A/N: Morning, everybody! Another week, another new chapter… and yes, it's a short one this time. Had to split this one into a two-parter due to a couple of different factors, one involving what I have planned for the next chapter, which WILL be longer. But, don't worry, I can promise you guys that you'll probably get a kick out of what's gonna go down here, because let's just say that the original episode of Prime this is based off of… will have quite a few changes in the latter half. You'll see what I mean, but let's not dilly-dally any longer and get into it, shall we? This is…

Chapter 42: Convoy

…..

"I would first like to thank you all for coming here today." Optimus said as he stood before his guests. It was Friday, and while the children were all at school, the Prime had taken the opportunity to invite a few of their heroic allies to Autobot Headquarters. Specifically, Ryukyu, Crust, Gang Orca and Edgeshot were all present and accounted for. He had extended the invitation to Hawks and Best Jeanist as well, but the two heroes were busy that day. And Optimus was certain that Endeavor wouldn't want to be there, so he decided to leave well enough alone. "I am aware that this was on very short notice, but I wished to meet with you all on a topic of great importance."

Crust gave a friendly smile with a reassuring wave. "Oh, it's no problem at all, Optimus Prime! We're all absolutely honored that you invited us to your base, isn't that right?"

"Indeed, quite the privilege, indeed." Gang Orca agreed, glancing toward the warehouse behind Optimus. "Though I must admit, it is… not what I would have expected."

Tapping a finger to her chin, Ryukyu tilted her head. "Yes… remind me why you bots don't just use Sector Seven's headquarters as your base? It would seem much more efficient, honestly."

Optimus nodded to her. "I recognize that being based at Sector Seven would have been appropriate, Ryukyu, but for the sake of convenient access for the children, we agreed that being based closer to Musutafu was for the better." The Prime lowered himself down into a seating position, attempting to bring an air of casualness to the proceedings. "But, on the topic of the children, that is actually what I've brought you all here to discuss."

Edgeshot raised his head at that, a knowing smile under his mask. "Ah, I see… they must've told you that some of us extended offers to them, didn't they?"

"Indeed." Optimus confirmed. "And I must say, they are quiet excited about it."

"Hm, I should hope so." Gang Orca raised a hand. "This is a big opportunity for all of them, and among all of Japan's heroes, the Top Ten wish to see the future generations flourish the most, I can assure you." But, even as he said that, Orca lowered his head a bit in uncertainty. "Well… MOST of us, anyways."

Crust winced and brought a hand to his neck. "Yes… I doubt that Endeavor really cares all that much about them… aside from his own son, of course."

Optimus' eyeridges furrowed. 'I sincerely doubt that. I wonder if they know…' Brushing that thought aside for now, the Autobot leader continued on. "In any case, I am glad that you are investing in the future of our charges. In doing so, not only do they feel accomplished, but so do my Autobots and myself. It helps reinforce that those two weeks of training did not go to waste."

"You should be VERY proud of those children, Optimus." Ryukyu smiled brightly. "They might be some of the most determined, most focused group of first-years I've ever seen in U.A.'s history."

Edgeshot closed his eyes, his thoughts harmonized with the dragon woman. "Yes, they have great potential, and I have no doubt that their focus comes from experience." He opened his eyes and set them upon Prime's optics. "After all, these students not only went through the USJ incident, but have encountered Decepticons several times over, including a recent rescue mission I heard about."

"You are correct, the students have faced Decepticons several times now." The Prime leaned forward, not breaking eye contact with the ninja. "However, we are also careful to make sure that they are always safe, no matter what the situation might be."

"I'm glad to hear that, Optimus." Edgeshot approved. "However, I get the sense that there is more to why you've summoned us here."

There was a pause as Optimus took an intake of air, and nodded to him. "Indeed, Edgeshot, there is. I admire all of you greatly for taking our human companions under your wings for the upcoming internships… however, I also wish to ask… your offers were not influenced through our mutual connection to one another, correct?"

That made Crust's and everyone else's eyes widen in surprise. "So… you're asking if we chose them partly because we all know about you bots?" He received a nod from the Prime… and proceeded to let out a hearty laugh, taking Optimus aback. "Ahahaha! Oh, Optimus Prime, I must assure you that is FAR from the case."

"Yes, very much so." Orca asserted as well, looking up to the Autobot. "While I can see how you would come to that conclusion, Optimus, that is far from the case."

"We all must leave our personal biases aside when reaching out to those who we want to intern under us." Ryukyu furthered, shooting Optimus a reassuring smile. "Trust us, we weren't influenced by any mutual connection whatsoever. Nothing to fear there."

"Hm, thank you. All of you." Optimus placed a hand over his chest. "I am glad that my worry was unfounded, and I apologize if it seemed like I was doubting you."

Edgeshot shook his head. "Ah, don't worry about it. Believe me, your concerns are understandable, Optimus. After all, nepotism IS sometimes something to worry about in the hero world. But, that being said…" With eager eyes sparkling with hope, Edgeshot balled his fists and asked in anticipation; "Did Miss Yaoyorozu accept my offer?! Please tell me she did!"

"And what about Miss Uraraka?" Ryukyu clasped her hands together. "I extended offers to both her and Miss Kiryu, so I hope they say yes."

With tears streaming down his cheeks, Crust added; "And what of Mr. Kirishima and Miss Ashido?! Their performances were inspiring to me, so I am anticipating to see if they accept."

Optimus stared at the three heroes in surprise before trailing his optics over to Gang Orca, who sighed and held his head. "I swear, sometimes the wait in receiving the offer applications is just as tormenting for the heroes as it is for the students." With hints of a smirk, Orca added; "Whether Kaminari or Jiro accept my offer or not is alright by me. I realize that my type of training may not be their scene, after all."

"Hmhm, I see." Optimus chortled before bowing to the others. "Well, I must apologize to you, because I have been sworn to secrecy by the children." He winked and tapped his faceplate. "And I'm not in the business of breaking my promises, so you know."

The three heroes gave a disappointed groan at that, but it was quickly forgotten when a small, blue buggy came dashing around the corner and transformed into robot mode. "O-Optimus, you have—oh, hello." Roller came to a halt when he saw the four pros, putting on a surprise face. "I-I didn't realize our company had arrived already."

The humans were all wide-eyed at the tiny robot before them, with Ryukyu unable to contain her smile. "Oh, how adorable! A tiny Transformer!"

"Tiny by their standards, at least." Edgeshot pointed out.

"Ah, yes, forgive me." Optimus reached over and placed a hand on his friend's back. "Allow me to introduce you. This is my Mini-Con partner, Roller. We were only recently reunited." He nodded down to the small bot. "And Roller, these are our guests; the Pro Heroes Ryukyu, Gang Orca, Edgeshot and Crust."

Roller bowed in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you all. I'm sorry for interrupting." He craned his head up to Prime, a sense of urgency upon his brow. "But Optimus, you've got a call from one… Agent Fowler, I believe his name is?"

Prime's optics shifted back toward the base in curiosity. "Agent Fowler? Now what could he be—"

"PRIME?!" Fowler's voice shouted through the base, taking everybody aback. "Where in the name of Bunker Hill are you?!"

"…Yeah, he's not happy." Roller muttered before transforming back into buggy mode. "Come on, it's important." Optimus stood up and followed his Mini-Con inside, beckoning the heroes to follow. Once they were inside, they saw Red Alert, Strongarm, Bulkhead and Jazz all gathered at the main computer, with Fowler's face up on the screen.

The agent gave an aggravated sigh when he saw the Autobot leader. "Prime! Hah, there you are." But then, he noticed the four pro heroes as well. "Ha! And you've already got back-up. This is perfect."

"Special Agent Fowler." Optimus nodded back. "To what do we owe—"

"No time for chit-chat, Prime." Fowler interrupted with a swipe of his hand. "We got Cons, BIG time. I managed to chase 'em off with some hard ordinance, but not before they BLEW me outta the sky!" Now that Optimus looked closely, Fowler was indeed strapped into the cockpit of an aircraft. "They tried a smash-and-grab for the Dingus."

And that was where the Autobots were left clueless… and Ryukyu had to hold back a snicker. "Pfft, I-I'm sorry, the what now?"

Fowler rolled his eyes. "Dynamic Nuclear-Generation System—aka D.N.G.S." Fowler pressed a button and the image on screen changed to a large, cube-shaped device that was being held down by ratchet straps in some sort of cargo bay. "It's a prototype energy source that I'm porting to the coast. It's gotta get to I-Island while it's still docked in the Los Angeles Bay area, where it'll start its round of testing."

Bulkhead raised an eyeridge. "I-Island? What's that?"

"Only the world's foremost center of technological advancement!" Crust said exuberantly. "It's quite the astounding place, I'll have you know. I've been many a time."

"Indeed, I heard that they're planning a rather sizeable expo in the coming months." Edgeshot folded his arms. "Should be quite the sight, though I have a feeling this… ahem "D.N.G.S." won't be part of the display."

Red Alert huffed and put in his own two cents. "I mean no offence, Agent Fowler, but this sounds absurd. Why would Starscream bother with such primitive technology?"

Now back on screen, Fowler narrowed his eyes seriously. "I'm guessin' to make a big fat "primitive" weapon of MASS destruction." He folded his hands together, clearly on edge. "If this baby were to meltdown, it would irradiate the state I'm in and the four next-door."

And just like that, the air in the room became much heavier, heroes and Autobots all realizing the weight of this situation. Jazz whistled and said; "Woo, yeah, that ain't good. If Screamer gets his hands on that… actually, I'd rather NOT think about that."

"Same here… I'm a sittin' duck out here, Prime. I need you to spin up your bridge and send the D.N.G.S. to its destination before the Cons come back for it."

"I'm afraid that sending such a volatile device through a GroundBridge is out of the question, Agent Fowler." Optimus denied, leaning forward to emphasize the gravity of that. "If there were to be an accident during its transmission, the radiation of which you speak could propagate through the transwarp vortex, and harm all FIFTY states… and beyond."

Fowler paused after that, considering his options before asking; "You got any better ideas?"

"Actually, yes." Optimus smiled as he nodded down to his partner. "Roller, prepare my trailer." The Mini-Con drove off without a second thought and the Prime went straight to his medic. "Red Alert, summon the other Autobots back to base. We'll need a team on standby incase the situation escalates." Red Alert accepted the task, leaving Optimus to return his attention to the heroes. "I apologize that thus meeting must be cut short, but I'm afraid that duty calls."

"Would see so." Gang Orca agreed, only for him, Ryukyu, Edgeshot and Crust to group up together, beaming up at him. "You need some assistance?"

Optimus chuckled and nodded. "Hmhm, that would be much appreciated, thank you."

…..

Not an hour later and the Autobots had bridged over to Fowler's destination in America, the D.N.G.S. now strapped securely in Optimus' trailer with Roller standing guard within. …Along with another certain individual. "You alright back there, Edgeshot?" Optimus commed the ninja lying in wait.

"Worry not, I am." Edgeshot reassured. "I am no stranger to darkness, Optimus, I can promise you that."

"Good, glad to know. And what of our… special secret?"

"Hmhm, ready and waiting as well… though they're rather antsy at the moment."

Prime couldn't help but laugh a little. "Oh-ho, I'm certain…" He set his sights onto the rest of the Autobots, with Crust settling in Bulkhead's alt mode while Gang Orca took to Jazz's. Strongarm, who pulled up next to Optimus, had Ryukyu in her front seat, ready to roll.

"Are you ready to proceed, Optimus, sir?" the cadet asked.

Fowler rolled down the window and answered for Optimus. "We're gonna have to be ready no matter what, soldier. This D.N.G.S. ain't gonna transport itself!"

Once again, Ryukyu couldn't help but burst out laughing, with Strongarm chuckling along with her. "PFFT—HAHAHA! Oh-Okay, I have to ask, who in the world came up with that name? I mean, really, did NO ONE really come up with something that was less ridiculous?"

Bulkhead and Crust were snickering to themselves as well. "Hehehe, okay, gotta admit, it IS a bit silly." the Shield Hero pointed out.

The agent pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled himself back into the cab. "Hmph, alright, alright, we get it. Now c'mon, we're burnin' daylight out here." He set his eyes upon the steering wheel and rubbed his hands together eagerly, before reaching for it and—

"Ah-ah, no need, Agent Fowler." Optimus halted. "I will handle the driving."

The Agent pursed his lips and folded his arms, slightly disappointed. "It's gonna be a long trip…"

With that, the Autobots all brought their headlights on and started their engines, waiting for the word. "Ready when you are, Prime!" Jazz called out. "Just give us the go-ahead."

"Autobots… Roll Out!" Optimus pulled ahead of the pack, taking the lead down the road.

…..

Back at the warehouse, Red Alert stood vigilant in front of the main computer terminal, watching intently as four Autobot signals began moving down the road on the map. "Alright, they're on the move. Barring any complications, they should reach the drop-off point by sundown." He turned around to address Windblade, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Springer, the four having gathered just moments ago. "Now, all we have to do here is monitor the situation to make sure nothing goes awry."

Springer raised his hand. "Uh, yeah, about that, why ARE we just sittin' around here instead of out in the field with the Boss Bot?" The Triple Changer folded his arms over his chest. "I dunno 'bout you, but I'd rather be a part of that convoy instead a' just sittin' 'round here doin' nothin'."

"Yeah, same!" Sideswipe pumped his fists. "Especially since Crust is out there with 'em! I got a few questions I wanna ask about how he plans on trainin' Eijiro."

"News flash, boys;" Windblade extended a hand, "we're trying to be subtle with this transportation." She pointed to Springer first. "And since YOU refuse to scan an Earth alt mode…" Her finger then trailed to Sideswipe. "And YOU probably wouldn't stop butting heads with Strongarm the whole way, it's probably best to keep the two of you here."

Sunstreaker was quick to agree. "Yeah, no offence, bro, but you guys are probably the most gung-ho and hardheaded out of everyone on this team."

Sideswipe soured at that and spun around, curling up on the floor and drawing circles in the dirt. "You don't gotta get personal about it, bro…"

"And, I'm a Wrecker!" Springer expressed. "Bein' gung-ho is kinda what we're good at."

"And yet, surprisingly, Bulkhead is able to contain himself for a fair while." Red Alert went back to the terminal. "Whereas I have a feeling that you would jump into action at the first opportunity. If the Decepticons mount an assault, I will send you and Windblade out to provide air support, so just be patient."

Springer grumbled and leaned against the nearest wall, frustrated at the situation. "Hmph, fine. But don't expect me to be cool with it."

…..

Back in the States, so far, things were going off without a hitch. Optimus was leading the pack while Strongarm, Jazz and Bulkhead followed close behind, with the heroes keeping a look out from their respective bot's passenger seats. They were on a low-traffic road, but that was expected to change when they'd come to the mountain pass that they'd have to go on to reach their rendezvous point, where they'd find very few drivers. But for now, the bots and heroes made idle chit-chat as they drove along the old dusty road. "So… you extended an offer to Mina and Eijiro." Bulkhead—or rather "Buck"—noted to his passenger, getting Crust to look at him. "Gotta say, I was surprised when I first heard."

"Hm, I'm sure." Crust replied with a grin. "I hear you and Miss Ashido in particular have quite the bond."

"Heh, we're as thick as thieves." Buck winked. "Only we're good guys in this case."

Crust gave a laugh at the little joke. "Hahaha! Oh, I can tell just by your tone alone, Bulkhead. I'll admit, I was a little taken aback when I was told that more students from U.A. were in on the secret, but I can see that's proven to be a good thing." He nodded in approval. "After all, your training has helped improved them significantly."

Buck gave a small shrug. "Ah, we only wanted to help 'em get the attention they deserved at the Sports Festival. After all, each of 'em has a strong Quirk, and with time and training, their powers can probably be some of the best this world has seen."

"Hm, such high praise…" Crust sniffled and wiped at his eyes. "It's almost enough to bring me to tears. I only hope I can provide teachings that are just as passionate as yours."

"Hehe, just be sure to not go easy on Mina, okay? She wants to be a Wrecker, so she's gonna have to toughen up a LOT."

"A… Wrecker, you say? What's that?"

Buck smirked at the question. "Oh… have I got some stories to share with you…"

Meanwhile, further up front, Jazz and Gang Orca were having their own casual conversation… though not before the lieutenant made sure of one thing. "Okay, pretty sure that's as far down an' back that my seats can go." The holoform known as "Jeff" winced as he saw Orca's dorsal fin still getting pressed down by the roof of his alt mode. "Ya know… I could pull back my roof if that'll help."

"No, no, it's fine, Jazz, really." Gang Orca reassured. "I will admit, it is much more… cramped than I would like, but I'll deal with it. After all, we're supposed to be discreet about this." His beady red eyes shifted to him with great interest. "Besides, there is something I wanted to discuss with you."

"Hm, 'kay." Jeff obliged. "Fire way, my man. What's the haps?"

"Well, I hear that you are particularly close with Miss Jiro."

At that, Jeff put on a knowing smile. "Ah, I see where this is goin'. Yeah, Kyoka an' me are pretty tight." He gave a shrug, admitting further; "Though to be honest, I think she might have a deeper bond with Bumblebee. Not surprisin' since he's been on Earth longer, but ya know."

Gang Orca hummed in understanding. "Yes, I can see that. Though to be frank, I don't know if I could hold a conversation with Bumblebee in radio speak, so I thought it easier to come to you." Orca folded his hands together politely. "You see, I wished to glean some information about her from you in the event that she decides to accept my offer."

"Yeah, I had a feelin'." Jeff affirmed. "Well, I know Denki's gonna be headed over to ya, but pretty sure Kyoka's still gotta make her choice."

That brought a slight smirk to the intimidating hero's face. "Ah, excellent. I was hoping he would…" Jeff grew worried at the sight of the cetatian man's hand curling into a fist. "Now, under my supervision, I'll be able to help him straighten out his act. He's a good kid, but very absentminded. He'll be learning several focusing techniques while at my agency, I can assure you of that."

The holoform bit his lower lip nervously. "Uh… g-good to know."

Orca cleared his throat, getting back on topic. "So, Miss Jiro?"

"A-Ah, yeah, right. W-Well, she's a big music buff, faves are punk rock, heavy metal an' classic rock."

"Hm, she's got good tastes, then."

As Jazz's conversation continued, further in front, Ryukyu and Strongarm were having a little chat of their own. "So, Strongarm… or would you prefer if I called you Stella?" the Dragon Hero asked. "I'd rather not confuse you, after all."

The police woman holoform gave her a shrug. "Oh, either or is fine. I respond to both equally at this point." Stella turned her head and gave a thumbs up. "Besides, we're not in public, so it doesn't matter what you call me here."

"Good to know." Ryukyu returned the thumbs up and continued. "So, I want to ask you… are you and Ochako Uraraka particularly close?"

Stella's eyebrows rose up at the question, pondering for a moment. "Well… I do consider her to be a good friend." She gave Ryukyu a happy smile. "After all, the femmes and girls pretty much all get along in one way or another. Arcee, Windblade and I almost share Ochako and Momo when it counts." Stella wagged her finger up. "But, if you really want to do some scouting on Ochako, you'd have to go to Arcee. She's bonded closer to her than I have."

"Ah, I see." Ryukyu bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you for help."

"You're welcome. So, I take it you're anticipating her to pick your agency?"

Ryukyu sighed and lowered her head. "Well, a part of me certainly hopes so… though I will be honest, I cannot certain if Ochako will choose my agency or not." This made Stella tilt her head. "In the past, students have been quite intimidated by any of the Top Ten extending offers to them, so more often than not, they don't take it…"

Stella's expression became more sympathetic. "Oh… well… I'm sorry, but…" Ryukyu shifted her eyes up to meet hers. "I… don't think Ochako went for your agency. I believe she decided on someone named "Gunhead"."

"Oh!" Ryukyu brightened up a little when she heard that. "That's very good to hear! Gunhead is an absolute sweetheart, she'll love learning under him, I'm sure."

"So, you're not upset?"

"Of course not. After all, it's the students choice on where they go. And besides, I don't get upset about things like that. It's very petty." However, Ryukyu then pursed her lips and laced her hands together, a feeling of apprehension rising in her gut. "But this year… there IS another student that I put out an offer to… and I hope will take me up on it…"

This caught Stella's interest. "Is that so? Someone else aside from Ochako?"

Ryukyu gave a single nod. "Yes. Honestly, while I would like to work with Uraraka and help her improve her skills… there's someone else in class 1-A who needs my help more than anyone." She lifted her head and asked Stella; "You remember the young lady who went on a rampage in the second-to-last round of the finals?"

"Oh, Kaida?" Stella's lips tugged up at their corners. "Yeah, I know her. Met her at the Sports Festival, and she seems like a very nice girl…" It didn't take long for her to put the pieces together. "So, you want to help her get control over her dinosaur transformations, yeah?"

"Yes!" Ryukyu brought a hand to her chest, closing it over her heart. "That girl… I haven't seen such potential in a first year like her in a while. She has a Quirk that can take her to great heights… if she can master it, that is."

A soft giggle slipped past Stella's lips. "Hmhm, well, I do hope that Kaida finds it within herself to accept your offer. Given how similar your Quirks are, I'm sure she'll be eager to—"

HOOOOOONNK!

"GYAH!" Both Strongarm and Ryukyu shrieked in unison as a loud horn went blaring through their ears, the Dragon Hero going so far as to clamp her hands over them and tuck her head down. Strongarm winced as she glared up to the source of the loud noise… her leader. "O-Optimus, sir! W-Why are you—"

"Apologies, Strongarm!" Prime responded over his own horn. "That isn't my doing…"

…..

Inside the cab of Prime's alt mode, Fowler was experiencing a bit of road rage. Their convoy had been brought to a crawl thank to some pissant-sized, white, rusty jalopy of a truck that was puttering along at a snail's pace. And he was making the driver of the truck KNOW how aggravated he was by laying on the horn. HOOONK! HONK-HOOOONK! "MOVE IT, GRAMPS!" With more honking, the truck moved off the road, allowing the convoy to pass.

"Agent Fowler." Optimus piped up, getting the man to stop. "Is that really necessary?"

Fowler's face scrunched up in irritation, letting go of the wheel. "Ah, don't tell me you're one a' them textbook drivers…" He folded his arms over his chest with a huff, the two of them remaining silent for a few moments before he gave out a sigh. "Hah… ya know… you're savin' my bacon here, Prime. …Thanks."

"I am proud to be of service." Optimus replied.

The Sector Seven agent put on a snark grin as he pointed out; "Well, don't go pattin' yourself on the back just yet. After all, if you and the Cons had stuck to tearing up your own corner of the galaxy, I may not've needed your help in the first place." Fowler set his gaze out the window, looking out of the horizon. "But hey, the chips fell where they did, I 'spose."

"Are you suggesting that there is very little chance that a group of villains would have found out about this power source we are transporting?" The Prime asked.

His words gave Fowler pause again, the man biting his lower lip. "Er, well… I guess there could've been, but the D.N.G.S. has been kept TOP secret. Not much of a chance of your average villain findin' out about it an' lookin' to steal it themselves, ya know?" Still, Fowler shrugged and conceded to Optimus' point. "But I can see where you're gettin' at, Prime. It's not like evil DOESN'T exist on Earth, can't deny that." He shook his head and moved his hand to the center console. "Ah, but let's not think about that. How 'bout some radio? You seem like a Nashville-sound kinda guy."

…..

However, in a few moments, the agent, the Autobots, and the heroes would find out that it was hardly the time to remain casual. For, high up in the sky approaching them from behind, was a black and green helicopter flying in at high speeds. And inside the chopper… were two figures. The pilot's appearance was entirely obscured, wearing a black mask over his head with a pair of equally dark goggles, dressed in an all-black uniform to match.

Next to him, though, the man in the passenger seat kept his face uncovered. He was a Caucasian man in his mid-to-late fifties with his white hair buzzed down, his chiseled, aging features on prominent display. He was well-built as well, with a barrel chest and strong-looking arms. Most prominently, however, he had two scars across his face, one over the bridge of his nose while the other went over his lip.

The man raised a comm device up and spoke into it; "They're transporting the cargo in an unarmed civilian truck. Send in the ground units…"

…..

Right as Fowler was about to select a station, his ears perked up when he heard the distinct sound of chopper blades overhead, bringing his attention to the rearview mirror. Sure enough, high in the sky was the exact helicopter that he had chased off from before. "There! That's the one! The Con who shot me down!" He looked down to Prime's steering wheel, jerking a thumb up to the copter. "Who is he? Wingnut? Dingbat? Skyguy?!"

"CHKT—Watch your rearviews." Bulkhead chimed in over the commlink, beckoning Fowler and Prime to bring their attention to ground level. From behind the convoy, a whole slew of black and green sports cars came racing up. There were at least seven in total, and they wasted no time in boxing Jazz and Bulkhead in. "Feelin' a little constricted without the use of my fists here, boss."

"Yeah, these dudes are really startin' to cramp my style!" Jazz agreed.

"Remain in vehicular mode unless absolutely necessary." Optimus advised as one of the cars swerved in front of Jazz, right between the Porsche bot and the rear end of Prime's trailer.

Fowler sneered at the sight. "A whole TEAM of Cons!"

That made Red Alert call in, clearly perplexed. "What? I'm not picking up anything. Though I suppose they COULD be hiding their signals with cloaking tech…"

Optimus wasn't so sure though. "Unlikely. Starscream has not been one for subtly up till this point. And these are unlike any Vehicon I have seen in the past…" Prime trailed off, however, when two of the cars came speeding up and pulled alongside him, with one moving ahead of Strongarm while the other matched his speed.

The cadet tried to swerve past the car, but it simply copied her movements, not allowing her even as she put on her sirens. "Gah! You are in clear violation of SEVERAL road laws!" She spoke through her speaker. "Pull over!"

"What in blazes is goin' on?" Fowler muttered as he watched the other car's sunroof pulled back… and what he saw made his jaw drop. From out the top, a man decked out in all black and with his face hidden under a black mask rose up from the car, aiming a high-tech rifle at the cab.

"How about YOU pull over?!" the man barked.

"Well, I'll be DIPPED." Fowler exclaimed. "…Guess there's a first time for bein' wrong."

…..

Back at base, the Autobots were hearing this exchange happening through the commlink, their concern growing by the second. Eventually, though, Optimus gave them an explanation. "Our assailants are not Decepticons… they are human."

Like clockwork, every bot there went; "WHAT?!" Windblade was especially flabbergasted. "They're human? How do they even know about the D.N.G.S.? I thought Fowler said it was kept top secret!"

"Eh, in a world filled with heroes and villains, I doubt even the biggest secrets can be kept that way for long." Sunstreaker figured.

Springer placed his hands on his hips. "So, now what? Any plan of attack?"

"Heh, why bother?" Sideswipe smirked, placing his hands behind his head. "The guys out there can handle 'em easy."

The Triple Changer deadpanned at that. "Uh… what if they ALL have Quirks?"

"…Okay, Prime, you might wanna be careful there."

…..

Optimus concurred instantly. "I did not plan on doing anything less, Sideswipe…" He trailed off when he noticed the man in the car lift his gun suddenly, causing Fowler to flinch. Right as the man pulled the trigger though, Prime swerved out of the way and bumped the car with his trailer, causing it to skid and the shot to miss entirely.

"GAH! Who are these guys?!" Fowler growled.

"Autobots, heroes, maintain your cover." Optimus ordered. "And apply minimal force. Disarmament only."

The car that was beside Optimus fell back while another one on his opposite side came driving up from just off the road, intent on getting close. However, Strongarm pulled back as well and then reared the front of the car, making it go back. The green vehicle wasn't about to give in as it sped forward to hit her back, but Strongarm swiftly countered it and knocked it back, flipping it over and leaving it on the side of the road.

"Ooh, excellent driving, Strongarm!" Ryukyu commended.

With a proud smile, the cadet's holoform nodded. "Mm-hm! These punks want to play rough? I can do that. So long as it upholds the law."

Toward the back, Jazz pulled out his speakers and called out to the cars on either side of him. "Yo, creepy dudes, you wanna back up a little bit?" The speakers swiveled around and send out a massive sonic pulse toward both cars, causing them to go off the road and flip right onto their rooves. "You're makin' me seriously claustrophobic right now."

"Hah, not bad at all." Gang Orca complimented. "Almost makes me feel bad that I can't blow my cover yet."

Behind him, Bulkhead reared the car that was tailing him, only he went so far as to actually roll his wheels onto its hood, causing the engine to catch fire. "Yeah, not a fan of the tailgating here!" Bulkhead drove off of the car and watched as it scraped along the road and came to a stop, its drivers clamoring out before it blew up in spectacular fashion. "Haha! Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!"

"Ah-ha! Impressive!" Crust agreed. "Leaving just enough room for them to evacuate. Very efficient, Bulkhead."

"Thanks. Pulled that trick on Cons plenty of times." Bulkhead explained. "…Though in all honesty, I usually go ALL the way over on them."

…..

Up in the helicopter, however, the scarred man was less than impressed. "Those are NOT civilian drivers…" He brought up his communicator and relayed; "Squad Car B, move in closer to the trailer hitch. Prepare the laser cutter."

…..

Back on the ground, the Autobots had made it to the mountain pass, the road narrowing as the sheer wall to their right and the cliff to their right constricted their room even further. But, even so, the green cars kept moving along side them, with yet another one approaching Prime's left side. As the curved road made Prime sway from side-to-side, Fowler began feeling a bit carsick as a result. "Bwuh… could use some air…" Optimus obliged, lowering his window so Fowler could stick his head out… where he saw another thug come crawling out of his car and jumped over onto Prime's trailer hitch, armed with some sort of tool. His nausea briefly forgotten about, Fowler shouted; "Prime! Bear right!"

The flat-nosed semi followed as instructed, causing the mercenary to be sent off-balance while his companion in the vehicle was knocked straight off the side of the road. Thankfully, there was a small section of land before the sheer cliff drop below, so the car ended up flipping onto that. But even so, the thug regained his footing and began using his laser cutter on Prime's hitch.

"Hmph… Agent Fowler." Optimus piped up. "I believe I have what you humans call an… "itch"."

"Yeah, I can see that." Fowler opened the door and began shimmying his way out. "Lemme scratch it for ya…" Slowly but surely, the agent moved toward the rear of the truck and sneakily grabbed at the thug's neck, pulling him out and holding him over the speeding road. "Listen up! You're gonna tell me everything I wanna kn—OW!" Unfortunately, a tree on the side of the road ended up knocking the mercenary out of Fowler's hand, making him recoil. "Gah, dammit!"

With a frustrated grunt, Fowler returned to the cab and buckled in… only for an unfamiliar voice to suddenly call in over his walkie-talkie. "CHKT—I do hope you take better care of the D.N.G.S. than you do your captives."

Fowler grimaced at the device and picked it up, speaking loud and clear; "Special Agent William Fowler here. Identify yourself!"

The cold, raspy voice responded immediately. "I am Silas. But, of greater consequence to you… we are MECH." Fowler glanced out the window again, his sights focused straight on the helicopter above. "Fair warning—we will be helping ourselves to your device. Even if it means inflicting casualties."

"Is that so? Tell me, Si, what's the market price for a D.N.G.S. these days?" Fowler asked sarcastically.

"What makes you think we intend to sell it, Agent Fowler?" Silas' statement left Fowler feeling a chill go through him, the man realizing what this likely meant. "There's a war brewing. Between the new world order… and the newest. The victor… will be the side armed with the most innovative technology."

There was a short moment of silence before Fowler countered; "Really? And it WON'T be the side armed with the more powerful Quirks this time around?"

"Oh, please." Silas brushed off, his voice filled with a touch more venom now. "Quirks are part of the REASON why we seek to enforce a new technological order in the first place. We've strayed further and further from advancement thanks to super-powered beings taking priority, to the point where support tech is almost exclusively made for heroes rather than the everyday man and woman." At that point, a low growl could be heard in Silas' voice as he went on. "Do you know HOW many people could defend THEMSELVES if they had that kind of tech? Or if those advancements were put to use for more practical means? If heroes and villains weren't wasting technology on their petty squabbles, we could be in SPACE right now. It is why the agents of MECH are almost entirely Quirkless. We don't need natural superpowers when technology can and WILL do better."

Fowler's eyes shifted back down as he saw the green car that was tailgating Prime get closer to the trailer, with another MECH agent rising up out of the sunroof. He was armed with a gun that he aimed right at the trailer door, blasting several glowing projectiles that latched themselves onto the metal surface and broke the door's latch open with an electric shock. "…Is that so?" Fowler asked as he put on a smirk, watching as the doors swung open. "Well then tell me, Si, you think MECH has all the most radical tech?"

The agent stumbled out onto the roof of the car and approached the trailer door… only to hear an engine suddenly roar to life and a single headlight to shine right in his eyes. VRRRRMMM! Blasting out from out of the trailer, a certain red and orange motorcycle came barreling out, knocking the man off and onto the side of the road before coming down and bouncing off the hood of the car. Bulkhead and Jazz both swerved to the side as Flare Up landed on the road, all while the car flipped onto its roof. "Hahaha! PSYCHE! The cavalry's been here ALL along!" the scout cheered… only to notice another MECH vehicle go flying right over the other one right behind them. "…Oh, frag, I mighta' miscalculated!"

Thankfully, she wasn't the ONLY one inside the trailer. Quick as a bullet, Edgeshot propelled himself out of the metal box, closing its doors behind him before shooting up into the air. He entered his thin, ribbon-like form and met the car as it fell, slicing and dicing through it and grabbing onto the two occupants inside. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but your ride is about to be useless." Just like that, the MECH vehicle fell straight to the road, its chassis and body bursting into several clean-cut parts before Edgeshot tossed the two agents away, going back and landing on Jazz's roof.

"WOO! Not bad there, Edgeshot!" the lieutenant commended. "Really saved their bacon there!"

"Thank you…" Edgeshot's gaze hardened at Flare Up, her holoform looking rather sheepish at the moment. "Though I believe your newest team member needs a bit of instructing on what "disarmament" means."

"Sorry! For a' habit!" Tracey apologized. "Forgot these weren't Cons…"

Bulkhead pulled along side her and admonished her a bit himself. "That's gonna have to be a habit you'll have to break, Flare. These humans might be bad, but that's no excuse to act messy."

Crust sighed and opened Bulkhead's passenger door. "Well, either way, seems our cover's been blown. Might as well show these MECH people who they're dealing with…" Reaching up to the roof, Crust pulled himself up and stood atop Bulkhead before jumping to his truck bed, raising his hands to use his Quirk. "Time to put a stop to these miscreants!" From his hands, he produced a large shield structure made of sharp, hexagonal pieces, which slammed down in the middle of the road and caused another MECH vehicle crash and burn.

"I couldn't agree more!" Gang Orca nodded to Jazz's holoform. "You can retract your roof now." Jeff gave a thumbs up and transformed his roof, making it retract so that Orca could stand up. Edgeshot moved onto Jazz's spoiler as he watched Orca put on the scariest face imaginable, the malicious-looking hero belting out a roar before leaping straight off of Jazz and toward the final car.

"Damn, he always like that?" Jazz asked.

Edgeshot gave a nod. "Yes… but only when he wants to be."

Gang Orca landed on the hood of the car and began ripping into it with his clawed fingers, gnashing his teeth through the metal as well. He heard the two MECH agents scream in horror as they met his beady, red eyes, wherein he suddenly lunged up and smashed both his hands through the windshield. He grabbed both of the struggling agents before bashing their heads together and tossing them off the road, stomping his foot on the car to bring it to a sudden halt. Gang Orca jumped back just in time to see the car go up in flames, nodding in satisfaction. "That takes care of all of 'em."

"HA! Nice!" Buck pulled up next to Gang Orca, jerking a thumb to his truck bed. "Climb in, we're almost to the drop-off point." Orca wasted no time climbing in next to Crust, the two sitting down as the Wrecker took off. "Gotta say, you two are quite the pair of powerhouses. You'd make find Wreckers!"

"Ah, Bulkhead, you flatter me!" Crust waved off, with Orca giving a soft chuckle.

…..

"Later, Si!" Silas heard as Fowler hung up. That only served to further infuriate leader of MECH, all as he glared down at what had just transpired. All of his agents had been taken out in short order thanks to a bunch of non-civilian drivers… and three heroes.

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Damn... I had a feeling that this would happen." Silas eyed his pilot expectantly. "Fall back, but keep on them from a distance, I'm going to make a call…"

The pilot turned slightly to his commander, asking; "You're bringing them in, aren't you?"

"Indeed…" Silas switched the signal on his communicator and, after hearing a few rings, heard the other end click. "Mr. Black, it's Silas."

"Ah, Silas! Hello, my friend!" a male voice greeted on the other end, carrying with it a strong, European accent. "It's good to hear from you. I trust that the mission is going well?"

Silas grimaced, knowing that his answer would only increase the smugness that was already present in the Mr. Black's tone. 'Pompous windbag…' Still, he swallowed his pride and gave the news; "We are currently in pursuit of the D.N.G.S., but we've run into a problem. Sector Seven has brought in heroes, along with skilled, non-civilian drivers."

Just by a slight change in tone, Silas could tell that Mr. Black was feigning concern. "Ah! Oh dear, well that simply just won't do, will it?" Silas bit back a snarl, practically hearing the smirk forming on his associate's face as he said; "Should I call in the Enforcers to give you some backup?"

The scarred man's grip threatened to crush his communicator… but Silas begrudgingly relented. "…Yes, some assistance would be appreciated."

"I thought so. I will contact Mr. Rhodes and inform him of the situation. They should be there in fifteen minutes. Ta-ta, Silas!"

Not one second after Mr. Black hung up, the helicopter pilot stamped his foot. "I hate that guy SO much."

"You're preaching to the choir, son." Silas affirmed.

…..

"Later, Si!" Fowler said with a confident smile, setting his walkie-talkie down on the passenger seat. "Ah, now THAT was satisfying."

Optimus, however, was more cautious about the situation, seeing several red flags. "Agent Fowler, do not take your "Silas" lightly." he warned. "Megatron preached a very similar ideology before plunging Cybertron into the Great War the destroyed our world. It would be prudent to keep tabs on this "Silas" man going forward…"

"I agree." Ryukyu chimed in over Strongarm's commlink. "In fact, the next time I see him, he's getting dragged back down to earth."

Before any more could be said, though, Red Alert commed in again as well. "Optimus, prepare to initiate phase 2. Five miles ahead to the south, you will reach the rendezvous point." With his words reaching everyone else, the Autobots and heroes set their focus on the next phase of their plan. After driving for a few more miles, the mountain pass gave way to a more rugged landscape, though thankfully without any sheer cliffs to worry about.

Instead, however, on the Autobots' right side, they came upon a set of train tracks heading in the same direction as them. The tracks and road were separated by a small ledge, and what's more, there was a train speeding along as well. Both it and the bots were coming up on a pair of tunnels leading through a mountain; one was for the road, the other was for the train.

And it was to the latter tunnel that Fowler pointed toward. "There's our destination."

"Autobots, keep a tight formation." Optimus ordered, followed up by all of them driving down the small ledge to follow alongside the train tracks.

As they entered the tunnel, up in front, Ryukyu undid her seatbelt and went to open Strongarm's door. "Strongarm, slow down a little, please. There's something we've gotta take care of…" The cadet obliged and pulled toward the back of the convoy, where Ryukyu leapt out and changed into her Dragon form, with Strongarm transforming alongside her. "Now… take down that entrance!"

"Right!" Strongarm aimed her crossbow at the top of the tunnel's arch and fired away, making sure not to hit Ryukyu as she used her claws to do her own damaged as well. The tunnel caved in with ease, leading the two ladies to start after their team once again. "Alright, now let's roll!" Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt!

Ryukyu flew directly over the police bot as they returned to the convoy, just in time to see Flare Up and Jazz transform as well. Flare Up rushed right back into Prime's trailer as Jazz and Edgeshot jumped onto the back of the train, the bot knocking on top of a certain car.

"'Ey-yo, open up!" Jazz shouted, prompting the train car's door to slide open. Inside were a pair of Sector Seven agents, both of them staring in astonishment at the sight of the robot peering down at them from overhead. "Special delivery!"

"Prepare for hand-off, gentlemen." Edgeshot said right as Prime's Combat Deck opened up entirely, revealing the D.N.G.S. inside. Flare Up and Roller undid the straps and carefully picked up the cube-shaped device, handing it off to Jazz as gently as they could. With delicate hands, the lieutenant then passed it down into the train car, where the agents accepted it with ease.

"Phase Two has been completed." Optimus said as his trailer closed, the two Autobots transforming back and falling in line with the convoy once more. "Now comes Phase Three; leading the enemy away."

Fowler smirked victoriously. "Hmph, let's see Si try to match THAT."

…..

However, to the ignorance of Autobot and human alike, a massive jumbo jet was approaching their location from the east, carrying with it a group of very dangerous individuals. The aircraft served both as transport and a mobile base of sorts, where the four people in question were lounging about, currently on standby until further notice. But, in a single instant, that notice came ringing as their communication screen lit up bright red, catching their attention.

"Hm? Ah, finally." A very small, very frail old man with pale, wrinkly skin and a while handlebar mustache stood up from his chair and went over to the computer. He was dressed in an all-black body suit, and on his back were a pair of mechanical bolts that seemed to glow slightly. The frail man winced at the red light before pulling his green-lensed goggles over his eyes, pressing a button to pick up the call. There, on screen, a silhouetted figure with a bright white light shining behind him appeared, to which the old man bowed his head. "Hello, my master. Good to hear from you."

"Mr. Rhodes, you're looking well." Mr. Black said with a smirk. "Have you taken your daily dose of bio-nutrients?"

Rhodes chuckled and nodded. "Why, of course. It would be foolish not to, after all. So, I assume that we are needed?"

Mr. Black returned the nod. "Indeed. Our good friend, Silas, has gotten… in over his head a bit. His pursuit of the D.N.G.S.—"

"HA!" A voice guffawed from further in the ship. "Gets me EVERY time!"

"Hmph, yes, quite." Black grumbled at the interruption. "In any case, his pursuit has gone awry. It would seem that Sector Seven has employed some heroes to help them transport it." Rhodes saw the man's teeth glean as his smirk increased. "I require you and your team's expertise on the matter, if you would be so kind."

"It would be our pleasure, Mr. Black." Rhodes bowed once more. "We will be there shortly." With a brief farewell, the screen went black, and Rhodes called into the ship for his teammates; "Sexton! Archer! Professor Sutton! We're up!"

Not far away, lounging in a recliner, the owner of the voice from before kicked up his feet and jumped up onto them. He was a rather skinny man who wore a pair of designer boots, tight leather pants, a matching black jacket that had the collar popped up, and a purple turtleneck underneath it all. His facial features were… interesting. He had a long, pointy chin, gnarled teeth that were just AS pointy, and a crooked nose that pointed downward. The most normal thing about him was his red hair… that was styled into a perm. "Hehe, about time." the redhead said as he stretched his limbs. "I was startin' to get antsy over here not movin' my limbs."

"Indeed! Twas only a matter of time, though, my stalwart compatriots!" A rather pompous voice added, a distinct British accent accompanying his old-fashioned terminology. This man was taller than the other one and much broader at the shoulders, with brown hair, a cleft chin and long, pointy nose, and an overbite that resembled a beaver's. He wore a pair of brown boots with khaki pants, a black sweater, and a long, dark green leather duster, though his most eye-catching aspect was the fact that his left arm was entirely robotic. It only had three fingers and was mostly orange in color, which meant it was the brightest part of his ensemble. "I sincerely doubt that Sir Silas would be able to handle any renegade heroes, after all."

"Heh, ain't that the truth?" the redhead, one Nino Sexton, raised a brow toward Rhodes. "So, where're we headed?"

Rhodes typed in a command into the computer, bringing up Silas' location. "According to this, southern Nevada. Pheh, we'll be there in no time. Archer, how're your bomb arrows?"

"Bah, what kind of fool do you take me for?" The green-clad man, Sir Aaron A. Archer, scoffed. "You of all people must know, Sir Rhodes…" The palm of his robotic hand opened up and an arrow popped out of it, with Archer grasping it with a grin. "That I always have a surplus of arrows at my side at all times!"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, Archer." Nino shook his head. "Ya love yerself some arrows, big shocker. …And hey, where's Pen at?" He held a hand up to his mouth and shouted; "Yo! Penelope! …PENELO—"

Just then, a door on the other side of the room slammed open, a female voice screaming; "Would you SHUT UP?! GOD, you're so freaking annoying, it's like, totally grating on my nerves…" From out the door stepped a young woman, appearing to only be about sixteen in age. She had long, blonde hair with the tips highlighted in pink, and she wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses over her deep brown eyes. Her ensemble consisted of a simple magenta dress under a white labcoat, with high heels to match. The girl's eyes narrowed at the man. "And I keep telling you; call me Professor Sutton. I, like, didn't go through college to be disrespected like this."

Nino raised his hands defensively. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry, okay? Sheesh, take a chill pill, Miss Child Prodigy." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and nudged his head toward the computer. "Anyway, don't know if ya heard, but we got a mission. You ready to roll?"

"Ach, of course." Professor Sutton replied, adjusting her glasses with a proud smile. "And just in time, too! I literally finished making my final adjustments to Powdered Sugar, like, a minute go." A mechanical whinny was heard in the room behind her, and Sutton called back: "Don't worry, Shnookums, mama's gonna take you out for a ride in a little bit!" She pulled some lipstick out of her pocket and put on a nefarious grin. "Just gimme some time to… freshen up."

Rhodes stepped in between the three others, saying; "You'd ALL better get suited up pronto! We'll be there in twenty minutes, so don't be tardy!" The trio all agreed and departed, leaving Rhodes to steeple his hands in anticipation. "You'd better watch out, Heroes… because the future lies not with Quirks…" The bolts on his back began glowing brighter and they popped up, pumping bio-enhancing material throughout his entire body… and pumping up his muscles to the MAX. By the time he was done, the frail man from before had become MASSIVE, only just barely able to fit in the room with his head meeting the ceiling.

The now gargantuan man, Colossus Rhodes, slammed his fist into his palm, his muscles rippling throughout his whole body. "…But instead, with technology! AHAHAHA!"

…..

A/N: To be continued… also…

Let's. Get. ANIMATED! Hahaha, yes, THIS is what I meant when I said that the later half of Convoy would be taking a different turn! After all, now that we're introducing human villains for the Autobots to oppose in the form of MECH, I thought it only necessary to fill out their ranks. And, considering we're in the MHA world where colorful superheroes and villains are abound, I thought it would be OH so fitting to reintroduce the OG costumed supervillains that Transformers Animated introduced to us all those years ago. And yes, they're all voiced by the ones who did them originally;

Silas – voiced by Clancy Brown

Cyrus "Colossus" Rhodes – voiced by Corey Burton

Nino Sexton – voiced by Brian Posehn

Sir Aaron A. Archer – voiced by Jeff Bennett

Professor Penelope Sutton – voiced by Kath Soucie

…Though yes, Sutton's voice WOULD probably sound a bit different now that I've aged her up a bit from the original show. In a show like TFA, it was easy to accept what is essentially a super-intelligent toddler becoming a supervillain, but for a world like MHA, that seems to be a bit of a stretch... and yes, I know that's saying a lot. But we never truly see any actual children becoming heroes or villains, so I decided to age the princess up a little to reflect that.

Also, yes, I've introduced a certain "Mr. Black" in the background of this chapter as well. We'll be getting to HIM soon enough, so don't you worry. I wouldn't leave what is essentially Animated's best human villain in the background, after all. But, as you can tell, I DID change one thing about them all; their connected origins.

If you guys didn't know, our good friend, Mr. Black, was originally going to be the person who created ALL of TFA's human villains in the original show's concept. When I learned about that, I thought to myself "oh hey, that'd be cool to do for THIS story", so I ran with it. And, having them associated with MECH only helps, because their whole thing is about technological superiority. Silas is still the leader… but Mr. Black is a heavy investor, so he's got some strings he can pull as well.

But, shifting the focus away from the villains for a while, this chapter also served as a good opportunity to get Fowler back in the story. Been missing him for a while now, so it's good to have him back. AND it's allowed me to allow more interactions between the Bots and the Heroes they've allied with, which I hope I did well on. Also… hehehe, "D.N.G.S." will never NOT be funny. Plus, I got to sneak in a reference to I-Island, so the anticipation for Two Heroes continues to build for all of you, I'm sure. But, with all of that out of the way…

And now, the Preview! After dropping the D.N.G.S. off at its intended destination, the Autobots continue to lead MECH away… only to find trouble coming at them on TWO fronts. Seems that Nightra was able to pick up on what the Autobots have been up to, so Starscream sends a fleet of Vehicons out to intercept. Along the way, though… THEY finally arrive. Everyone, prepare to meet next time… The Squadron of Unconventional Villainy. …Or SUV for short. What makes them so unconventional? Well, you'll just have to find out next time! Thanks for reading, everybody and I'll catch you later. Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!