCalamity chapter 41 . May 8
This story might just have some of the BEST character and world building I've ever seen. The way you incorporated the DBZverse into the greater world of MHA is super impressive and caught me off guard in the best way. I look forward to seeing where this story goes and the scene with Gohan and Chi-Chi was definitely worth the wait!
Wow, thank you! That was my main goal when I set out to write this fic, was to blend the two worlds together, but overall center it around the world of MHA. I will admit that I might have gone a little overboard with some of the AU decisions, but it's been a fun ride so far and I hope to continue delivering enjoyable story content for you in the future. We have a lot of crazy stuff to get into in this Season alone, and I can't wait for you to see it!
Thank you so much for your review, Dreams! I really, really appreciate it!
JustinCase chapter 41 . May 22
And here is where I would put Chapter 42…. IF I HAD ONE! Let's get that next chapter please. It's been over a month again! TnT
I'm sorry :( Well, here is the latest chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, my friend. I'm going to try my hardest to get another chapter out much sooner than last time. I'll do my best!
Thank you for your reviews and your continued support. It means a lot to me, Justin!