A/N: WOOOO! Hey everyone! Wouldn't ya know it, we're here a day early again! Yes it's been nearly two weeks and after seeing the movie at twice, I can safely say that Transformers Rise of the Beasts is the absolute WINNER that we've all been waiting for out of a Transformers movie! Screw the critics, screw Rotten Tomatoes, this film was amazing. So much so that I'm ALREADY thinking of ways to potentially incorporate the events of the movie into future arcs, so watch this space. The future of Transformers MHA is gonna be PRETTY beast-heavy, I can say that much.

Oh, and uh… the final scene of the movie? No spoilers, but… I think I was pretty ahead of the curb on that one. I mean, it's not a NEW thing for Transformers, but the fact that it's kinda already happening here is still pretty cool. But of course, that's a discussion for when we get to it. For now, let's focus on this week's chapter, eh? This is…

Chapter 46: Planning Ahead

…..

"FAILURE!"

That was Starscream's word of the day ever since the team he sent out came back empty handed. No stasis pod, no Autobot sparks to their names, nothing. Absolutely nothing… aside from the dismembered—and yet somehow still LIVING—body of his elder brother. Said brother was busy being operated on by Flatline as they, along with Nightra, Barricade and Thundercracker, were being reprimanded by the Seeker commander in the medical bay of the Darksyde. On a nearby slab, Blastwave was laid out, still in deep stasis, while Swift stood by with her arms crossed watching the tirade go down. Shadow Striker was also present, but she was leaning against a wall with an indifferent expression about her as she worked on her rifle.

"Failure! Nothing but failure, failure, failure—BWAH-HAW-HAW-HAAAAW!"

The Decepticons watched as Starscream draped himself across an empty slab as he sobbed in defeat, leading Swift to step in and say; "Soooo… failure?"

"FAILURE!" Starscream snapped up, glaring at his underlings with disdain. "And it's been happening far, FAR too often!"

Swift shrugged. "Eh, can't argue with you on that one."

"Could you PLEASE take this seriously?! One mission! Can we accomplish one SINGLE mission without SOMETHING going absolutely wrong?!" Starscream whipped around on Barricade first, with Frenzy cowering behind his leg. "YOU had the nerve to complain when you got there and then both of you were dispatched easily by that zippy annoyance…" He thrust a finger toward his brother next. "And YOU didn't provide Skywarp and Flatline the necessary back up, too busy dealing… with Mini-Cons?!"

Thundercracker raised a finger. "A Mini-Con combiner, to be fair—"

"DON'T CARE!" Starscream batted his younger brother across the chest, making him stumble back. "Your mission first and foremost was the POD, not to concern yourself with Mini-Cons!"

"Hey!" Runway shouted, her, Jetstorm and Sonar quickly getting in front of their wielder. "Don't you treat Thundercracker like that!"

Starscream scowled down to the trio. "Do NOT get in my way!" He reeled his leg back to kick all of them away… but Thundercracker dove in at the last second, taking the hit for them. While the Mini-Cons were left stunned, Starscream was a bit disgusted by it. "Oh… so that's it, hm? You have a soft spot for these puny whelps?"

Heaving heavily, Thundercracker glowered up to his older brother. "Hah… hah… they're… an essential part… of this team."

"Hmph, they're a sword. Nothing more." Starscream discarded the topic and moved on, though he failed to see the Air Assault team try to attack him from behind. They were stopped by a desperate Thundercracker, who quickly took them all out of the room. Starscream spared them a brief glance before scoffing and zeroing in on Nightra, who seemed utterly disinterested. "And then… there's you."

Nightra shifted her gaze up from her holo-screen as she scrolled through it. "Hm, sabes que?"

"How on CYBERTRON did I get saddled with the poorest excuse of a hacker in the Decepticon ranks?!" Starscream swiped his hand through the holo-screen, disabling it. "You are by far the most insubordinate member on this ship!"

But the magenta Con raised her hands in defense. "Hey, you know what? You're right! I'll own up to it; I've got very little respect for you, Starscream." She jerked a thumb over to the now unconscious Skywarp. "In fact, I've got more respect for that pendejo on the slab. An' you wanna know why? Because he earned it. You, though? Psh, for bein' the second-in-command of the Decepticons, you're probably THE whiniest bot on the ship."

"I am NOT WHINY!" Starscream stomped.

Shadow Striker sneered at the notion. "Psh, says ze bot who was throwing a tantrum about failure only a few moments ago." She raised an eyeridge to the air commander. "And even I will admit… I also have more respect for Skywarp zan you."

Nightra thrust an arm out to her teammate. "See? Shadow gets it!"

Starscream's eye twitched in disbelief. "I… this is absurd! I am the leader of the Seekers! How does my brother have more respect than I?!"

"Well, his plans actually work, for one." Shadow Striker explained, holstering her rifle behind her back. "While our last intended target was not killed like we had hoped, we still successfully infiltrated an Autobot base on a distant planet and stole vital plans for zere war mechs." She craned her head toward the black and purple Seeker. "In all honesty, I fail to understand why Megatron didn't make HIM second-in-command in ze first place."

At this point, the twitch spread from Starscream's eye to his whole face as the sniper went on. Did his elder brother really hold more respect among the Decepticon army than even HE?! "I-I… I don't have to take this insubordination! Thankfully, my original crew are all exceptionally loyal to me. Isn't that right, Swift? …Swift?"

His head whipped around to see Swift… scrolling through a data pad for intergalactic news articles. Her optics shifted up as she noticed him. "Hm-huh? Oh, sorry, wasn't paying attention, what was that?"

The Seeker was about to yell his head off at her again, but then… something cut him off. A mighty groan coming from a certain occupied slab. It was Blastwave, the massive Decepticon finally online after several days in stasis. "Bah… ogh… oh, good morning to you…" he slurred in a very groggy voice. "Has the tooth fairy come to visit yet?"

"Blastwave, you're back!" Flatline exclaimed, pausing his work on Skywarp to check on his friend. "Und you… wait, vhat?"

"Hehe, it was LOOOONG trip, but Blastwave HAS RETURNED!" the Decepticon bruiser held a single finger up in the air for emphasis, much to everyone's confusion.

"Uh… is he okay?" Nightra asked.

Flatling groaned and facepalmed. "Ach, it's as I feared… I had a feeling zat his processor vould be a bit… laggy upon his reawakening." He turned toward the other Decepticons with his hands raised. "Everyone, do not say or do anything zat could provoke him. Ve do not know vhat he could do in zis state."

Swift tilted her head. "Ah, c'mon, how bad could he be?"

Just then, however, Blastwave shot up to his feet and raised his hands into the air, proclaiming; "Blastwave is PRETTIEST PRINCESS!" The Cons all stepped back in shock, gawking at the behemoth. "Blastwave is fairy tale… COME TO LIFE!"

"Oooh… that bad." Swift muttered.

Blastwave outstretched his arms, beckoning the others to approach him. "Come, my friends, come closer!" He somehow managed to grab Barricade, much to the officer's shock, and brought him up to optic-level. "Listen… Blastwave is little pixie person. He will not crush you!"

"I find that very hard to believe—AUGH!" And just like that, Barricade was tossed to the side, sailing straight over Skywarp's operating table.

Frenzy was absolutely NOT having that, though. "HEY! You back offa' Barricade ya big galoot—WAH!"

But he was cut off when Blastwave scooped him into his massive had, bringing him to optic level. "Blastwave is wish-making fairy! MAKE WISH!"

"I wish to be let—GO!" As if on cue, Blastwave tossed Frenzy into Barricade, hitting the cop right in the head.

"BAHAHAHA! WISH GRANTED!"

As the others watched this chaos go down, Starscream suddenly got a very insidious idea in his processor. 'In this influential state, Blastwave can be persuaded into saying anything… I wonder…' He cleared his vocal processors and approached the dazed munitions specialist from behind. "Ahem, Blastwave, we've known each other for such a long time now, correct? Well, we've been having a bit of a debate as to who respects whom more on this ship." His optics were hopeful as he asked; "And of course, I know that you respect me the most, don't you? Not that I need to ask, but—" *CLANG*

Without any warning whatsoever, Blastwave swung himself around and clocked Starscream upside the head as hard as he could, bringing him down to the floor in an unconscious heap. "Don't you lecture me with your 30-dollar hair cut!" From out of nowhere, Blastwave took out a set of red goggles, slapped them over his optics… and started singing.

"~Can't stop—Addicted to the shindig!" He squatted down over Starscream's comatose body and flexed his massive hands. "~Chop Top—He says I'm gonna win big! ~Choose not the life of imitation—Distant cousin to the reservation!" Blastwave whipped around, took up one of Skywarp's guns and shot it, making everyone duck. "~Defunct—The pistol that you paid for! ~This punk—The feeling that you stay for!" He approached Skywarp on his operating table… going straight for his head. "~In time, I want to be your best friend—East Side love is living on the WEST END! HRK!"

"BLASTWAVE, NO!" The Decepticons were all horrified as Blastwave tried to insert Skywarp's whole head into his mouth, with Flatline being the first to try and stop him. "DO NOT EAT HIM!"

"Oh Primus, someone SEDATE this motherfragger!" Swift, Nightra and Shadow Striker immediately tried to help… all without knowing that they were being watched from the outside.

Unicronus could only watch, mouth agape, at the scene before him. Barricade, Frenzy and Starscream were all reduced to being heaps on the floor and their strongest warrior was trying to EAT the only other competent soldier on the ship while the femmes and doctor were holding him back. The Decepticon general sighed and ran a hand down his face, trying to curb his frustration. "Truly… I am surrounded by imbeciles." He began strolling down the hall again, trying to desperately delete that memory. "Incompetent fools… maybe it's time I take matters into my own hands…" A smirk came to his features, his metallic teeth shining through the darkness surrounding him as much as his red visor did. "And maybe I should also give Megatron a call sometime soon. If Starscream screws up even ONCE more, that's that for him."

…..

Back in Japan, the GroundBridge had just been opened at Autobot headquarters, and thankfully, the gang were on their way home. Their commlink connection had been reestablished, thankfully, so everyone was eager to get back home… especially when they were told by Mei to expect a surprise. Needless to say, everyone's curiosity had been peaked. Once every Autobot had rolled in, they opened their doors to allow their human companions to disembark before transforming into robot mode… only to find no one there but Mei.

"Uh… what's going on?" Sideswipe piped up first.

"Yeah, where is everybody?" Sunstreaker echoed, scratching his helm.

Mei, nonplussed, simply waved them over. "Hiya, everybody! So, any luck?"

"Well, we didn't find Grimlock, but we found a TON of energon." Kyoka informed, still glancing around the place to see if there was anyone else there. "But uh… Hatsume? Where's everyone else?"

Eijiro wore a concerned expression. "You… didn't make 'em disappear, did you?"

"Ah! Spikey Hair, I'm insulted that you'd assume something like that." Mei said with a feigned gasp. "Do you really think I'd go so far as to make my own teammates disappear for my own experiments?" The mad inventor received several deadpan stares in response. "…Okay, maybe I would, but NOT this time!"

"Alright, so where are Red Alert and the others?" Momo questioned.

"Red's finishing patching himself up after the impromptu mission and the rest are outside waitin' for ya!"

That's when Optimus' eyeridges furrowed in confusion. "Impromptu mission? Mei, what are you—"

"Ah, there you all are!" Everyone turned their heads to the nearby hallway and saw Red Alert strolling toward them… and he seemed in an actually cheery mood, which left some disconcerted. "I'm glad you were able to make it back safe and sound. When we lost contact with you, I was deeply concerned."

"Red! …Uh, you seem to be in a good mood." Windblade pointed out.

Springer put his fists to his hips, raising a suspicious brow. "Yeah… what's goin' on around here, Doc?"

Optimus stepped directly toward the medic, also very curious. "I admit, I must echo their sentiments, old friend. Mei mentioned something about an… unplanned mission?"

Red Alert simply chuckled, ushering for the Autobots to follow him and Mei outside. "Hmhm, don't worry, Optimus, everything will be made clear very shortly. Come on, it's easier to show you what we mean than tell you." The Autobots and 1-A students, still as perplexed as ever, followed the pair outside into the field, where they saw Flare Up, the Mini-Cons, and the 1-B students all hanging out. "Everyone! They've returned!"

The smaller group perked up when they heard that. "Ah-ha! Smashing!" Flare Up zipped right over to them with her cheery grin. "Glad to see you're all back safe an' sound!"

The teens and Mini-Cons were right behind her as they met their own schoolmates. "Yeah, I was wondering how you guys have been doing." Itsuka nodded, tilting her head. "Any idea what that whole thing was with the signal cutting out?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head with a grimace. "Uh, well… about that. We were actually talking about that while we were stuck there and…" One look at the group, and the 1-B students could see that everyone was visibly worried. "…We're thinking that the Decepticons might have a hacker amongst their ranks."

"Woah, seriously?" Tetsu uttered.

"That actually makes a lot of sense." Setsuna tapped her chin. "Gotta have someone who's good with technology if you wanna mess with technology." The green haired girl shrugged. "And if you ARE technology for that matter."

"Yes, but we're still trying to figure out WHY a Decepticon hacker targeted our commlinks." Arcee spoke up, crossing her arms with a grimace of her own. "I mean, if they didn't want us to contact base, then fine, but why—"

Ibara cleared her throat to interject. "Ahem, er… I think it's more along the lines of them not wanting us to contact you all." This brought the Autobots' attention straight to her as the Vine user looked to her companions. "No doubt the Decepticons wanted to make sure that we didn't have reinforcements so that they'd have little trouble in seizing the pod for themselves."

Jazz raised his hands, trying to backpedal everything. "Woah, woah, woah, hold up. Back up a bit… did you say "pod"?"

Optimus leaned forward intently. "As in… a stasis pod?"

"A stasis pod?" Mina voiced. "You mean those big spheres you all came to Earth in?"

"Exactly… but this sounds different." Bulkhead said as the situation finally began to make sense to him. "If the Decepticons were tryin' to get to it, it was probably a protoform stasis pod that landed, which meant the bot inside would be susceptible to reprogramming."

"And that would mean—AH!" Strongarm gasped and whipped her head toward Red Alert and Flare Up. "Were you able to retrieve it?!" She narrowed her optics to the smiling duo. "Is that why Red Alert is acting almost as happy as you, Flare Up?"

At that, Red Alert quickly wiped his grin off and reapplied his stoic façade. "A-Ahem… let's not get hasty. But yes, we WERE able to retrieve the pod… though unfortunately, it was also damaged severely upon reentry." There was a round of collective gasps as the medic continued; "The protoform inside was alive… but the Decepticons were able to intercept us."

"The battle was fierce… and we nearly lost the protoform." Flare Up continued.

That sent a chill through everyone… but they also couldn't help but notice the way both of them were speaking. "S-So… if you guys were able to retrieve it… where's the Autobot?"

"Well, that's the thing… it wasn't an Autobot."

Flare Up's reply took everyone aback, with Momo almost shouting; "You mean it was a Decepti—"

EEEYYAAAAARRRKKK!

The away team, Autobots and humans alike, all flinched at the sudden, ear-piercing shriek that came right from out of nowhere. The teens even covered their ears just from the sheer volume of it, though they couldn't see where it originated from. "What the HELL was that?!" Kyoka screamed.

Springer, ever vigilant, reached for his swords and ejected his Mini-Cons, Sawback and Fangblade both bristling as they stood on guard. "Are we under attack?! What is this?!"

"Hahaha! Everybody, chill!" Flare Up laughed, along with the 1-B students. "Everything's fine, I assure you." She pointed a finger up toward the sky, giving the team a wink… all while the sound of cacophonous wingbeats seemed to close in on them. "It's like I said, the protoform inside the pod wasn't an Autobot…" She spread her arms out and held them high over her head, announcing to the heavens; "It. Was. A MAXIMAL!"

"EEEYYAAAAARRRKKK!" As if on cue, the team were treated to an absolutely jaw-dropping sight. The light of the afternoon sun was briefly cut out above them as a massive shadow flew straight over them… one that was cast by a giant, metal, avian creature. The Autobots were surprised, to be sure, but it was more of a pleasant surprise. The teenagers, though…

"BIRD!" Denki yelled.

"GIANT bird!" Eijiro's hands flew up to his head.

"VAST, PREDATORY BIRD!" Tenya shouted as he chopped the air in front of him toward the avian.

As the metal falcon screeched and circled back around so that it was directly in front of them, the team were able to get a better look at this massive animal. Its metal hide was a deep bronze, and all throughout its body, mainly on its head, back and wings, there were some organic-looking feathers sticking out of it in addition to its more solid, metal feathers. Though, upon closer inspection, they would find that these feathers were ALSO metal as well, just very fine and more malleable. The falcon dove down straight toward the group, making the 1-A teens back away in apprehension as it stopped in mid-flight and flapped its wings to stay aloft in one place. And then…

"Airazor, MAXIMIZE!" With another shriek, the giant bird transformed in the air, doing a flip as her parts rearranged before landing on the ground… as a tall, slender femme bot. She seemed a lot more… primal than the standard Autobots, more armored in certain places with visible battle damage strewn about across her form. She was about as tall as Red Alert, and her beak-like visor covered her optics until she shifted it up onto her forehead. Then, in one last show of display, a set of robot-mode wings popped out of her back, all while she put on a rather self-assured grin and placed her hands on her hips. "So, how was that for an entrance, hm?" she spoke in a clear, Egyptian accent.

Needless to say, the teenagers were left completely silent by her showmanship, while the Autobots were amazed by her presence. "I… I-I don't… WHAT?!" Kyoka cried out.

"HAHAHA! You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Bulkhead guffawed, putting a hand to his forehead. "A Maximal? Here?"

Springer re-sheathed his swords into his back, intrigued by Airazor as well. "Yeah, quite the rare sight…" He raised an eyeridge in suspicion. "How in Primus' name did you get here?"

Airazor chuckled and gave a shrug. "Heh, I'd certainly like to know that myself. The damage to my pod extended to my memory core. I can barely remember a thing before I got into my pod." The second she said that, she saw the little yellow bot's eyes widen, and he jogged up to her eagerly. "Hm?"

"Zrkt—You're just like me!" he proclaimed.

It didn't take long for her to realize; "Oh! So YOU must be this "Bumblebee" that the others mentioned to me." Airazor knelt down and placed a hand over her chest. "Well, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you. My name is Airazor."

As the two shook hands, the 1-A teens were just staring in silence, still taken aback. "…Every time I feel like I've figured Transformers out, they just keep on surprising me." Eijiro murmured.

"Yeah, I mean… they can turn into animals, too?" Denki emphasized.

"Only certain members of the Cybertronian race can do so." Optimus explained, gesturing toward Airazor. "As Flare Up stated, she is a Maximal. They are a special subgroup of Cybertronians who exclusively transform into beast modes." Still, the Autobot leader couldn't help but be intrigued by Airazor, more specifically her somewhat more organic appearance. "Though I must admit, I haven't seen a Maximal such as her anywhere on Cybertron." He took the opportunity to walk up to her himself, extending a hand down to her. "Pardon me… Airazor, correct? My name is Optimus Prime."

Airazor brought her green optic's up to meet Prime's, standing at full height to accept his handshake. "Ah, yes, the others told me about you as well. It's truly an honor to meet you, sir."

"Likewise. Tell me, you said that you have no memories of your past life, correct?"

The Maximal knocked a finger against her helm. "Pretty much. Woke up, reduced some bot to scrap, couldn't remember a thing."

Bumblebee did a double take. "Zrkt—Hold on—zrkt—whaddya mean!?"

"Oh, uh, hah… yes, I meant to tell you." Red Alert chortled. "We won't be having to worry about Skywarp for a while. Hehe, they'll be salvaging him for days."

Airazor held her head up high, feeling rather proud of herself. "Mmhm! Exactly. That Seeker was threatening their lives, so I stepped in and rained justice down upon him. I let him live, though—as a warning not to cross me again." She saw Prime raised an eyeridge, but decided to ask about that later. "Anyways, I was told that someone here could perhaps assist me with regaining my lost memories. Someone called a… City Speaker?"

"R-Right here." Windblade was taken off guard by the sudden mention, but nevertheless, she raised her hand and walked toward the front of the team. She met with Airazor directly and offered her hand. "My name's Windblade, and I'm the City Speaker."

The bird bot's optics lit up excitedly. "Oh! A fellow flyer, I see." She shook Windblade's hand heartily. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Windblade. I… um… I hope you can help me regain my lost memories. Th-That is, if it is at all possible, I would greatly appreciate it."

Windblade had to admit, she wasn't expecting the boisterous femme to also be so formal. 'Well, better than being completely arrogant, that's for sure.' She smiled up at the Maximal and nodded reassuringly. "Well, I've never exercised my technique on a Maximal before, but I'll definitely give it my best. If there's any hope in recovering your memories, I'll help you out, Airazor. But before I do, I have to ask, is there anything that you can remember? Even vaguely?"

"Hmph, not much, I'm afraid." Airazor set a hand to her helm, scrunching her features as she tried to recall anything. "The most I can remember are… a lush, jungle world… a certain face… and a giant mouth."

That last one managed to make everyone do a double take. "…Er, does the giant mouth belong to that face?"

"O-Oh, no, no, not in the least." Airazor pointed up. "The giant mouth was coming out of the sky. The face belongs to someone else." Her optics narrowed as she tried to recall, all while everyone stared at her incredulously. "For some reason… the colors white, black and teal come to mind, but aside from that, it's hard to think about."

"I see." Windblade tapped her chin, pondering on everything she was just told. "Sounds to me like you're not from Cybertron at all, but possibly from another colony planet. We'll have to do more digging to find out for sure, but don't worry, I'll make sure to help you as best as I can."

Ariazor bowed respectfully to the City Speaker. "Thank you so much. I'm forever grateful for your help. In return, I shall do the best I can to help all of YOU out as well." Her attention went back to Optimus, standing straight at attention. "I heard that you are in a war with these Decepticons… and it would be an honor to offer you my services, sir."

Optimus tilted his head. "You're willing to enter a war you barely know anything about?"

The Maximal gestured down to the 1-B students and the Mini-Cons, as well as Flare Up and Red Alert. "Everyone here has given me the gist of what your conflict as been like over the course of this war… and quite frankly, it makes me sick to think of what this "Megatron" has done to your planet." Airazor gave the Prime a salute. "Consider me on board."

Beneath his faceplate, Optimus Prime grinned as he saluted her back with a chuckle. "Hmhm, very well then. Welcome to the Autobots, Airazor."

"It is my pleasure, sir." Airazor craned her head around to the other Autobots with a sheepish expression. "Though to be truthful… I-I'm still not entirely certain what to make of… all this. My scattered memories aside, this may possibly be my first experience working with a team."

"Eh, if you're smart, you'll make tracks." Sideswipe said with a wink and a jerk of his thumb. "So, uh, has anyone shown ya around yet? I'd be happy to offer my services, hehe…"

Sunstreaker rolled his optics at his brother's bad attempt at flirting and gave Sideswipe a light shove. "Pay no attention to my brother. He was born with a major glitch."

"I'll show YOU a major glitch! GAH!" Sideswipe practically pounced on Sunstreaker and both of them began rolling across the ground, the latter brother crying about his paintjob as they tumbled down a nearby hill.

The others watched in completely stunned silence, aside from Strongarm who pointed out; "Huh… you know, it's odd that I'm not the one fighting Sideswipe this time."

"A rare sight indeed." Kyoka agreed before making a slow approach to Airazor, the bird bot watching the twins' brawl in confusion. "Uh, heh… you'll get used to everything. Including them… maybe."

"Hm? Oh, hello." Airazor knelt down, getting closer to the punk rocker as the rest of the 1-A students came over as well. "You all must be the other humans that your friends mentioned."

"Exactly." Kyoka placed a hand over her chest. "I'm Kyoka Jiro, and these are my friends."

Izuku bowed his head in greeting. "Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you, Airazor."

From there, the others introduced themselves in kind and, once they were all done, Airazor couldn't help but give a little laugh. "Haha, my word… for being on this planet in secret, there are certainly quite a few locals that know about us."

"Oh, there's a LOT more." Eijiro piped up. "Our teachers, some of the top heroes in Japan, a government agency… and maybe a group of terrorists…"

"Hah, by the creator." Airazor breathed out. "That is certainly quite the line-up." She craned her head toward Optimus Prime curiously. "Tell me, how has our secret not been discovered yet?"

"Thankfully, nearly every one of our allies have sworn to keep our presence on Earth a secret." Optimus informed. "And as for that group of terrorists known as MECH… they also seem rather secretive themselves, so I doubt that they will make our presences known to the public."

The winged Maximal hummed at that. "Hmm, I see. Well, in regards to keeping secret, I feel I must apologize." Airazor scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "I'm afraid my beast mode doesn't exactly constitute much of a "disguise", if I'm being frank, hehe…"

Optimus shook his head. "Don't worry, Airazor. Whether you are capable of disguise or not, I'm sure that you'll still find your own place within the team." He raised a hand up to the warehouse. "And of course, be sure to make yourself at home here. Let this be your… erm, roost."

"Clever wordplay, sir." Airazor complimented with a smirk. "I'll do just that."

"Uuum… speaking of your alt mode…" Mina poked her fingers together with an excited grin. "Do you think you could… maybe… transform again?" Her question was won that Airazor wasn't expecting, but it seemed as if the humans were all just as eager to see that as Mina was. "N-Not that I wanna FORCE you to transform for our own amusement, but—"

"We've just never SEEN a Transformer with a beast mode before, and it's utterly fascinating." Momo interjected.

Mina nodded rapidly. "Yeah, what she said! So, um… please?"

Airazor chuckled and rose to her full height, finding their intrigue rather adorable. "Hehe, well, how can I refuse after you all asked so nicely? Everyone stand back, I'm gonna need some room." The 1-A students stepped away from the bird lady as she stretched her limbs and loosened herself up in preparation. "Alright… Beast Mode!" With a jump up into the air, Airazor performed a somersault and transformed, her hands becoming feet while her legs extended out into her bird wings. The falcon head on her chest rotated into position, finishing her transformation before she landed back down on the ground with another shrill cry, fanning her wings out for show. "EEEYYAAAAARRRKKK!"

The teens were left in awe at the massive bird of prey before them, to say the least. "Hahaha, woah!" Eijiro laughed, pumping a fist into the air. "That is so freaking cool!"

"No kiddin'. You guys shoulda been there when she FIRST transformed." Tetsu raised his hands and started swiping at the air. "She was all like—SHINK!—And then she was like—WOOSH!" He flexed his arms to his sides while everyone watched with awkward smiles. "And then she was like; "JUSTICE RAINS FROM ABOVE!" And it was all like—DOOM-DOOM-DOOM-DOOM-DOOM!" Breathing hard this point, Tetsu wrapped it up, saying; "Hah… and yeah, Skywarp was just left in PIECES by the end of that. Right, Airazor?"

"I… suppose so." The bird bot replied, folding her wings in and rubbing her face bashfully with them. "Though I don't know if I would've described it like that."

"Well, either way, it's freaking awesome!" Denki exclaimed, thrusting his hands up to her. "I mean, you're a giant BIRD! If there's more Maximals like you out in the universe, I'm DYING to see what else they can turn into."

Tenya raised her hand to speak his mind. "A question, though, if I may." He saw Airazor give him a nod, prompting him to go on. "I couldn't help but notice that you used a code word before you transformed each time. Are the phrases "Maximize" and "Beast Mode" necessary before transformation for your kind?"

"O-Oh, hah, no, they are not." Airazor denied. "They are more… battle cries…" Her optics squinted when she recalled that, though she wasn't sure WHY it made her confused. "Although… I am unable to remember the origin of the battle cry itself. It is strange…"

Windblade stepped forward and held a hand up to the metal falcon. "D-Don't strain yourself, Airazor. I'll help you try and uncover some of your memories, but doing so now before the procedure could cause processor strain."

With a short sigh, Airazor shook her head, getting herself back on track. "Hmph, very well, Windblade. I will trust your judgement there. For now, though, I believe I should do what Optimus Prime advised… and make my roost." Extending her wings out yet again, Airazor took herself aloft and flew straight up to the roof of the warehouse, perching up on top and surveying the area. Her sights went out toward the sea, and she smiled at the incredible view of the sun close to setting over the horizon. "I must say… I think I'll enjoy staying at this place."

As the others watched down below, Izuku couldn't help but muse to himself the fact that they now had even MORE team members now. "Wow… our team just keeps getting bigger and bigger!" He turned to Kyoka, the two sharing a grin. "It's pretty incredible, isn't it?"

"Yeah… though at this pace, the team's liable to quickly outgrow this base." Kyoka raised a brow over to the resident rich girl. "Yo, Yaomomo! You sure your parents don't own any OTHER kinda abandoned place that's bigger?"

"Unfortunately, not to my knowledge." Momo replied apologetically. "All of father's larger factories are all operable at the moment, and if he DOES have any bigger spaces that aren't in use, he keeps them fairly close to the chest in case of emergencies." She raised a hand, gesturing toward the Autobots. "And outside of telling him about THEM, I doubt that we'll be seeing any sort of base expansion any time soon." She folded her arms across her chest with a wince. "And letting him know about the robots who've been living in his warehouse for almost three months now doesn't exactly sound like the best idea."

Optimus wasn't too bothered by it, though. "It's alright, Momo. I appreciate your thoughtfulness regardless, but we will manage to figure out our base situation should the time come. But for now…" The Autobot leader moved his attention back to the punk rocker. "Kyoka, I believe that Jazz told me that there's something you wished to discuss with the team?"

Kyoka's eyes widened at what he said, not expecting that. "W-Wait, what?" She whipped her head around to Jazz with a shocked expression. "You TOLD him?!"

Jazz merely gave a shrug. "Hey, I told ya we had to run it by the boss first. Can't work things out if no one else knows 'bout it, Kyo."

The team's attention was now squarely on Kyoka, the punk rocker wincing at their confused and intrigued gazes. She really didn't think she would have to divulge the details on everything this soon. …But of course, it wouldn't be fair for the others to not know about it, and the look she was getting from Izuku only reinforced that. "Kyoka… it's probably best to get it over with now, don't you think?" he asked.

"Hah… yeah, you're right, Celery Stick." Kyoka sighed, facing the group with a deep breath to bolster her confidence. "Alright guys, here's the deal…"

…..

Once Kyoka had explained everything, the Autobots and teenagers were all left quite surprised at the development, as well as at her plan in general. Infiltrating a suspicious hero's domicile in the form of an internship in order to get information on him to feed back to the school… it almost sounded like something from out of a movie. "Man, that's… a lot to take in, if I'm being honest." Setsuna commented.

"Indeed, and it sounds highly risky." Ibara added, cupping her hands together over her chest. "Are you absolutely certain about this, Jiro?"

Itsuka was also a fair bit wary on the plan. "Yeah, I mean, at least WE knew what we were getting into when we went to help Red Alert." She extended a hand toward the Earphone Jack user. "But this "Snake Eyes" person… who knows what they could be all about?"

"Yes, quite." Tenya affirmed, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "Though I've heard whispers going around from upperclassmen commenting on this "Snake Eyes" fellow. And from what you've told us, everything lines up about the rumors; they select a well-performing student in the Sports Festival every year—and ONLY one, mind you—and no one takes the opportunity since they are seen as suspicious." The blue-haired boy raised an eyebrow to the purplette. "Though from what you've said, it seems that you wish to risk taking the mystery on."

Kyoka returned the brow raise in kind. "You worried about me, Iida?"

"As your Class Representative, naturally I would be." Tenya furrowed his brow with the utmost seriousness. "You're certain you wish to go through with this?"

With a simple shrug, Kyoka brushed it off. "Yeah, pretty much. If I can confirm that Snake Eyes is or is not a threat to the student body, then I'm willing to take that risk." She pointed up to her guardian Autobot. "And besides, I'll have Jazz with me the whole time, so if I DO get into some sorta sticky situation, he can get me out no problem."

For his part, Optimus had to acknowledge that Kyoka had thought things out fairly well. "Your thinking is sound, Kyoka, and I commend you for it. But still, Tenya makes a fair point." He lowered himself in front of Kyoka, his optics meeting her eyes. "This internship… no, this mission involves a great amount of danger, and you know that you are putting yourself in jeopardy by going through with it." He received a silent nod from Kyoka, prompting him to give a light sigh. There was no changing her mind on this one. "…Very well. But if something goes wrong, I want you to contact the base immediately so that we can bridge both of you back as soon as possible. Once we have the coordinates of this hero agency, if it turns out to be fraudulent, we will have the pro heroes take it from there. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Kyoka saluted, glancing over to her class rep. "So long as Iida doesn't have an issue with it."

As much as Tenya hated to admit it… the plan WAS well put together. And, while he was still apprehensive about it, he felt compelled to commend Kyoka for her dedication to keeping the student body safe from potential villains. 'And besides… I am also taking a great risk myself with my own internship.' Tenya subconsciously bit his lip, restraining himself from letting that information out. '…Jiro, you're a braver soul than I. You have the confidence to let them all know that you're doing something like this… but I cannot. This matter… between the Hero Killer and I… it is too personal…'

Steading himself with a deep breath, Tenya gave her a single nod. "Very well. As your Class Representative, I will approve of this plan. …Besides, given that Mr. Aizawa has already approved of it, I'm afraid that his opinion supersedes my own anyway."

Kyoka smirked happily at that. "Yeah, kinda. But thanks anyway, Iida."

"Ooh, look at you, girl!" Mina cheered heartily. "Goin' on a full-blown MISSION with your internship! Eee! So freaking lucky!"

"Yeah, best of luck!" Eijiro gave a thumbs up. "Hope everything goes well."

Denki, however, was a bit more sour on it than most. "Man, this sucks. Should've known you not going for Gang Orca was a tip-off that you found something WAY cooler and more interesting!"

"Heh, sorry, Jamming Yay." Kyoka snickered as Denki grit his teeth. "Maybe next time." All of a sudden, a stay yawn passed Kyoka's lips, taking her and everyone else by surprise. "Oh… hm, god, I guess I'm more tired than I thought."

Like an infectious bug, the yawn began passing around to everyone else, with Momo stretching her arms over her head. "Oh, yes, so am I. We all had a pretty long day today, hm?"

"You all have school tomorrow as well." Optimus rose to his full height, moving his hand toward the GroundBridge. "Perhaps it would be best if you all head home for the night. We will continue our usual activities and training tomorrow." His focus then went squarely back to Kyoka. "And furthermore, we will discuss the groundwork for your upcoming mission. I hope you will be ready, Kyoka."

"I will, thanks, Optimus." Kyoka gave a big thumbs up to Jazz with a confident grin. "Jazz, let's do this right!"

"Hell ya, girl." Jazz returned the gesture. "I'll catch ya on the flipside." The Autobot lieutenant watched as Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee gathered up in front of the GroundBridge and transformed, allowing the humans to board them before Red Alert activated the vortex. Once the first group went through, it didn't take long for Flare Up and the Street Action Mini-Con team to follow suit with the 1-B students, and just like that, they were gone. Jazz exhaled and set his gaze over to his leader. "I won't let anything bad happen to her, Prime. I promise."

Optimus reached over and set a hand on Jazz's shoulder. "I know you won't, old friend. I trust you will keep her safe." His tone became a bit more somber again as another thought crossed his processor. "To be quite honest, out of this entire group… it isn't Kyoka who concerns me." His optics shifted over to Strongarm, who also seemed rather uncomfortable. "And I think you know that, too, don't you?" Strongarm could only respond with a silent bow of the head, excusing herself from the conversation. But of course, that was all the answer Optimus needed. Both of them could tell that something was still weighing heavily on Tenya's mind. 'We'll have to keep an eye on him…' Prime thought to himself.

…..

It didn't take long for Bumblebee to drop Hatsume off at her place, leaving just Izuku and Kyoka left. The two teens sat in the back as the Autobot's blonde holoform kept an eye on them from his rearview mirror, watching as they talked about how the day went along with other stuff like homework and music. But of course, the main topics of conversation were the punk rocker's upcoming mission as well as Airazor. "Man, I just can't get over it!" Kyoka said with fists clenched in excitement. "I mean, Mini-Cons becoming animals is one thing, but a full-sized transformer with a beast mode instead of a vehicle mode is just SO awesome."

"I know, right?" Izuku agreed wholeheartedly. "Makes you wonder what kind of OTHER sorts of beasts Maximals can become. I hope we get to meet more of them…" He trailed off, however, as his mind went back to his best friend's upcoming internship. "But I'm not gonna lie… I do kinda wish I could come with you on this mission."

That elicited a short scoff from the Earphone Jack user. "Pfft, Izuku, if you're worried about me, you don't gotta. Everything'll be good, trust me."

"I-I know, a-and I'm not worried… per se." Izuku scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flushing a shade of red. "I-It's just… you're seriously living out one of my biggest childhood fantasies; going on a covert mission, like how an actual hero would!" His eyes began shining in admiration for her. "That's just so cool, I can hardly stand it!"

Kyoka flinched as her own cheeks reddened considerably, and on instinct, she grabbed her jacks and tapped them together in slight embarrassment. "O-Oh, well, I-I'm glad you think so… and again, th-thanks for supporting my decision on this…" She brought her eyes up and sent him a soft, grateful smile. "I'm glad that you've got my back on this one, Izuku, really."

Swallowing hard, Izuku curbed his fear and bowed his head back. "Y-You're welcome. Any time." There was a long silence as the duo sheepishly looked away from one another for a few moments, but in time, Izuku regained some confidence to speak up again. "Kyoka, I-I—AUGH!"

"ACK!"

*POMF* *POMF*

Their heads went flying and hit the backs of the front seats as Bumblebee suddenly screeched to a halt, leaving Izuku a bit dazed and Kyoka VERY irritated. "Zrkt—You have arrived at your destination." Bumblebee announced with a smirk.

With a low growl, Kyoka peeled herself off the headrest and snapped herself around into the front, giving Bee a glare. "HEY! A little WARNING would've been nice, ya know!" the blonde merely responded with a shrug as Kyoka groaned and retrieved her bookbag, shouldering it as she pried Izuku off the other headrest. "Hey, get home safe, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

"O-Okay…" the wobbly Izuku replied, his eyes filled with swirls. "G-Goodnight…"

"Yeah…" Kyoka went to open the door… but not before taking a second to ruffle up Izuku's hair a bit. "Goodnight, Green Bean. And thanks again."

Broken out of his daze, Izuku shook his head and replied with a slow; "Y-Yeah… of course." before Kyoka disembarked. Bee waited at the curb until Kyoka made it to her door, where she waved them off as he drove away. Once he did, though, Izuku slumped down in his seat with a frustrated moan. "Aaaugh! Damn it, Bee, did you HAVE to do that?"

"Zkrt—Don't worry, we'll get 'em next time."

"What is the "WE" in this situation?!"

Back at Kyoka's house, the punk rocker reached for the door knob, thankful that she was out of that awkward situation. 'Hah… great, more stuff to think about tonight. UGH! No, focus on the mission, Kyoka. You can sort out these stupid feelings once that's over.' She twisted the knob and opened the door… 'Just get some studying done, get a little practice in and you'll be good to—'

"THERE YOU ARE!" Kyoka screamed at the top of her lungs and doubled back, scared out of her wits as her father flung open the door. Kyotoku Jiro, the long-haired man decked out in a red button-up shirt, black dress pants and matching shoes, took a confrontational stance against his daughter with a serious tone of voice. "You sure took your time getting to the door this time, Kyoka. Still hanging around with that boy, are we?"

"D-DAD, what the hell?!" Kyoka fired back. "What's the deal with scaring the shit outta me?! And so what if I DID take a bit longer to say bye to my friend this time, eh?!"

Kyotoku grimaced back to her. "Well, forgive me if I'm a bit concerned about your safety, Kyoka! For all I know, that boy could be—URK!" All at once, the "protective dad" act was forcibly dropped when something stunned the man, making him jerk back before he fell flat on his face.

Behind him, his wife, Mika Jiro stood with an unimpressed expression with her arms crossed. Her glasses were pushed up so that they shimmered in the light, giving her an intimidating aura. She was also wearing a button-up shirt of her own, this one the color purple, accompanied by a black, knee-length skirt and matching heels. She pulled her own ear jacks back and bit at her husband; "That'll be enough out of you, dear." Mika then put on a smile as she greeted her daughter. "Welcome back, Kyoka. Have fun with your friends today?"

"Yep, it was a good day." Kyoka confirmed as she stepped across her father's back and into her home. "So, I'm guessing you guys got a gig tonight?"

"Hmhm, what tipped it off?" Mika chuckled. "But yes, we'll be out until midnight tonight, so you'll be alone for a while."

"Gotcha, I'll be fine. I've got some studying and practice to catch up on anyway."

Mika leaned down and gave her daughter a peck on the cheek. "Good. Also, make sure you start packing for you internship. You'll be gone for a full week, after all." Kyoka sent her a nod, prompting Mika to reach her jacks down and hoist her husband up. "Well, we'll be off, dear. Have a good night!"

"Th-This isn't over, Kyoka!" Kyotoku exclaimed with a jittering voice. "I-I s-still wanna m-make sure this b-boy is on the up and up!"

"Oh, for god's sake, would you STOP with the "overprotective dad" act?" Kyoka snapped back with a roll of her eyes. "You're not convincing anyone, old man. But fine, you wanna meet Izuku? As soon as internships are over, I'll let you BOTH meet him, how's that?"

Mika, wearing a surprised yet intrigued smile, was quick to approve the idea. "Oh, that sounds fantastic! I would love to finally meet this friend you've been raving about for months now." She clapped her hands together as she settled on an idea; "Oh! How about you bring him over for dinner here? Ask him his favorite meal and I'll prepare it!"

"A-Alright, I'll t-take you up on th-that!" The Jiro patriarch thrust a finger at her as his wife dragged him out of the house. "Don't forget, y-you hear, young l-lady?!"

"FINE! LATER!" Kyoka shouted back before slamming the door shut… only to then realize what she had just committed to. She had just agreed to bringing Izuku over to meet her parents… and that was when a terrifying thought settled into Kyoka's head. 'Oh god… not only will that old fart try to be overprotective of her… but mom's liable to bring out the baby pictures.' She flushed red as a beat while her jacks went out of control, flailing in the air at the sides of her head. "I am going to die from humiliation."

…..

It took Kyoka a while to push those horrific thoughts out of her mind for the time being, and even then, they still lingered in the back as she focused on her studying. And, as much as doing that was hell on her brain, it at least kept those thoughts at bay for a good couple of hours. Once she deemed study time over, though, she shifted focus to her true passion; music practice. Of course, she knew how to basically play EVERY instrument in her room at this point—from the basic guitar all the way to the accordion that she barely touched and yet somehow still had for some reason. But it was better to play them consistently to keep herself from getting rusty. …Accept the accordion, because screw that.

'Wonder if Mina would be interested in it?' the punk rocker wondered to herself. 'She seems like the kinda gal who'd love polka… ugh…'

Kyoka instinctively went to her favorite guitar and picked it up, plugging it into her amp and going through the usual tune up until it was exactly where she wanted it. And then… she closed her eyes and laid down on her bed, her legs dangling over the side as she contemplated what to play. Usually, she let her own feelings dictate the song… but as her mind trailed back to the whole thing with her parents and Izuku that she inadvertently arranged. And by proxy, her mind settled on the green-haired boy who she had complicated feelings for.

"GAH!" Kyoka snarled as she snapped up straight, trying to shake him out. But, as much as she wanted to… she couldn't deny the growing feelings for her best friend. "Dammit, Izuku! Why do you have to make it all so… so…" Slowly but surely, the realization dawned on Kyoka… and she began strumming notes on her guitar, the music coming through naturally and without restriction. As she did so, she tapped her foot to a beat that had settled in her head, all while lyrics flowed past her lips; "~Uh-huh… Cause life's like this. ~Uh-huh… uh-huh… That's the way it is." And then…

~Chill out, whatcha yellin' for?

~Lay back, it's all been done before.

~And if you could only let it be, you will see…

~I like you the way you are.

~When we're driving in your car.

~And you're talkin' to me one-on-one,

~But you've become—

~Somebody else 'round everyone else,

~You're watchin' your back like you can't relax

~You're tryin' to be cool, you look like a fool to me…

~Tell me—

~Why'd ya have to go and make things so Complicated?

~I see the way you—

~Actin' like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated!

~Life's like this, you—

~And you fall, and you crawl, and you break

~And you take what you get and you turn it into—

~Honesty and promise me, I'm never gonna find you fake it…

~No, no, no…

As Kyoka finished the first verse, she could already feel her stress beginning to lift up and off her shoulders, venting it all through song. It may not have been the perfect analogous melody for the situation between her and Izuku, but considering the situation, it was close enough. However, as she was about to proceed to the second verse, she found herself spinning toward her bedroom window… and when she peered out into the darkness, a chill went through her entire being…

…When she saw that it was open… and a woman was now standing in her room.

"AAAAIIIIYYEEEE!" Kyoka belted out a scream and, without even thinking, unplugged her guitar, tossed it onto her bed… and then ran straight for the accordion to use it as a bludgeoning device. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

The figure, donned in red and black garb and with her head mostly covered in a mask and cowl, didn't even flinch at her reaction, merely giving her a nod. "Hm, so you finally noticed me." she spoke with a light, yet somewhat husky voice, one who sounded to be in her late twenties or early thirties. "I was wondering if you'd get too lost in your music to notice."

"I-I'm gonna call the cops on you, lady!" Kyoka lashed out.

"Very well, if you so wish."

"I… wait, what?"

The mysterious woman merely gave a shrug. "I'll be gone by the time they get here. I merely came here to deliver a message to you… Kyoka Jiro."

Kyoka's jaw dropped when her name was uttered. "H-How do you know my… my…" But then, the more she stared at the woman, the more she took in her true appearance. For she wasn't some masked robber or a serial killer who had just randomly snuck into her home…

She was a ninja, one donned in a black shirt under a traditional, red uwagi with black trim around the edges. Her uwagi had long sleeves that were strapped down to her biceps thanks to a pair of black bracers, and she had a matching set of fingerless tekoh gloves on her hands. Her hakama trousers were also red, and strapped down near the bottoms by black kyahon wrappings. She wore black tabi boots with the big toe split off from the rest, and her head was wrapped in red zukin and fukumen for the traditional ninja-styled mask. …Though she broke from the norm by having her long, black hair stick out from the back of it in a ponytail. The woman completed her look with a black sash across her waist and, on her left breast, her uwagi had a black dragon symbol on it.

All of this was quite a lot for Kyoka to take in, but once it finally did, she managed to utter; "Y-You're… you're a kunoichi."

The woman's dark eyes widened under her mask. "Ah, so you know your terminology! Good, you're more knowledgeable on the subject than we anticipated…" She reached up and undid her mask, revealing a rather beautiful young woman behind it. The first thing Kyoka took note of was her long twin bangs as they fell out of her mask, framing her visage as they neared her chin. She also had dark brown eyes and a medium skin tone, as well as dark lipstick to compliment it. The woman bowed to Kyoka with a greeting smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Jiro. Please believe me, I mean you no harm… so could you maybe please set the instrument down?"

"Again, I ask, how do you know my name?" Kyoka kept the accordion in hand, but lowered it for the time being. "And who are you, anyway?"

"Hmhm, I come courtesy of the Snake Eyes Hero Agency." the ninja lady replied, making Kyoka's mouth fall open and her eyebrows shoot up. "Ah, got your attention now, do I? I had a feeling I would." She placed a hand over her chest. "As for myself, I cannot divulge my true name to you, as that is a secret that I keep very close. But for now, you can call me… Jinx."

"Jinx…" Kyoka rolled the name off her tongue with trepidation. "O-Okay… so why did you break into my home? You're not gonna kidnap me or anything, are you?"

Jinx deadpanned and raised a brow at her. "Miss Jiro, what did I just say? I'm here to deliver a message, not anything villainous."

Kyoka put her scowl back on. "Well, sorry, but forgive me for being cautious around a freaking ninja." She put a defiant hand to her him. "So, I'm guessing that your master's got some sorta pre-emptive test he wants to give me or something?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Well, the fact that no one seems to know about your agency outside of a few select people is pretty suspect, not gonna lie." Kyoka explained. "And if this is actually some sorta super-secret ninja school, I guess that'd make sense. But… I can't rule you guys out on having any ulterior motives. After all, ninja can be pretty twofaced from what I hear."

Closing her eyes, Jinx hummed and nodded. "I see… so you took on the internship because you were suspicious about our intent on recruiting certain U.A. students in the past." Her eyes opened back up and she zeroed in on Kyoka. "But I guess I can't blame you for that. As you said, ninja have a history of being duplicitous. That being said, I assure you that we are NOT like any of the sort. My master Snake Eyes only wishes to recruit and train the best of the best to become great heroes in the future." Jinx approached the punk rocker, wearing a genuine grin upon her lips. "Kyoka, we see great potential in you to be one of those heroes. So please, I encourage you to come and learn under my master. He will help bring out your true potential, you'll see."

As much as she didn't want to say otherwise… Kyoka didn't hear any hint of a lie behind Jinx's voice. Her sincerity seemed genuine, for sure, but if there was one thing being with the Autobots for a while had taught her, it was that you couldn't be so quick to trust. But for the time being… she would go along with it. "Hm… sounds like your master's pretty good."

"The best of the best." Jinx asserted.

Pursing her lips, Kyoka feigned consideration only to accept immediately. "Hm… alright, I'll bite. This place does sound pretty cool. So am I gonna learn how to become some awesome kunoichi warrior?"

"Hah, only if you wish." Jinx chuckled. "We actually offer SEVERAL forms of teachings. From the way of the ninja to other forms of martial arts as well as weapons training, espionage, and much more." Reaching around to her back pocket, Jinx pulled out a metal card and handed it to Kyoka. "Here, this is the address of our agency's dojo."

Kyoka took the card, seeing that it had a holographic display built into it. "Lemme guess, holo-GPS?"

"Exactly. Simply activate it when you depart and it will lead you straight to us." Jinx confirmed before leaping backward toward the window, much to Kyoka's surprise. "But you must tell no one else about this. Our agency must remain a secret to the rest of the world." She narrowed her eyes slightly at the punk rocker. "If you are followed, we WILL know about it." But then, Jinx's smile returned. "We will be eagerly awaiting your arrival in a week's time, Miss Jiro. Safe journey." Pulling her zuken and fukumen back over her head, Jinx performed a backflip out the window, leading Kyoka to rush over and look down below for her. …But just as suddenly as she appeared, Jinx was gone, disappeared into the night.

Swallowing hard, Kyoka let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and finally dropped the accordion, sauntering back over to her bed and landing in it face down. That… had been a LOT to take in. She had signed up to a freaking NINJA SCHOOL. 'Guess that explains the secrecy… but now the mission's become even MORE complicated. I gotta make sure that they don't find out about the Autobots.' Kyoka reached for her phone on her nightstand, and with a few quick clicks, began messaging the base. 'I've gotta tell Optimus…'

…..

Meanwhile, high above the stratosphere of Earth, the inky blackness of space rippled before a Cybertronian ship suddenly appeared out of nowhere, having deactivated its cloak. It was a rather sizable one, too. Not as big as the Darksyde, but big enough to not be classified as a standard space cruiser. While the ship decloaked, though, it still masked its signal, leaving Autobot and Decepticon alike unaware of its presence. Inside, the bridge of the ship was dark and shadowy, though the light of Earth's moon did manage to shin in through the front window.

In the pilot's seat, a large, burly bot with a Decepticon badge on his chest narrowed his optics at the blue orb below, giving a guttural growl before speaking up. "Hey, Boss! We made it." he spoke in a deep, gravely baritone.

"Ah, excellent. We made great timing! Even managed to shake that Autobot that was following us, hmhm…" Behind the pilot, up in the captain's chair, another bot sat, still completely in shadow aside from his bright, purple optics. He stood up and put his hands behind his back. "So, THIS is where that strange transwarp signal came from."

"The heck is this planet called again?"

"I believe the locals call it… Eee-arth."

The pilot chuffed at that. "Bah! Sounds stupid."

"Maybe so… but the fact that we're getting traces of both Autobot and Decepticon signals from down there is OH so intriguing to me." A smile came to the mech, his shiny metal teeth gleaming as he stepped foot into the light. "And that can only mean one thing; they're continuing the war on this planet. And you know what that means…"

Now fully in the light, the bot was revealed to also be a Decepticon, the symbol emblazoned in the center of his chest. His body was mainly decked out in heavy, mustardy yellow-colored armor plating, which covered his back, his arms and his lower legs, except for his biceps, thighs, hands and feet, which were in lighter black plating. His torso, however, was entirely purple, with a set of blue-colored air vents on each of his pectorals. Finally, the Con's black helm was very blocky and squat, his metal complexion being a charcoal grey. Breaking up the dark tones of his head were, of course, his purple optics, which were just as square as his head itself was, almost like a visor but not really.

Rubbing his hands together with eager aplomb, the Decepticon known as Swindle chuckled to himself. "Hehe… it means THIS is gonna a good place to set up shop."

…..

A/N: Watch out for your bindles, because here comes SWINDLE! Indeed, I've been teasing him Swindle at MULTIPLE points in this story, to the point that he even got a character entry on the TV Trope page BEFORE he even appeared in full! And now, HERE HE IS! Yeah, I can't have the Autobots get ALL of the new members here, now can I? …Though at the same time, knowing Swindle, he'll try and play BOTH sides of the conflict as much as he can to get his money's worth. And before you ask… yes, if he were still alive today, I would absolutely cast Fred Willard as Swindle in this story. But of course, since he is no longer with us, I can't do that, so instead…

Swindle – voiced by Nolan North

Yep, going with his EarthSpark voice (because from all the clips I've heard, Nolan actually does a pretty good job as Swindle). But that said, who could his pilot be? Can't be Hardtop since he's a LOT bigger… hm… something to look forward to there.

But as for the rest of the Decepticons… yeah, Starscream ain't happy, and he's starting to really get the fact that no one really respects his authority hammered into him. The fact that there are more Cons on the ship who respect SKYWARP should tell him something. …That being said, if the situation with Blastwave waking up is anything to go by, there might be more to work on than just the leadership situation. …And yes, that moment WAS inspired by a Heavy meme. Search up "DON'T YOU LECTURE ME WITH YOUR 30-DOLLAR HAIR CUT" by Mittens on YouTube and thank me later. But, more to the point, it seems that Unicronus is starting to want to get some serious stuff done. Could we be seeing more reinforcements soon?

But, on a more positive note, at least the rest of the team got to meet Airazor! And of course, they're all as amazed as everyone else by just how different she is. But ooh, what's this? More fragmented memories? Recalling a certain face on a lush, jungle world and… a giant mouth? …Yeah, like I said, you're probably gonna be seeing some Rise of the Beasts influence. Probably not in THIS Arc specifically since I already know how I want things to go and conclude here… but maybe in the next one.

That said, time to get another taste of Kyoka's homelife as she mentally prepares herself for that mission of hers! …Though the fact that she accidentally promised her parents that she'd bring Izuku over for dinner AFTER the internships is also undoubtedly weighing on her mind, so yeah, there's something ELSE to think about. Oy… yeah, things between her and him ARE pretty Complicated.

But, no time to worry about that, because we got NINJAS up in here! More specifically, a Kunoichi. Who would've thought that, out of any character from the Joes… it would be JINX who would be the first to appear in this story? Ah well, she definitely serves as a good precursor for who is to come, and she'll likely have a role in helping to teach Kyoka as well. And with that said…

Jinx – voiced by Kelly Hu

You may recognize her from such voice roles as Stacy Hirano from Phineas and Ferb and the DC Villainess Cheshire from Young Justice. …Also, she was Deathstrike in X-Men 2, which STILL surprises me to this day. But, with all of that said…

And now, the Preview! With the internships approaching fast, we have one last adventure with the Transformers before we get to it, and of course, it involves Swindle. What happens when some Autobots, who're out searching for a new relic, end up getting nabbed by the con man's bouncer? Well, what else? Swindle tries to broker for their freedom. …This could take a while. Next Time: "Have I Got a Deal for You!" But, meanwhile… you guys have been wondering where they've been for a LONG while now, but it's finally time… to see a certain Hero Killer have his meeting with the League of Villains. Thanks for reading everybody and I'll catch you all next time. Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!