Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

After a rather intense adventure and the U.A. Sports Festival approaching fast, Izuku and his friends have two important things to do; improve their Quirks in time for the festival… and hide a bunch of giant alien robots. That proves to be easier said than done, especially when enemies on Earth and from beyond the stars end up coming for them…

13. Scrapheap, Part 2

A/N: Greetings once again everybody and welcome back to Transformers MHA! As well as the second half of the "Scrapheap" two-parter! This one actually came out just slightly longer than the last part, but nonetheless, still a lot shorter than I had expected. Perhaps I've reached a point where I'm able to adapt an episode without it being separated into three parts (if you came here from my Ultimate Omniverse story, you know what I mean by that). In any case, let's jump right back into the thick of things, shall we? This is…

Chapter 13: Scrapheap, Part 2

…..

"In conclusion, the Ancient Greek myths of gods, monsters and heroes continue to influence modern hero culture, even to this day. And they will no doubt continue to inspire up and coming heroes for many generations to come." Mina concluded before giving a light sigh. She had done it. She had composed and edited an essay within the span of three days, researching the HELL out of her subject and making sure that the information was presentable. She had even made sure to include a source page for good measure. All that was left… was the approval of her audience. "So… what do you think?"

Momo and Bulkhead stood in front of her in her family's garage, having listened to the essay front to back in order to judge it. …Well, in Bulkhead's case, he was technically sitting in vehicle mode while his holoform stood, but regardless, the two were Mina's last hurdle before she felt confident enough to present her essay to Midnight the following day. Momo rubbed her chin, a light smile appearing on her face. "That was… very good!"

"AH! Really?!" Mina cheered. "You really think so?!"

"Yeah, Mina, that was an awesome presentation." Bulkhead approved. "And going off of it, it's a pretty well put together essay, too." He gave her a thumbs up. "I think you'll ace that report."

Mina's shoulder slumped over and she sighed again, heavier this time. "I hope so. I feel like I've worked myself to the bone over this ONE weekend." She lifted her stack of papers up with a grin of her own. "But knowing that I've put together this whole thing in just three days… it was worth it."

"And I hope you got a little lesson out of this, too." Momo added with a raised brow. "Don't shirk your schoolwork and put something off until the last minute." She placed a hand to her chest. "Like I said before, if you ever have a problem with something, come and see me."

The pink girl didn't even hesitate to give her friend a hug. "You're the best, Yaomomo! I can't thank you enough for your help!"

Momo beamed in delight at her words. "Oh, it was nothing, really! The fact that I got to help a friend with their studies is reward enough! Plus, it was on a subject that I find great interest in, so that was a bonus as well."

Bulkhead gave a nod and nudged his thumb over his shoulder. "Glad to see you guys reached your goal. Now, I think we're due back at base for afternoon training. I'll call up Red Alert and get us a GroundBridge set up."

"Isn't it raining over in Musutafu, though?" Mina asked. "What kinda training can we do in THAT weather?"

"Not much outside." Momo raised a finger, bringing up another point. "But you forget; the base does have a dedicated training room, so perhaps we can get around to doing some combat practice."

HONK-HONK! Just before Bulkhead could contact the base, the trio's heads perked up at the sound of two car horns coming from the front of the house, piquing their curiosity. Bulkhead glanced down to Mina, tilting his head. "Expecting visitors?"

But Mina shook her head. "Nope, my parents are out of town for the day, remember?" The pink-haired girl went over and opened the garage door, allowing Bulkhead to back out into the driveway. The girls followed him and the moment they stepped out… they were greeted with a sight they'd never forget.

Standing before them were two young adult men, tall, lean and muscular with faces that heavily resembled one another. Both of them had blue eyes, but aside from their facial features, they couldn't be anymore different. The guy on the left wore a red muscle shirt and a pair of ripped, black jeans, though his most prominent feature was his jet-black hair… styled into a fauxhawk, with sideburns running down his jawline. As for the boy on the right, he had a more presentable outfit in the form of a long-sleeved yellow dress shirt and blue jeans, though his hair was JUST as noticeable. It was also black, but it was long enough to reach his shoulders… and he had yellow lightning bolt patterns in it. And what's more, he also had a goatee to match.

If they didn't know any better, the girls would've sworn they were looking at some sort of bizzarro versions of Kirishima and Kaminari that had joined a street gang… if it weren't for the red and yellow Lamborghinis behind them. But, if anything, the fact that it was Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's holoforms made it all the more bizzare. Sideswipe's holoform smirked and slicked his hair back, though his sprung right back forward. "Hello… ladies."

"Surprised to see us?" Sunstreaker said as he pointed at them, winked, and then clicked his tongue with a smile of his own. "Don't lie, you definitely are. I can tell by just how speechless you—"

"BWAHAHAHAHAA!" Mina suddenly burst out into uncontrollable laughter as she doubled over and fell right onto her back, rolling on the ground laughing while Momo was only just able to keep it together. The rich girl kept her mouth covered, but her giggles were still able to be heard, her body trembling despite her resistance. But Mina was NOT able to keep the same composure. "AHAHAHA! W-Wha-What the HECK are you guys doing?!"

"You… you COPIED Kirishima and Kaminari's hair?!" Momo managed to mutter.

The twins glanced to one another before putting their confident smiles back on. "Well, sure!" Sideswipe answered. "After all, imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery."

"HAHAHA! B-But you made it WORSE!" Through tears of hilarity, Mina pointed to Sideswipe's cheeks and Sunstreaker's chin. "Those sideburns and the goatee?! Don't you know how TACKY those are?!"

As Mina's laughter went on, the twins couldn't help but be taken aback by her open ridicule of their appearances. "H-Hey, c'mon!" Sideswipe brushed his hands through the hair going down his jaw line. "I-I think these look cool. They were GREAT in the pictures I saw."

Sunstreaker stroked his short patch of chin hair. "Yeah, and besides, I've already GOT one of these in my robot mode, so I HAD to add it in!"

Momo toon in some soothing breaths as she began to gain her composure, her giggles being reduced to a mere chuckle. "Hmhm, ahem, well, I suppose I can't fault you for that, Sunstreaker." She smiled awkwardly at the duo while Mina tried to regain her own breath on the driveway. "I sincerely apologize for our… outburst, but we were certainly not prepared for… well, you. You're certainly allowed to appear however you like in your holoforms, just… make sure you give the others a bit of forewarning before you show them."

"Yeah, otherwise they'll ALL probably end up like Mina." Bulkhead smirked as he crouched down, seeing the pink yet red-faced girl finally taking in some much-needed breaths. "You gonna be okay there, Mina?"

"Y-Y-Yes, haha, I-I think so." Mina wheezed before she got up to her feet, locking her eyes onto the clearly upset Lambo Twins. "Guys, listen, I get what you're going for is what a lot of humans would say is cool… but even YOU have to admit, it's a bit over the top."

"Eh, maybe." Sideswipe shrugged. "But we're still sticking to it, right, Sunny?"

"Sure are." Sunstreaker grinned confidently. "And no one's going to change our minds. Now, with all that out of the way, how about we take the express way back to base, huh?"

Bulkhead nodded to the younger bot. "Right. I was just about to contact the bots back home before you showed up, actually." The burly holoform man glanced back to his Hummer pick-up mode as he activated his commlink. "Bulkhead to base, we're ready to be received for afternoon training. Mind bridging us in?" After he said that, though, his audio receptors were filled with something unexpected; a whirring feedback sound followed by static. "Gah! W-What the… that's weird."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker heard the noise too and decided to activate their own comms… only to get the same result. "SUPER weird." The red bot agreed. "It's like the base's comms are all down."

Sunstreaker glanced between his teammates suspiciously. "Weird, because they were working fine this morning."

"What do you think happened?" Momo piped up. "Some sort of communication error?"

"Well, maybe." Bulkhead folded his arms in thought. "Kinda weird that it happened so suddenly, though… here, lemme try something else." The Autobot bruiser changed the frequency on his comm, going directly for one of his teammates. "Bulkhead to Red Alert, come in, Red. Everything alright?"

Thankfully, he DID get a reply… though not one he was expecting. "Bulkhead?! Agh, scrap! I forgot all of you were still out there! This situation just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

"Woah, doc, pull back on the throttle a bit." Sideswipe interjected, with him and Sunstreaker phoning themselves in. "What's got you all wound up like a high-tension spring?"

"Hah… well, I suppose it's only right that you know about the situation." Red Alert sighed. "I'm sure you recall the frozen pod that you and Jazz retrieved early this morning, correct? Well, it thawed out… and it wasn't what any of us were expecting. I'm afraid that what you two brought back was… a Scraplet trap."

And just like that, the three bots' holoforms all widened their eyes simultaneously, with panicked expressions overtaking their features. "SCRAPLETS?!" the trio echoed before Bulkhead lowered his head, his holoform visibly trembling. "No, no, NO! You've gotta be kidding me!"

Mina and Momo eyed one another curiously before the pink-haired girl raised a hand. "Uh… excuse me, but… what's a Scraplet?"

"A paint-job NIGHTMARE is what they are!" Sunstreaker exclaimed, rushing up to the two girls and getting right into their faces. The ladies gasped and doubled back as Sunstreaker kept laying on the panic mode. "They're tiny little metal mites that have a VORACIOUS appetite for all things metal! Especially LIVING metal!"

"They can kill a bot within seconds." Sideswipe went on, his tone surprisingly serious. "Trust me, I've seen it happen, and so has Bulkhead."

The two girls were silent for a few seconds, stunned by what they had just heard. "Woah… so they're kinda like piranhas for Cybertronians." Mina concluded.

"Only MUCH more viscious by the sounds of it." Momo folded her arms over her chest nervously. "Does sounds like anything I'd want to come into contact with."

Sideswipe went back to Red Alert on the comms. "Red… please tell me that they aren't the reason why the comms are down."

"…Alright, I won't tell you that." Red Alert complied. "But I WILL say that they're the reason the GroundBridge is down and why Optimus and Windblade are currently trapped at the North Pole."

"WHAT?!" The whole group exclaimed. "Windblade is stuck at the North Pole with Optimus?!" Momo's hands went to her hair in disbelief. "That's terrible! We need to get them back before they freeze!"

Bulkhead took a deep breath and collected himself, furrowing his brow as he took control of the situation. "Alright, no time to be scared of some Scraplets, we need to get the Boss Bot back. We're returning to base right now."

"Wait, no, don't come back!" Red Alert ordered firmly. "There's already five bots in the base. If any more enter, then that could just agitate the Scraplets even more into a feeding frenzy. Mei and I need time to repair the GroundBridge so that Optimus and Windblade have a chance at getting home."

"But we can't just sit by!" Sideswipe urged. "Those things could still have you for lunch! You may not even get to FIX the GroundBridge."

"We already have Jazz, Arcee, Bumblebee, Strongarm and the other humans combing the base to seek and destroy as many as possible, Sideswipe." Red Alert pointed out. "Hopefully they'll be able to take out at least a solid chunk of the swarm. …But, if worse SHOULD come to worse, it probably would be handy to have you three at least on standby."

Sunstreaker wasn't exactly happy to hear that. "Awww, really?! Do we have to?!" His holoform zipped over and hugged his own vehicle form, rubbing his hand against his hood. "Won't SOMEBODY think of my beautiful paint?!" SMACK! "OUCH!"

Mina drew her hand back and pulled Sunstreaker up, shaking him by the shoulders. "PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, SUNSTREAKER!" She stopped and pulled him up so that she was staring directly into his eyes. "At this point, your paint can stand a few scratches if it means saving ALL of our friends from certain doom! Now pull your self-obsessed head out of your BUTT and get your mind in the game!"

The group all stared at Mina, flabbergasted at just how passionate she was in wanting to save the others. Even Sunstreaker was so shocked that his lips were tight, clamped shut after hearing her demands. "…U-Um… okay."

'Wow, Mina's got a way with words if she can get SUNNY to shut up about his paint.' Sideswipe smirked as he gave a nod. "Alright, so it's settled; we're headed back to Korusan and waiting a few clicks away from the base. If Red gives us a signal, we move in and help in whatever way we can."

"Indeed." Red approved over the comms. "Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does… well, we can only hope to see you soon. Red Alert, out."

Once the call ended, Bulkhead pumped a fist and addressed the whole group. "Alright, we know what our assignment is, Autobots, so let's get back there and… well, hope for the best." He approached his vehicle mode with Mina and Momo in tow, the three climbing in while Sideswipe and Sunstreaker pulled themselves onto the road. "Now let's roll out!"

As the three revved up and drove away from Mina's house, though, Sunstreaker couldn't help but feel a twisting sensation in his internal workings. "Ugh, I'm gonna need a buffer after this."

…..

"Alright, Iida, I give. Why'd you want me on THIS squad?"

Tenya was taken aback by the suddenness of the question. It had only been a few minutes since they had parted ways with the rest of their team to go Scraplet-hunting, and in that time, things had been relatively quiet. Thankfully not TOO quiet as the situation would have you, but still fairly silent, with the footfalls of their Autobot companions being a somewhat reassuring noise. Still, as they lead the wary Jazz and Strongarm through the halls of the base, Tenya couldn't blame Kyoka for her question.

"Hm, I expected you to ask that sooner or later." he admitted. "You're wondering why I didn't place you with Midoriya."

Kyoka raised a brow at him. "Yeah, kinda. It all just feels a bit… intentional. And from that face you're making, I think that it is."

"And you'd be correct." Tenya affirmed. "I wanted to have you with me so that you and I could discuss the bond that you and Midoriya share." This made Kyoka's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Hm, and already, I see I made the right choice. At that question alone, Midoriya probably would've become a bundle of nerves."

The punk rocker cleared her throat as her cheeks heated up a little. "Ahem, well… I guess I can't argue that. His confidence is getting better, but if you had led with that off the bat, I couldn't be responsible for the ramble he'd go on."

The two chuckled knowingly as Tenya went on. "Hmhm, yes, I'm sure. I hold a great deal of respect for Midoriya, though even I will say that he mumbles on a bit too much." He took on a slightly more serious face, though he kept his smile about him. "But let's focus on the topic I wished to discuss; you and Midoriya. …You have quite the special relationship, I can tell." Tenya saw Kyoka's cheeks brighten up again, and he knew that his assumption must be true. "You both encourage one another, and in turn, I can see that the two of you make each other very happy."

At that point, Kyoka's face was entirely read and she began waving her arms in denial. "I-Iida, before you go off the deep end here, it's really not what you think—"

"Yet." Tenya pointed out.

"…Well, I…"

"Jiro, I myself am no expert on romance, but even I can see how much you both like one another." Tenya held up two fingers and brought them together. "You are practically attached to the hip, am I wrong?"

Kyoka pursed her lips and sighed in defeat. "…Okay, fine, yes. I may or may not like Izuku a lot more than I'm letting on with him." She held up a firm hand to him. "But I can assure you that I'm fine, Iida. Yaomomo's already helping me through it… somewhat. If I want to take things further with Izuku, I'll do it on our own terms."

Immediately, Tenya nodded in understanding. "Oh, I completely understand that, Jiro. Far be it from me to interfere with a naturally beautifully blossoming relationship." He received a groan from her at his choice of words, but he went on. "However, should you both decide to eventually go out, I want you to keep in mind; you both are still U.A. students, so it's important to not let your feelings hinder your progress in school. As Class Rep, I felt like I should at least make that clear."

And just like that, Kyoka deadpanned at the spectacled young man. "…Wow, really? Man, Iida, you REALLY are devoted to our education." She shook her head at him and made her own argument. "Anyway, I don't think you have anything to worry about with me and Izuku. He and I, well… we actually sort of share a goal with us becoming heroes…" The girl tapped her jacks together sheepishly. "So if anything, we shouldn't have any problems when it comes to getting through U.A., okay?"

"Well, that's good to hear." Tenya smiled in approval. "So no matter what your relationship status is, you'll both have a common goal to work toward. Excellent." He gave her one last nod before focusing on the hallway ahead. "I wish you luck, Jiro. Midoriya is a very kind-hearted soul. I know any young lady would be lucky to strike up a relationship with him, so I wouldn't wait too long to take your chance."

"Hmph, right… so you paired him up with Ochako knowing that, huh?" Kyoka smirked back.

Tenyda stopped abruptly and his eye twitched, all before he turned his head to the wall and knocked it against it. "I may have made a grave miscalculation." Kyoka couldn't help but laugh at his little act of self-punishment before he pulled himself back to reality. "But, no matter! With any luck, they'll be too focused on the mission to notice one another!"

"Uh… Tenya? What're you talking about?" Strongarm asked as she and Jazz came to a stop.

"And would ya TRY to keep yo' voice down?!" Jazz harshly whispered, the lieutenant holding on to a massive flashlight as he trembled in place. "We don't wanna bring ALL the creepy crawlies our way, remember?"

"O-Oh, yes, my apologies." Tenya bowed. "I was simply talking to Jiro about a… private matter."

Strongarm sighed and raised her crossbow, furrowing her metal brow in concentration. "Well, stay sharp. The Scraplets could literally be anywhere. Now let's keep moving." The group nodded as they proceeded forward, all while Strongarm searched around dillegently. "Now, Denki found the first one around here… right?" But then…

SHOOM!

"AAAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEE!" The lights went out briefly, with nothing visible aside from the bots' optics and Kyoka and Tenya's silhouettes from the flashlight. The loud, high-pitched scream rang through the hallway before the lights flashed on again… but it came from the absolute last bot anyone would expect.

Kyoka smirked and turned to Jazz. "Dude, did you just scream like a little girl?"

"W-What, me?" Jazz smiled, trying to downplay the whole thing. "Nahhh, no way!" But the more everyone stared at him, the more embarrassed he felt. "Well, I mean, maybe. …Look, can we talk about this later?"

The two humans glanced to one another with small grins before Kyoka shrugged. "Sure, whatever." The two continued forward, leaving Jazz to his own devices.

Behind him though, Jazz could hear certain police bot snickering, causing him to turn around and give a pointed look to Strongarm. "Watch that tone o' yours, cadet."

"Y-Yes sir, lieutenant!" Strongarm abruptly saluted. "No more funny business."

"Hmph, that's what I thought." Taking a deep intake of air, Jazz pressed onward, with Strongarm covering his flank. As they went through the hall, however, he couldn't help but whip his head around every time he thought he heard something. Weather it was the pitter-patter of metal on metal, or the whirring of blades, it was almost too much for him. The thought that a swarm of Scraplets could just come out of no where and devour him and Strongarm… it set him on a thin edge.

"Jazz, stay cool, okay?" Kyoka encouraged. "You're gonna be fine so long as we're protecting—"

Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink!

POW-POW! POW-POW-POW! Without any warning, Jazz suddenly spun around and began shooting at the ceiling, forcing Strongarm to duck and cover while the kids stayed low to the ground. And then, unexpectedly, something actually fell from the ceiling overhead, completely overtaking Jazz. "AAAAAAAAH! They got me! THEY GOT ME!"

Kyoka and Tenya immediately brought up their make-shift pipe weapons, ready to throw down… only to see that Jazz was getting himself tangled in a bunch of cables. "…Well, that was embarrassing." Kyoka rolled her eyes before calling out to her friend. "JAZZ! Get a hold of yourself, dude! It's just a bunch of cables!"

Jazz stopped and took a second glance at what was "attacking" him, and he instantly felt very silly. "Oh, hah, right! Cables! Hehe…" He reached for one and it fell from the ceiling… and from where it was, a huge deluge of Scraplets came raining down on Jazz's head. "AAAAAAAH!"

"Oh scrap!" Strongarm raised her crossbow and began firing blasts of energy at the Scraplets as they came scuttling toward her… but not even she could fend them off so easily. "A-Ah! AAAAH! NO! Get off of me! GET OFF! AAAAAAAH!"

"Strongarm!" Tenya's eyes widened in horror as he watched his partner collapse, raising his own pipe as he started forward. "Hang on, I'm—GAH!" But then, he suddenly tripped… and he felt a sharp pain digging into the back of his calves. "AGH! What the—AH!" The young man gasped as he glanced past his shoulder… only to see a dozen or so Scraplets having jumped on him, their grinding metal teeth going right for his engines. "Ah! AAH! JIRO!"

Kyoka wacked a bunch of Scraplets away from Jazz before taking notice of Tenya's predicament, making her gasp in horror. "Oh god, IIDA!" She made her way over to him with her pipe raised… only to notice that some Scraplets were coming toward her as well. And she had a feeling she knew why. She eyed her Earphone Jacks and muttered; "Shit." before stuffing them into her jacket, hoping that they wouldn't try to reach them in there. "This just gets better and better, DOESN'T it?!"

…..

Meanwhile, on the other side of the base, Arcee and Bumblebee were keeping their weapons raised, the two keeping an optic out for whatever Scraplets decided to come their way. "Stay frosty, Bee." Arcee heeded. "Remember, we're not alone in this. We've got back up." Bumblebee buzzed in agreement before both looked down to their two human partners, with Arcee asking; "Seen anything yet, guys?"

"Only the odd piece of scrap laying around." Ochako answered, keeping her pipe weapon up and ready.

"Don't these things EVER stop eating?" Izuku kicked away another random piece of metal on the ground. "This is just insane."

Arcee nodded and set her optics ahead again. "Trust me, I know. But this at least means were getting close. Come on, let's exterminate these things."

As they continued forward, however, Ochako couldn't help but feel a growing pit of nervousness seeping into her gut. She knew that she and Izuku wouldn't be targeted since they weren't made of metal, but Jazz's description of how Scraplets actually ATE a Cybertronian really struck a chord with her. She NEEDED something to distract her… and that's when her sights went to Izuku. '…Maybe some casual conversation wouldn't hurt.' She cleared her throat and spoke up. "A-Ahem, hey, Midoriya?"

Izuku's head perked up and he set his sights to her. "Hm? Yes? W-What's up, Uraraka?"

'Hah, should've guessed he'd be nervous to talk to me.' The brunette sighed internally. 'After all, we haven't really had any big conversations outside of a few times…' Still, she pressed onward, giving him a smile. "I, uh… I just wanted to officially thank you. F-For what you did back during the entrance exams when you saved me."

"O-Oh!" Izuku's eyes widened and he put a smile on, nodding to her. "Y-Yes, of course, Uraraka. It was no problem, really."

"Your broken bones that day would beg to differ." Ochako pointed out.

A small blush lined Izuku's cheeks at that. "Uh, hehe… yeah, good point."

Ochako tilted her head, smiling at his rather bashful face. "Listen… I know that you know about me offering to give you some of my points back then." This made Izuku's brain get back on track, focusing directly on her words. "And I just wanna say… I meant everything that I said to Present Mic. If it weren't for you, I don't know if I'd even BE here right now. You guys, the Autobots, U.A., if I had gotten injured… or worse, I wouldn't have been able to experience it." Her own blush appeared on her cheeks as she twiddled her fingers. "So… I guess this is really just a long-winded way of saying thank you, but—"

"You're welcome." The Gravity user perked her head up, seeing Izuku smiling once again. "And honestly, I should really thank YOU again for being so kind in offering to give up some of your points, even if we DID both get in." He gave her a nod and raised a determined fist. "Uraraka, you're going to make a great hero one day, I just know it. So let's give it our all and do our best with the spots we were given, sound good?"

Despite herself, Ochako could feel her blush intensifying. There was something about Izuku's determination that was rather… infectious. She had to admit, she rather liked it. Her own smile came back and she gave a thumbs up. "Y-Yeah! Let's do our best!" She trailed off as another thought occurred to her. "…And another thing?"

"Hm? Yeah? What is it?"

"It's just… I can't really explain this one as well." Ochako glanced to the side and scratched the back of her neck. "You see, for some reason… it kinda feels a bit off to me calling you "Midoriya". And for the life of me, I have NO idea why. It just feels weird."

Izuku blinked a couple times at her statement, finding it a little odd as well. "Hm, well, I HAVE been told that my last name's kind of a mouthful." He cracked a grin and made a suggestion. "B-But if you want… I guess you could give me a nickname."

"Wow, you sure?" The brunette was surprised at the offer, to say the least. "Kyoka's pretty much the QUEEN of that market. She has at least five for you, doesn't she?"

"And probably more I haven't even heard yet." The two laughed in unison before Izuku went on. "But really, so long as it's a nickname that she hasn't come up with, I think you can get away with it."

Ochako hummed to herself, mulling it over for a moment before something occurred to her. "Well… I don't know how well you'll handle this one, but… I remember back during our first Hero Training course that you said that Deku would be the name of a hero, even though Bakugo kept calling you that to make fun of you."

Izuku internally cringed remembering that moment. Looking back, it was a bit cheesy, but he meant every word, especially since it was Kyoka who helped him come to that conclusion. "Y-Yeah, Kacchan always used it to make fun of me, b-but Kyoka helped me realize that I could use it as my hero name to g-get back at him a little. L-Like using it as a clapback, you know?"

"Oh yeah, I totally get it." Ochako nodded. "So… my question is…"

"Y-You want to call me Deku, right?"

The girl shifted her eyes away awkwardly, poking her fingers together. "I mean… if it's alright with you, I don't wanna make you uncomfortable or anything. I just think it'd be a neat name to call you."

Izuku could tell that Ochako's nerves were getting to her about this, something that he was all too familiar with. So, while it WOULD be a bit weird having this name used by both Bakugo AND her… he saw no harm in it. "Well then, "Deku" it is."

And just like that, Ochako's mood took a one-eighty and she was all smiles once again. "Ah! Alright! Thanks, Deku." She took a moment to hear herself say the word itself, and immediately, it felt like something missing had just clicked into place. "Haha! Yeah, now THAT feels a lot more natural."

"Glad to hear it. I—"

"Ssh! Kids, hush." Arcee ordered, bringing the duo's attention back to her and Bumblebee. The two bots were hugged up against the wall, staying as close to it as possible as they craned their heads around a corner. Izuku and Ochako joined them and peered around the corner as well, seeing that there was a huge ventilation tunnel down at the end of the short hallway. It was shaped like a tube and had a round grate over it… one that had clearly been eaten into. "Recognize those bite marks?" Arcee asked.

Izuku furrowed his brow and brought up his crowbar. "Yep, Scraplets. What do we do, Arcee?"

"Bee and I will take point." The pink femme explained. "You two be at the ready if they come out and swarm us. We're gonna need all the smashing you can muster."

"Right." Ochako brought up her wrench and held it firmly. "Let's do this!"

"Zrkt—EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" Bumblebee's radio chimed in, though a bit too loudly for anyone's taste.

"SSSHH!" Arcee and the humans shushed. Bumblebee lowered his head apologetically, leading Arcee to give him a small pat. "It's okay, Bee. Let's just be cautious here, okay?" The yellow bot nodded up to her instantly and they started forward, with Arcee approaching the grate and reaching her hand out for it. She grasped the front of it tightly and waited a few seconds… before tearing it right off and aiming her pistol inside. Bumblebee followed suit as Izuku and Ochako raised their weapons… only to see nothing. "What? I-I could've sworn we'd see at least SOME—"

"Wait!" Izuku raised his hand. "…Do you hear that?"

Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink!

The quartet felt a chill go through them as they slowly craned their heads around to a smaller ventilation grate in the ground down at the opposite end of the hall. The pitter-pattering of metal legs grew ever closer before finally, the grate shot right up and out came the Scraplets, their teeth already whirring in anticipation as they drew toward the group.

"AH! They tricked us!" Arcee raised her pistol and began firing. "We've been cornered! We gotta get outta—OUCH! GAH! AAAAAUGH!" Without wasting any time, the Scraplets swarmed over Arcee almost entirely, the pink femme squirming on the ground as she tried to get them off.

"ARCEE!" Ochako started smacking the Scraplets off of her while Bumblebee continued to fight… though it wasn't long until the Scraplets began swarming HIM as well.

"Bee! Hang in there!" Izuku hollered, doing his own part to fend off the swarm. "Augh! Optimus, I REALLY wish you were here right now!"

…..

In the main control room, Eijiro and Denki kept up their guard as Mei and Red Alert repaired the GroundBridge, though at this point, they were getting antsy. Even through the thick walls of the base, they could hear the screams of their allies, and while Red and Mei were able to ignore them and focus on their work, the boys weren't so lucky. Denki gulped and stepped closer to his friend. "Bro… I think Bee might've been right."

"What, about the whole "Game Over" thing?" Eijiro nudged Denki in the arm with a reassuring grin. "C'mon man, what kinda talk is that? I mean, sure, the sounds we've been hearing… aren't the best, but the bots have back-up. We have to have faith in our buds, ya know?" He craned his head around and called out to the more intelligent duo. "How's it going back there, guys?"

Mei pulled her head away and pulled up her goggles, her expression frustrated. "In a word? Not great."

Red Alert grumbled and shook his head. "We've repaired the damaged conductors, and rerouted the central conduits, but the GroundBridge still won't receive POWER!" He punched the floor in frustration, which cracked beneath his fist.

"Gah, man… wait a sec." Denki's face brightened up and he started charging up his hand. "Maybe all the GroundBridge needs is a little jumpstart—"

"NO!" Red and Mei shouted in unison before the pink-haired inventor stormed up to him with a warning glare. "Sparky, don't you DARE try that! If you do that, you'll risk frying ALL of the circuitry all over again!"

"O-Okay, okay! I get ya." The blonde pulled his Quirk back… though the moment he did, he heard a very familiar sound…

Tink-tink-tink-tink-tink!

"…Oh no." Denki raised the pipe he had as a weapon while Eijiro activated his own Quirk, the two boys high on their guard. They and Mei searched around for the source of the noise before bringing their sights up… and immediately, they saw a whole swarm of Scraplets having gathered high up on the wall near a ventilation tunnel. The little monsters were scuttling about, keeping to themselves for the most part… until their sights were set on Red Alert. Within seconds, their mouths had opened and their saw blade-like teeth began spinning. Then all at once, they jumped off the wall… and began flying in midair.

"WOAH!" Eijiro exclaimed, watching as the Scraplets came divebombing down toward them. "They FLY?! You never said they could FLY!"

Red Alert spun around and gasped as the Scraplets closed in on him, and the moment they made contact, they sent the medic sprawling onto the floor. He was almost instantly covered in trails of bite marks, his mesh being consumed by the tiny monsters. "AAAAAH! AAAAAGH!"

"RED ALERT!" Mei rushed over and picked up a stray hammer that was on the ground, using it to bash the Scraplets off of him while Eijiro and Denki joined in.

Their efforts seemed futile though as more Scraplets kept coming, with dozens, if not HUNDREDS more continued to hover overhead. But then, out of the corner of his visor, Red spotted something, and an idea popped into his head. "Mei! MEI! The fire extinguisher!"

Mei spun around, spotted the bright red canister, and without hesitation rushed right toward it. She picked it up and went right to work spraying the cold, fire-retardant spray onto the Scraplets as the boys continued smashing them, and within seconds, the Scraplets seemed to slow their pace to a complete stop, their eyes dimming and bodies freezing up before falling off Red Alert completely. "Hah… hah… wow, I can't believe that—"

"MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!"

Kyoka's voice screaming through the room alerted everyone to the return of the two teams… and the moment they saw her and Izuku helping Tenya limp into the room, they gasped in horror. The young man was limping along, with his legs almost covered in blood. And to make it all the more shocking, he was bleeding from the engine holes in his calves, taking them completely aback. "OH GOD!" Eijiro ran a hand through his hair. "What the hell happened?!"

"Those little bastards tried to EAT his engines!" Kyoka barked.

"We need first aid!" Izuku pressed. "For everyone!"

Jazz came limping up, with the other Autobots all trailing behind him. "Red, get the patch kit, we're all leakin' like mad over—WOAH!"

It was only then that the Autobots and humans all saw the massive swarm of Scraplets overhead, and like a moth to a flame, the little pests opened their mouths up wide once again and went straight for them again. Bumblebee and Strongarm open-fired on the Scraplets, but with there being so many more than when they were in the halls, they found themselves quickly overwhelmed. "AAH! NO!" Strongarm wailed as the Scraplets took her and Bee down. "Not—ACK! Again!"

"That's IT! I've had it!" Arcee snarled as she ejected her swords from her back pieces, catching them as the energy blades sprung to life. "Eat THIS you little glitches!" The pink femme rushed forward and swiped her swords through the colony of Scraplets, taking many of them down. …However, many more clung on to her, making her double over as they munched her metal. "AAAAUGH!"

"Nonononono—AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEE!" Jazz screamed as he fell to the ground as well, a whole swath of Scraplets ramming themselves into his chest. Not too far away, Red Alert was also covered in Scraplets again, leaving only the children to fend off the swarm.

"It's official!" Kyoka cried out while bashing more Scraplets. "Worst. Sunday. EVER!"

…..

Meanwhile, up in the far north, Optimus and Windblade were making their way through the heavy snowstorm, the strong winds and the blizzard itself making it difficult for them to move. Still, they persevered, hoping to all hope that they'd suddenly find a good signal to their headquarters. "Optimus to base, do you read? Come in, Red Alert!" Prime spoke over the storm, his heavy frame helping him along in his trek along the ice.

However, the City Speaker behind him didn't have that luxury. "Oof!" Optimus stopped and turned back, walking over to Windblade to help her up. "Ugh, you sure a nice drive or flight wouldn't help?" She offered a smile as she brushed snow off of her armor plating. "I hear there's this Earth city called Miami that's beautiful this time of year."

"The nearest temporal climate is too distant, Windblade." Optimus replied, shaking his head. "Attempting to reach it would expend our energy, and hasten the freezing process." He directed his gaze toward the horizon, his mind going to what could be going on back at base. "Until Red Alert sends for us, and he will, our best option would be to seek shelter and insulate ourselves."

"I think I saw a small alcove a couple clicks that direction while I was scouting." Windblade pointed eastward and Prime could make out the vague outline of what must have been a large hill. "That's probably our best bet. …Let's just hope Red picks us up in time."

…..

Several minutes had passed since the horde of Scraplets had tried eating EVERYONE, and needless to say, everyone was in rough shape. But thankfully, they were still alive, so that was a plus. The five Autobots and Tenya all propped themselves up against the GroundBridge platform, groaning and moaning in pain as the kids finished off what was left of the tiny demons. They were practically bashing their heads in with pipes and tools as Mei sprayed the downed Scraplets with the fire extinguisher, though by the looks of things, they were all quite dead. "Did we get 'em all?" the inventor asked.

As if to answer her question, everyone began hearing the familiar mechanical whirring and metallic pitter-patter that they had heard throughout the day, and they could feel their guts all sink at the same time. "Hardly." Red Alert sighed. "These were just scouts." Next to him, Bumblebee let out an exasperated buzz, falling flat on his back.

"So that means… that the rest of them know we're in here?" Strongarm muttered.

"And if we let them make us their next meal, Optimus and Windblade will NEVER make it home." Red Alert asserted direly. "We MUST get the GroundBridge up and running."

"Right, but first things first." Kyoka and her fellow classmates all went over to their Class Rep, the spectacled boy laying flat on his stomach to try and slow the bleeding in his legs. "Hey there, Class Rep, how're ya holding up?"

Denki knelt down in concern. "You okay, man? Those things didn't actually… EAT your engines, did they?"

Tenya shook his head. "Thankfully, they did not." Right then, he flexed his calves and his engines came popping right back out… though he instantly regretted that a second later. "AGH! Ah! Mistakes were made!" He winced as he pulled them back in. "That was a BAD mistake on my part!"

Mei pursed her lips and made her way over to a nearby storage unit on the wall, opening it up to reveal a first aid kit. "Hold on there, Specs, we'll get you patched up."

"I can't believe they actually tried to eat THROUGH your skin to get to your engines." Izuku grimaced. "That must've been awful."

"Scraplets will go through anything soft if it means getting to their preferred meal." Arcee jumped in, sneering in disgust. "Unfortunately, Cybertron isn't the ONLY planet that has Scraplets, and if those little freaks see any organic beings as obstacles to their dinner… well, those teeth can go through MORE than just metal."

Tenya winced as he sat up, allowing Eijiro and Mei to wrap bandages and gauze around his legs "Yes, as I've learned." He craned his head up to Red Alert and raised a brow to him. "So, once the GroundBridge is operational, we'll be able to send the Scraplets anywhere on the planet, correct?"

"Yes." Red Alert affirmed. "Do you have a suggestion?"

Eijiro suddenly raised his hand. "Actually, I think it'd be a good idea to send 'em back to the Arctic." He jabbed a thumb toward the fire extinguisher that Mei used. "I mean, we all saw that they don't like the cold."

"Awesome!" Ochako cheered. "Sounds like one-stop shopping to me!"

Red Alert had to admit, that was a sound plan. "Given the subzero temperatures and the body mass of the Scraplets, sending them back directly to the Arctic should freeze them on contact." He lowered his head and put a hand to his chin in thought. "So think, Red, THINK! If the GroundBridge is still down…" And just like that, the realization dawned on him. "Then there must be a breach in the energon fuel line!"

Bumblebee suddenly buzzed again as he tried to get back up, only for his efforts to be completely futile. Jazz sighed and spoke up. "Well, if we weren't breachin', one of us could head on over there an' fix the dang thing."

"I… I-I think I can—AUGH!" Strongarm tried standing, but she ultimately slipped, her knees too weak to hold her own body up.

"Strongarm, I wouldn't try that again." Tenya advised. "In fact, ALL of you are far too injured to go anywhere at the moment."

Mei crossed her arms, a determined expression etching onto her features. "And even if you could, the Scraplets would likely eat you alive if you went to fix the fuel line yourselves." She stepped up and set her gaze onto Red Alert, balling her hand into a resolute fist. "So where do I find it, and how to I fix it?"

The medic was taken by surprise initially… but slowly, a smile took over his features and he nodded to her. "Listen closely…"

…..

After a brief yet thorough explanation on how to fix the fuel line, Mei geared herself up with her best tools and a couple tag-along buddies before heading out into the base once more. She brought along Izuku and Ochako, mainly so that their heavier hitters could stay back to protect the Autobots and Tenya. She had considered bringing Kyoka as well, but she ALSO had metal on her body thanks to her jacks, so she elected to remain behind. With light, tip-toeing footsteps, the trio walked through the river of Scraplets going through the hall, following the fuel line to where they'd hopefully find the breach.

"Remember, we're okay." Mei assured. "We're not metal."

"Honestly, I'm just creeped out by them in general at this point." Ochako whispered.

"Same." Izuku agreed before spying a a certain blue liquid that was dripping heavily from where two pieces of the fuel line's pipework was connected. "W-Wait, over there! I think that's the breach."

Mei furrowed her brow and nodded. "Right, let's get to it. We've gotta work fast." She lifted up a towel and handed it to Ochako. "Rosy Cheeks, you clean up that energon spill. Muscles, I'm gonna need you to keep that pipe steady while I repair the breach. Everybody got that?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The duo took to their tasks and went straight to work, with Ochako carefully taking the towel to soak up the spilled energon while Izuku reached down under the pipe and began pumping five percent of One for All through his arms, which sealed the connection well enough for the energon flow to stop. "Gah, o-okay, I-I've got it!" Izuku said through gritted teeth.

"Good, now keep it steady and keep your eyes away." Mei brought up a welding mask she was keeping on her hip and put it on over her head, bringing up her personal welder soon after. She got right to work, sealing up the connection along the bottom of the pipe slowly and carefully so as to not accidentally ignite the energon. Finally, after about five minutes, she was done, and she let out a satisfied sigh. "Hah… okay, I think we're all patched up."

"Great." Izuku breathed out, letting go of the pipe only for his arms to fall limply to his sides. "My arms were getting tingly."

But then, much to the trio's horror, the Scraplets all stopped what they were doing and began making their nasty whirring sounds. And it wasn't long until they were all up in the air and flying toward the nearest vent. Ochako paled in realization. "Oh god, they're getting ready to feed!"

"C'mon, let's go!" Mei took up her tool box and made a mad sprint back down the hall. "We gotta tell Red to flip the switch!"

…..

Back in the control room, the Autobots were still unable to move a muscle, effectively at the mercy of any Scraplets that should come in. Of course, they still had Denki, Eijiro and Kyoka as a line of defense, but even then, the teens all seemed pretty exhausted themselves. Tenya meanwhile was lounging about next to them, his legs having been propped up on a chair after having been bandaged up. Strongarm craned her head down, a feeling of hopelessness beginning to take hold. "So… if we get the GroundBridge—"

"Not "if", Strongarm." Tenya interrupted, his gaze locking on to her own. "But "when"."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Strongarm returned, the cadet showing signs of worry on her face. "W-What if the others can't fix the breach in time, or—"

"They will, trust me." Tenya smiled. "Hatsume is quite the ingenuine person. She'd probably be able to make something useful out of scrap metal if given the chance. Trust me, she, Midoriya and Uraraka WILL get this done."

Kyoka came over and nodded up to the bots. "Yeah, c'mon guys, don't be so quick to give up hope. We'll make it through this, I promise."

Arcee sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "By Primus, you kids certainly are optimistic. I admire that about you."

"Okay, so WHEN we get the GroundBridge online…" Strongarm continued, directing her sights toward Red Alert. "Do we send the Scraplets out… or bring our bots in?"

Red Alert immediately shook his head. "No, Optimus and Windblade would be fresh meat. If we bring them in first, the Scraplets won't have any reason to leave. If we want to lead them out of this place for good… we'll need bait."

"Pardon my Earth language, but where the hell're we gon' get BAIT?!" Jazz exclaimed, throwing his hand up to the room around them. "The little glitches've already helped themselves to everything in here!"

CRASH! Everyone went silent as a loud clattering noise echoed through the room, culminating in a vent cover coming down and slamming against the floor. The group's heads all snapped up… and they saw the full swarm of Scraplets hovering overhead. The tiny creatures were flying around like they were one massive being, like a serpent of some sort coiling through the air around and around the whole room. It was mesmerizing AND quite terrifying.

Eijiro and Denki grouped up around Kyoka, the three of them taking defensive stances "…Ya know, if anyone has any ideas on that bait, I'd definitely be open for suggestions!" the redhead said as he hardened his arms up again.

"RED ALERT!" Everyone snapped their heads over to the nearby entryway and saw Izuku, Mei and Ochako come running back in, the greenette calling out; "All systems go! Fire it up!"

Using whatever strength he could muster, Red Alert shakily got up to his feet and reached for the GroundBridge's activation lever. "GroundBridge… activated." As he pushed the lever down, his weak legs gave out from underneath him and he fell forward, collapsing directly next to the control panel as the GroundBridge sprang back to life once again.

And now… the bait issue. Jazz grit his teeth as he glanced back and forth between the GroundBridge and the Scraplet swarm… and in that moment, he knew what he had to do. "Hmph, bait, huh?" Using whatever strength he had left, the lieutenant got up to his feet and went straight to the front of the GroundBridge, waving his arm back and forth high in the air.

"J-Jazz?!" Kyoka exclaimed. "What're you—"

"Yo, creepy crawlers! Ready for the main course?!" Jazz glared at the Scraplets as they focused in on him, their mouths all whirring in anticipation. "Come an' GET IT!" He steadily began limping through the GroundBridge portal, and without fail, the entire swarm of Scraplets followed after him, even as he disappeared into the vortex.

…..

To say that Optimus and Windblade were freezing to death would be an understatement. Unfortunately, the alcove they had found wasn't that much in the way of helping them stay sheltered against the harsh environment, and instead, their position only made them more exposed thanks to the pseudo wind tunnel the small space created. The two had become so weak that they couldn't sit upright, and it was there that they found themselves laying down in the snow, feeling the effects of the cold overtaking them.

"…Y-You know what the w-worst part of this is?" Windblade asked, craning her head up so she could see Prime's face. "After fighting Cons all these eons, getting smacked down, shot at, blown up… THIS is how our lights go out?"

"Windblade… this may not be the finish that we had planned." Optimus said in a gentle, somewhat accepting tone. "But, if this is indeed the end, if we are to become one with the Allspark…"

The City Speaker reached her hand out and placed it on the back of Prime's, to which he moved it over so he could gently grasp hers. She smiled sadly up to him and nodded. "It's been an honor serving with you… Optimus Prime." But then, dejection overtook her features and her optics screwed themselves shut. "I just… wish we could've said goodbye to the kids." she choked out.

Beneath his faceplate, Optimus couldn't help but frown sadly himself. "…I know." The Prime gently closed his optics… but then he heard something familiar. His sights went up in time to see a certain light appear in the distance, followed by a spiraling green vortex. And all at once, a feeling of hope began to reverberate through him. "Windblade… look."

Windblade's optics snapped open and she saw the GroundBridge, her voice cracking in joy as her smile came back. "…Home."

"Come, up on your feet." Optimus's legs creaked as his joints began to move, with Windblade's doing the same. Within seconds, the two were up and they made a beeline for the portal, slowly but surely approaching it. Even then, however, they had a few trip-ups along the way. But then, what happened next took them aback. Just as the two were within ten meters of the portal… Jazz came hobbling through, much to their confusion.

"PRIME! WINDBLADE!" Jazz waved his arm in a downward motion. "Down, now!" With that, he fell forward right onto the ice… and from right behind him, something came bursting out of the portal. A huge swarm of…

"Scraplets!" Optimus exclaimed, taking a defensive position.

"WHAT?!" Windblade's optics widened in panic. "Frag! This is JUST what we needed!"

The Scraplets spotted the two immediately and zeroed right in on them, their maws open and ready to munch. But… just as they were within a few feet of them, their systems and bodies began to freeze up instantly, the cold taking its intended affect. And before long, the Scraplets came raining down onto Optimus and Windblade, all of them bouncing off as dead as doornails.

As the snow storm cleared and the clouds parted for the sun, needless to say, the duo were baffled by what just happened. But as Jazz brushed off the Scraplets on his own body, he offered a victorious grin. "Heh… I'd invite y'all in, but the place is a mess."

…..

"Man, I can't believe we missed EVERYTHING!"

About half an hour had passed since the Scraplets were disposed of, and currently, all of the Autobots were gathered in the main control room, sitting down or laid out on medical beds. Many of them were hooked up to machinery that helped them in their repairs, and all the while, the teens were actually the ones monitoring them. The only Autobots who weren't sitting were Bulkhead, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, the three having just arrived with Momo and Mina in tow.

"Yeah, I kinda gotta agree with Mina on this one." Sideswipe nodded. "Sucks that we had to miss out on all the action."

From her bed, Strongarm narrowed her optics at him, lifting her arm to show him her wounds. "Sideswipe, does it LOOK like you wanted to be here during this whole thing?"

The red bot threw his head back and laughed. "HA! Please, I would've given those Scraplets a run for their money and you know—AH!" He gasped as he felt something crawl over his foot… only to realize that it was one of the dead Scraplets. He saw Eijiro wearing a cheeky grin as he picked the carcass up, and there was a small chorus of chuckles throughout the room. "H-Hey! NOT funny!"

"Maybe not, but it's always good to be humbled!" Eijiro called back.

Sunstreaker put his hands behind his head with a big smile. "Heh, Well I know I'm glad I wasn't here." He brushed his arm and saw his reflection in his paintjob. "I just got myself buffed yesterday, so glad I avoided a total catastrophe." Almost immediately, he was met with narrowed eyes from everyone in the room, prompting him to shrug. "What?"

Denki brought up a dead Scraplet of his own, giving his friend a bit of stinkeye as he manually hinged its jaws. "Remember that whole thing about being humbled, Sunny?"

"Gah! Okay, okay, you've made your point." Sunstreaker raised his hands in surrender.

Momo sighed and went over to Windblade, putting a hand over her cold, metal one. "I'm just glad that everyone made it out in one piece… barely."

Windblade smiled to her and gave a weak laugh. "Hah, yeah… so am I."

Mina went up to Ochako, who was currently hooking up a wire into Arcee's arm. "So, what was it like? Did you guys take out a bunch of the little guys like in the Alien movies? Or I'm guessing that THEY must've been the ones hunting you guys down, right? C'mon, I need the juicy details!"

"Ah-ah, AFTER we take care of things here, Mina." Ochako denied, placing a finger on Mina's lips to silence her. "We still have a ton of work to do to fix everyone up." Mina pouted behind her as she made her way over to Tenya, the boy laying out on a small couch with a blanket draped over his legs. "So, how're you doing, Class Rep? Need anything?"

"Not right now, Uraraka, thank you." Tenya reciprocated, his legs having been propped up on pillows with some icepacks on them. "Hopefully within a few minutes I'll be able to walk without any stinging feeling."

Bulkhead approached the teens working at the monitors, bending over to see what they were doing. "You sure you guys don't need any help with that? I think I could—"

"It's okay, Bulkhead." Mei said with a wave, not taking her eyes off the screen for a second. "We've got this." She craned her head up to Red Alert and gave him a thumbs up. "Bio-circuitry levels are on the rise, Red Alert."

"Excellent." Red Alert nodded back before his attention went to the other teens. "Izuku, keep a close eye on Bumblebee's electro-pulse monitor. Kyoka, check Jazz and Strongarm's interface patches."

Izuku gave him a salute. "Things are steady."

And Kyoka gave him one of her own. "Looking good, Doc Bot."

"Perhaps you should get some rest yourself, old friend." Optimus suggested, offering a smile to Red Alert. "You've saved quite a few lives today."

Red Alert paused at that, knowing full well that he couldn't take all the credit on that. "It… wasn't all my doing." He glanced over to the teens briefly, thanking his lucky stars that they had been there to help. "We're just fortunate that this infestation happened… on a Sunday."

Optimus nodded at that. "Our human friends may be small, but they are stronger than they seem."

"I realize that now, yes." Red Alert took a moment to ponder over something before calling out; "Mei, if I could have you for a moment."

Mei raised a brow and went right over to him. "Hm? Yeah, what is it, Red?" As she approaching him, though, he reached out a closed hand and opened it slowly to her… revealing her half-eaten Sky Spy. An array of mixed emotions began bubbling up inside her, though for the most part, she was confused at this. "W-What are you—"

"Mei, I realize that I've been acting quite distant from you for this past week." Red Alert lowered his head. "And for that, I apologize. I see now that you have a great passion for inventing things, and seeing your brilliant device having been eaten by those Scraplets… well, it's made me realize that I should stop being so belligerent and actually start being a team player." He offered her a small grin. "Perhaps I could help you rebuild this Sky Spy of yours? As my way of saying thank you for your assistance in repairing the GroundBridge."

A wide, happy smile overtook Mei's features, and she could feel a slight lump forming in her throat as she took up her Sky Spy in her hands. "…I'd really appreciate that, Red Alert. Thank you."

"AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEE!"

Everyone's head snapped around at Mina's bloodcurdling scream, and immediately, the teens reached for their makeshift weapons. "Scraplet?!" Izuku exclaimed.

"SPIDER!" Mina shouted before spinning around to see if it had crawled onto her. "Is it on me?! AH! AAH! Get it off! Get it off!"

The Autobots and students watched as Mina ran off in full-on panic mode, Jazz shooting a perplexed look after her. "…Did she just scream like a little girl?"

…..

A/N: Yes, even in this version of the story, that joke remains. Sure it isn't Bulkhead this time around, but you gotta admit, someone as cool and collected as Jazz losing all of that in the face of these Scraplets is pretty funny. That said, thankfully he swallowed that fear to be the one who ultimately brought the little creeps down also speaks volumes about him, so there's that as well. But of course, we can't forget the kids' roles in helping fend off the Scraplets, now can we? For indeed, thanks to Mei and Red Alert, the GroundBridge was repaired just in time to send them all through and bring Prime and Windblade back home!

However, we also saw a bit more development happening between some of the other characters as well. We got a little funny moment with Kyoka and Tenya (poor guy not realizing what he's done until it was too late), and, in a bit of a twist after a small heart-to-heart, THIS is how Ochako ends up using the nickname "Deku" in this version of events. But could this possibly lead to her developing the same feelings for him later? Or will the fact that she already knows that he and Kyoka have something going on between them prevent her from doing that? Only time will tell… but in the end, the important thing is that everyone ended up surviving the ordeal, so the question now is… what happens next?

And now, the Preview! With the Scraplet situation dealt with, the students continue their training… and Izuku may have hit a breakthrough thanks to Mei and Red Alert's help. But, in the midst of all of this… the Autobots receive an incoming signal from outer space, and it's from a bot that Bulkhead is more than familiar with. A rather springy bot at that. However, this new arrival also gains the attention of the Decepticons, leading Starscream to play a hand that he's been eager to employ for some time. Next time; The Lone Wrecker. Who is this war hero… and does he have better things to do tonight? Thanks for reading everyone and I'll catch you all next week! Stay safe out there and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!