Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

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

52. Attack on Hosu

A/N: Hey there, guys, how's it going? Welcome back to Transformers MHA and… well, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for, isn't it? The big confrontation with Stain is about to begin. But before that, a bit of house cleaning; so, for the longest time, it's dawned on me that I neglected to give some characters proper voices, namely three in particular. So, since they're gonna be prominently featured in this and upcoming chapters, let's rectify that, shall we?

Springer – voiced by Troy Baker

Merissa Fairborne – voiced by Laura Bailey

Matt Trakker – voiced by Travis Willingham

Now, initially, I had wanted Merissa to be voiced by Tara Strong, but since there's a character who I want to introduced LATER that HAS to be voiced by Tara, I decided against it. But then, when I decided on wanting Travis for Spectrum, I suddenly realized that Laura Bailey would be a fantastic voice for Merissa. So thank you, Critical Role, for having so many fantastic voice actors! Also, don't worry, we'll do the Joe's voices once they re-enter the picture as well.

Oh, and also, if anyone's wondering, I'm actually really enjoying Kamen Rider Gotchard at the moment. First episode was a bit rough, admittedly, but the second episode had certainly picked things up a bit. However, that's neither here nor there, so let's just get into the chapter already, shall we? This is…

Chapter 52: Attack on Hosu

…..

Waking up with a yawn, Kyoka stretched her arms and legs out across her bed, feeling her muscles pop all across her body. Today would be day three of her internship at the Snake Eyes School of Awesome Ninjutsu People—that's what she had taken to calling it, anyway—and she had to admit, she was having a pretty awesome time. …For the most part. The morning had consisted of oral and visual lessons, with Jinx and Budo tutoring her on the ways and history of the ninja. And then, in the afternoon, she was doing the more physical side of things with Tiger Claw, Kamakura and Snake Eyes himself. Granted, not ALL of the commando's lessons had hit the mark right off the bat, but by the end of the day yesterday, Kyoka was finally starting to pick up on some of them. It helped that Mackenzie had been there to help her out through some of the more arduous exercises.

Rolling off her floor futon (which was the standard at the castle, she had learned), Kyoka stood up, walked into her own bathroom, and got ready for the day. After a nice shower and some general freshening up, however, she looked herself in the mirror, still trying to figure out a question she had on her mind since she arrived; 'Why chose ME as a ninja?' From there, her thoughts regressed from questioning herself to being highly critical of herself, pinpointing all the flaws she had that other girls didn't seem to. She folding her arms over her chest in discomfort. 'Hmph… different place, same shit.'

Growing tired of judging herself, Kyoka shook her head and simply left the bathroom, putting on her standard training clothes before emerging from her bedroom. "Hah… alright, time for more discipline and—AH!" A gasp escaped her throat as, out the corner of her eye, stood Snake Eyes, silent and stoic. "M-Master Snake Eyes! What's going—huh?"

Much to her surprise, Snake Eyes was holding two bento boxes in each hand, offering one to Kyoka. Her eyes widened when she saw its contents, which were separated out into three sections; eggs that were rolled up and wrapped in bacon, curry rice, and French Toast cubes that were lathered in syrup, all divided up by small barriers so they wouldn't mix. …It was a breakfast bento box, one that seemed to be an amalgam of Japanese and American tastes.

"Oh… f-for me?" The ninja nodded, prompting Kyoka to grab the box and bow gratefully. "Thank you very much. I mean, it's a bit early for curry, but… huh?" Kyoka watched as Snake Eyes motioned for her to follow him, headed straight down the hall and toward one of the castle balconies.

"Um… okay." The Earphone Jack user trailed behind her new master dutifully, the two stepping out into the open air. What Kyoka saw next made her mouth fall open in astonishment. The sunrise from this point was probably the most beautiful sight she had seen in a LONG time. The light reflecting off the ocean and being cast through the leaves on the trees was enough to take her breath away. She glanced over to Snake Eyes, asking; "Do you… come out here every morning?"

Snake nodded and nudged his head toward a pair of cushions on the deck, each sitting in front of a short table. The master and student sat down, placed their bentos down, and Snake Eyes produced two sets of chopsticks from his pocket, handing one to Kyoka. Placing their hands together, Kyoka muttered for the two of them; "Thank you for the food." and they both went in to eat. …But then, the purplette realized something. "…Uh, so do you take the mask off when you eat or—" She got her answer when Snake Eyes reached up to the lower part of his mask, which made a hissing sound before he removed it like a panel, revealing his smiling mouth. "…Ah, I see. Well, let's dig in, then."

Snake Eyes didn't even wait as he went for his box, going for the rice and curry first. Kyoka, however, decided on the bacon-rolled eggs first. Breaking off a piece with her chopsticks, she plucked it into her mouth… and immediately felt her tastebuds snap into overdrive. "HMPH!" Her exclamation made Snake crane his head to her again, and when she swallowed, she faced him and said; "Master, did you seriously cook these yourself?" Snake nodded, pointing down to the box and twirling his chopsticks around. "…Is this something you do often?"

"Indeed, it is." The sudden voice caught the punk rocker by surprise, only for her to relax when she saw it was just Jinx, leaning against the door frame. "I was wondering where the two of you were. I probably should've guessed you'd bring her out here, master."

With another nod, Snake Eyes acknowledged his apprentice… only to go back to eating. "Hah, wow, he doesn't mess around." Kyoka commented as she went for a toast cube. And, when she popped it in, the flavor of cinnamon and brown sugar mixed with maple syrup blasted through her all at once. "MMPH! So good! It melts in your mouth!"

"Mm-hm. Master has a knack for making bentos." Jinx affirmed, moving back around to the hallway inside. "I'll just leave you two alone for now. Feel free to join us downstairs once you're done, though."

"Okay, Jinx, see you in a bit!" Kyoka called back, her cheeks stuffed with French Toast before gulping it all down. Curiously, she tilted her head back to her master. "So… you make bentos as a hobby?" Snake responded by gesturing toward the area around him, and Kyoka was fairly certain she knew what he was. "Hm, yeah, gotta have SOME sorta hobby in a place like this." Her gaze shifted back out toward the ocean, taking in the serenity of the moment.

It was then that Snake Eyes grew still as well, his only movements being the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed slowly. Kyoka noticed this and attempted to mimic him, closing her eyes and gently breathing. "Hah… I take it you come out here a lot, right?" A single nod was her answer, followed by Snake Eyes placing a hand to his head, which then went over his chest before finally he extended it out toward the forest and sea. "…Helps clear the mind, body and soul." she understood. "I can get behind that."

Their meal concluded not long after, both of their boxes completely cleaned out. With Snake Eyes putting his faceplate on, Kyoka reclined while propping herself up with her arms, satisfied with her meal. "Ah… master, thanks again for the breakfast, I—WOAH!" Her eyes snapping open, Kyoka craned her head back just in time to avoid a pair of chopsticks, which flew right above her nose. The sticks clattered against the floor… as did she when she leaned back too far. "GAH! What the hell?!"

Wordlessly, Snake Eyes put his arm back to his side, nodding in approval much to Kyoka's irritation. "What?! Was that some sorta "think fast" test or something?!" Her eyes narrowed up at her mentor as she grasped her own chopsticks as well. "You're lucky I heard them coming or else I—huh?" She was interrupted when Snake Eyes raised a finger, waving it between him and her. "Wait… you knew I'd dodge?"

The ninja commando nodded once again, gesturing out toward the environment around them before tightening a fist. "I… think I get it." Kyoka craned her head back out toward the bountiful island before them. "No matter what the situation is, even if things seem calm and peaceful, we must always be prepared." She squinted at her teacher accusingly. "You taught me a lesson using breakfast. I don't know how to feel about that."

Nudging his heat to her, Snake Eyes gave Kyoka a supportive pat on the shoulder, gesturing for her to follow him back inside. "Heh, thanks, Snake Eyes…" But, now that she was behind him, a devious smirk formed on her face. '…For giving me the perfect opening.' Using her jacks as a slingshot, she sent her own chopsticks flying straight to the ninja's back… only for him to spin around and catch them between his fingers. Kyoka's jaw dropped as he snapped them with ease. "Dude, you are WAY too good. …Can you teach me that?" Snake Eyes gave her a thumbs up, and with that, the two were on their way to another day of training.

…..

Later in the day, in a much more rural part of Japan, Toshinori Yagi—known more popularly as the hero All Might—stood in the front yard of his hidden home out in the countryside, taking in a breath of fresh afternoon air. Today was a day that he had been anticipating since the start of the week, one that was fairly important. Not only was he about to see an old friend today, but he had finally decided that he was going to introduce him to a newer friend. It just seemed fair, after all, given that this friend knew about One for All for the longest time. 'It's only fair that he know about them as well. I can trust him with anything, I know that much.'

As if on cue, a black car came driving down the dirt roar toward his humble home, which made Toshinori smile. Once the vehicle came to a halt, a tall man with dark brown hair and wearing a brown trench coat stepped out, his dark eyes brightening up when he saw his old friend. "All Might, you're quite the hard one to find when you don't wanna be found."

"Haha! That's kinda the point, Tsukauchi." Toshinori chuckled, stepping forward to meet him with a handshake. "But it's good to see you, and I'm glad that you could make it out here for this meeting."

"I'm sorry if it came out of the blue." Detective Tsukauchi bowed his head slightly. "Hope you don't mind."

"Ah, please, it's always a pleasure."

Despite the warm welcome, though, Tsukauchi couldn't help but voice the question that had been on his mind. "So… why DID you want our meeting to be out here anyways? It's not like we don't have any privacy at U.A. or anything, after all."

A knowing grin came to the Number One Hero as he took out his cellphone from his pocket. "Actually, that's the thing, we're gonna need a LOT of privacy for what I'm about to share with you. You might have some important stuff to tell me, but trust me, this is JUST as important." The detective could only raise a brow as All Might made quick call. "Hey, it's me. Yeah, he's here. You can come on through."

"A-All Might, this is sensitive information I have." Tsukauchi protested, stepping forward in concern. "What are you—" *CHOOM* "WAUGH!" All of a sudden, a massive vortex opened up behind the skinny blonde man, with Tsukauchi stumbling back in shock.

"Don't worry, old friend." Toshinori assured… right as a large red and blue semi-truck came driving through. "These are people who you can trust, believe me."

Tsukauchi was left taken aback as, much to his surprise, a familiar someone stepped out of the truck's driver side. There, Agent William Fowler smiled and folded his arms and addressed him with a grin. "Detective Tsukauchi. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"B-Bill?!" the officer approached him in disbelief, right as the vortex closed. "H-How did you—no, WHERE did you come from?! Did Sector Seven finally perfect portal technology or something?!"

"Hehehe… no, but I certainly wish we did." Fowler knocked his hand on the side of the truck. "No, we gotta owe that to THIS guy and his circle of friends. They've got quite the planetary transportation system set up." Still, the detective could only stare in complete bafflement, which didn't go away as Fowler stepped away from the truck and next to him. "Ya might wanna brace yourself for this." Before Tsukauchi could even get another word out…

*Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt*

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Tsukauchi was left at a loss for words when he saw what happened before him. The semi-truck… transformed into a massive, humanoid robot. Its chest was literally the front of the truck while its legs were the back half, the vehicle's smokestacks settling on either shoulder. And when its faceplated head emerged from its torso, the being's optics were focused directly onto him as it knelt down before him, so that it may address him as close as it could. "…Greetings, Detective Tsukauchi." it spoke in a deep, baritone, yet gentle voice, one that did two things; shake him to his core… and confirm that it was male. "We finally meet. I have been very eager for this, given how highly All Might as spoken of you to me."

Glancing over to his friend, Tsukauchi saw the pro hero giving him a thumbs up, which only left him even more confused. Going back to the giant robot, he asked; "Wh-Who or… what are you?"

"My name is Optimus Prime." the robotic lifeform answered. "And I believe I have much to explain to you…"

And so, he did. For the next several minutes, Optimus—with Toshinori and Fowler's help—recapped everything that had happened since the Autobots' arrival on earth. The detective, for his part, stayed relatively silent throughout the recounting, only piping up with the odd question or two if he needed things clarified. By the end of it all, Tsukauchi was left effectively astounded by what he was presented. "So, your war has come to our planet and you're fighting it in secret." he concluded with a shake of his head. "Hah… of all things, I never thought aliens would actually exist, let alone robotic ones." All the same, though, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes at his two friends in uncertainty. "Granted, I'm not particularly fond of the idea of getting children involved."

Shifting their eyes away sheepishly, Fowler and All Might cleared their throats. "Ahem, t-to be fair, a lot of 'em came from accidental exposure to the secret." the agent clarified.

"Plus, Young Midoriya and Young Hatsume were aware of the Cybertronians from the very start, so them being involved was unavoidable." Toshinori added.

"Hm… well, at the very least, they're capable and trained fairly well in combat." Tsukauchi resigned, his focus shifting back to Optimus. "And the fact that you had a hand in helping them all progress so fast in their training can attest to that."

"Indeed." Optimus affirmed. "Considering the substantial threat that the Decepticons pose, we felt it only necessary to prepare them in the event that they get caught up in a confrontation." Standing back up to his full height, the Prime gave Tsukauchi a nod. "But we can discus more about that later. From what I have heard, you yourself have some important information to share, detective."

With a short breath, Tsukauchi confirmed the Autobot leader's statement. "Yes, I do… though to be quite honest, after hearing all of this, my news feels a bit… well, I don't want to say insignificant, because it IS very vital." He placed a hand to his chin, trying to come up with the best word to describe the situation. "More like… comparatively sizeable, but more… serious than spectacular."

Toshinori furrowed his brow inquisitively. "Does this have to do with the investigation into the League of Villains?"

"Yes, very much so. Come, you might wanna sit down for this." Moving over to the nearby outdoor furniture, the trio of humans sat while Optimus also sat down… on a nearby boulder. Once he knew he had everyone's attention, Tsukauchi continued; "As you all know, there were a number of villains who attacked the USJ. But we're puzzled by one…" He craned his head toward All Might. "The one you fought who they called "Nomu"."

"Ah, the strong bird guy." the hero recalled. "You found him dead, right?"

The detective nodded. "Yes, but with his brain cut out, so it wasn't by you. We're still trying to figure out how that happened…"

Optimus took that as an opportunity to clarify; "Ah, yes, I believe that was one of my Autobots' doing." This surprised Tsukauchi, whose eyebrows shot up in shock. "Windblade and Bumblebee were at the scene of the USJ incident, after all, and from what she told me, she took the opportunity to make sure that beast wouldn't harm another human."

"Oh… I see." Taken aback, Tsukauchi digested the information as best as he can. "Well, I can't exactly report THAT to the investigators, now can I? Well, at any rate, we went ahead and ran some tests on Nomu's DNA. Thankfully we were able to get his body on ice since his healing Quirk was no longer working."

Fowler leaned forward intently. "And what'd you find, exactly?"

"First: we're not asking any of you to get involved." Tsukauchi glanced between Fowler and Optimus. "That included Sector Seven and the Autobots. Especially since you have good reason to stay in secret. Technically, this is just a leak." Then, his attention went straight back to All Might. "I just felt I owed it to you to let you know. It could lead us to the one in charge." Seeing their intrigue raised, Tsukauchi took out a picture from his pocket depicting a green-haired man with large lips, passing it to All Might so that he, Fowler and Optimus could see. "The man you see in this picture was who Nomu once was. Through extensive DNA testing, we discovered that he was a low-level thug with a record of assault and extortion."

Pursing his thin lips, Toshinori glanced up at his friend. "Why do you think this'll lead us to the mastermind of the League?"

"Here's where it gets interesting. Our reports show that he's been altered drastically. When we analyzed his genetic makeup, we discovered four different people's DNA."

"…By Washington's wooden teeth." Fowler said incredulously. "Someone combined people's DNA to make this guy? That's all KINDS of screwed." He eyed Tsukauchi warily. "So is—er, was he even human anymore?"

"The transformation was a result of drugs and other unknown methods. To oversimplify a bit, he's been modified so that his body was able to hold multiple Quirks at once." Tsukauchi touched a finger to his head to emphasize his next point. "We suspect that's why the League was so easily able to control him; his brain was burdened by having to deal with the alterations and the Quirks and thus lacked a significant amount of processing power."

Optimus nodded in understanding. "I see. Though the most pressing matter is how one was able to transmogrify a human being into such a vicious beast, I assume."

Tsukauchi reciprocated the gesture. "Exactly. He shouldn't have had more than one power. Even if new DNA is introduced, that shouldn't give a person multiple powers, not unless it's completely integrated into someone's body." Once more, his sights went back to Toshinori, who remained stone-faced throughout it all… until now. "Not all Quirks work like One for All, but maybe… there's someone out there with the power to pass different Quirks onto other people."

At this point, both Toshinori and Fowler had picked up on what Tsukauchi was implying, the former standing up from his seat with a gasp. "It can't be!"

"You… you can't be serious." Bill muttered, with Optimus surprised at how shaken he seemed. "You're seriously implying it's…"

"Given the evidence, I think it's a reasonable conclusion." Tsukauchi affirmed, none too happy about it himself. "It's why I came. I had to let you know about it immediately."

Visibly dazed, All Might wandered away from the group by a few steps, staring off into the sky as the sun began to set. His fists clenched at his sides as steam began to billow from his body, wherein he bulked up into his muscle form. …But he wasn't smiling. "…No. It's not possible." Peering over his shoulder, the Number One Hero scowled to his good friend. "…Don't tell me he's back again."

By this point, Optimus had to ask the question that was burning in his processor. "All Might… who is this person?"

"Wait, you don't know?" the detective looked to his friend in disbeleif. "All Might, you're telling me you haven't told—"

"No, I haven't." All Might reluctantly replied. "Because in telling him… I would have to tell my successor as well. And I didn't think Young Midoriya was ready for that yet." With a deep sigh, All Might craned his head back up to the Prime, who was now standing back up and expectantly waiting for an answer. "But… I knew I would have to tell you eventually. I suppose now is as good a time as any. Optimus, you are aware that I hold a powerful Quirk, one of the most powerful ones on this planet." His browed furrowed gravely. "However, there is another Quirk that is just as if not MORE powerful than mine… namely because One for All originated from this Quirk in the first place." Prime's optics widened, but he let All Might continue. "Its name is shared by its holder; the most ruthless villain this world has ever seen. A villain who at one point ruled Japan with an iron fist. His name… is All for One."

…..

"HA! C'mon, kid, is that really the best ya got?! You gotta put your all into it!"

*THWACK* "OOF!"

"You need to keep your thoughts straight when executing moves like this! Focus up, whipper-snapper!"

*WHAM* "AUGH!"

Stumbling forward, Izuku caught himself before he could faceplant onto the wood floor, clutching his side as he started zipping around the room again trying to keep up with his teachers. Ever since yesterday, after hearing Mirko's advice regarding his fighting style, he had resolved to pick up a new technique, one that would shift focus away from his upper body and down toward his lower half. The fact that he hadn't thought of this before was mind-boggling to him. Here he was breaking his arms for the past several months when really, he could've been more useful doing something else. And all it took was six simple words to make him realize that…

…..

~Yesterday~

"Kid, you've got legs. USE THEM!"

The second Izuku heard that, his eyes bugged out of his head. Of course. It had been so simple. WHY hadn't he figured it out sooner?! Was he going crazy?! Snapping his head down to his lower half, Izuku gawked at his extremities for a moment, muttering quietly; "…I have legs…"

Mirko perked her ears up slightly. "Wow, did it SERIOUSLY take you that long to—"

"I HAVE LEEEEEEEGS!"

"GAH! Kid, quiet down!" Gran Torino tossed an empty chip can across the room, bonking Izuku in the head. "We've got neighbors!"

"S-Sorry!"

…..

~Present~

And thus, his training began on what he decided to dub; "One for All, Full Cowling; Shoot Style". …Or just "Shoot Style" for short. To say that it was a bit hard to get the hang of was an understatement, but he was thankful that he was being taught by two heroes who were masters in the art of kicking. The only issue, though? *BAM* *CRACK* *WHAP* …They kept KICKING his ass. It was too the point that, on the final kick from Mirko, Izuku got the wind knocked out of him and he slammed into the wall, sliding and landing upside down on the floor with a bloody nose and lip. "Uuuuugh…"

Gran Torino and Mirko stopped in front of him, the former scratching his bearded chin. "Hm… we should switch up the training. If you get too used to fighting against our distinct styles and tactics, you might develop some weird habits."

"W-What habits?!" Izuku questioned, desperate to continue. "I'm just trying to keep up with you two right now! Please, let me fight more!"

Mirko placed her hands on her hips, leaning down closer to him. "Kid, you're never gonna get anywhere while cooped up in this cramped building. We've gotta get to a more open area if you're gonna get the experience you need."

"Exactly." Torino concurred, wearing a wily smirk. "Change into your costume, boy. We're moving on to phase two." Reluctantly, Izuku went upstairs to change, while Mirko and Torino went outside to wait for him. Once he made it out, Torino smacked his cane to the ground and raised it up high. "Hope you're ready, kid! We're goin' out to fight some villains!"

"W-What?! Just like that?!" Izuku asked, incredibly shocked.

Without warning, Mirko picked him up by the scruff of his costume, proceeding down the steps behind Gran Torino. "Yep! If you only fight us, you'll be in deep shit when you come across someone who's the exact opposite." She poked his cheek playfully with a knowing smile. "We've gotta get you some experience with different types of villains and stuff. This IS an internship, after all."

"Precisely. You really shouldn't be surprised by this." Torino concurred.

"I-I get what you two are saying, and I totally get it." Putting a hand over his chest, Izuku expressed his uncertainty. "But I still feel like I need more time to prepare myself…"

But Gran Torino felt otherwise. "From what I've heard, you've already been in combat with some real villains. You'll be fine, we aren't gonna go after someone THAT big."

"And we won't get anywhere hangin' around here." Mirko added, taking the opportunity to hail a cab. Once a taxi came to a screeching halt next to the curb, Mirko opened the door… and unceremoniously threw Izuku in, followed by her and Torino climbing in after him. Despite the grimace she was getting from the greenette, Mirko continued on. "This town's pretty small, population-wise, which means the crime rate's pretty low. Why d'ya think there's so many hero agencies in urban areas? Because there's a TON of more crime there. The higher the population, the more trouble you'll find." She pounded her fist into her palm, cracking her knuckles eagerly. "And that's why we're headed to Shibuya! We'll have plenty of small fights to break up there!"

Izuku did a double take a that. "Wait, you mean we're headed to Shibuya in Tokyo?" Suddenly feeling rather sheepish, he placed his arms closer in toward his chest. "I-I'm not sure if my costume is hip enough…"

The old man beside him wore a reassuring smile. "That costume of yours tells everyone that you're a hero. You should be happy to get to display it in such a bright spotlight."

Giving him a nudge with her elbow, Mirko added her own support. "Yeah, Deku, don't stress too much about it. Besides, with that scarf and helmet of yours, I'm betting a LOT of people will get behind the look you're going for."

"Uh, hehe… thanks." Izuku didn't quite have the nerve to tell them that the "Kamen Rider" similarities were completely his friends' doing and not entirely his own, but he simply reserved himself to their kind words. It'd be less complicated that way. However, a thought then crossed his mind. "H-Hey, are we gonna be taking the bullet train toward Shinjuku?"

"Yup." Torino answered simply.

Izuku's lips tightened at that, his thoughts going to his Class Rep friend. 'We'll pass Hosu City. I wonder how Iida's doing there?' Taking out his phone, he saw that the last time he messaged Iida was on the day before the internships started, with no interactions since. '…I'll try to message him later.' he resolved as their cab pulled up next to the train station.

…..

Little did Izuku know that Iida was in no mood for conversation. Not at this crucial moment. He was once again out on patrol with Manual, the duo patrolling the streets ever vigilant in their search for anything suspicious. Whether that was related to the Hero Killer or whatever had suddenly appeared in the alleyway a few days prior. Still, things seemed relatively peaceful at the moment… and that bothered Tenya to no end. He wanted—no, he NEEDED to find the Hero Killer before his internship was up or else this would all be for nothing. 'I must find him.' Tenya thought bitterly. 'I WILL find him…'

He was so encroached inside his own mind that he almost didn't notice Manual speaking to him. "We'll patrol Kyoto today, too. Sorry that this is so monotonous."

"…No." Tenya replied bluntly. "It's better this way."

Hearing this, Manual shifted his eyes down, hearing the edge in Iida's voice. Stopping in his tracks, he spoke up again. "Hey?" Tenya halted as well, confused as to what was going on. "This is kinda hard to ask, but… you're after the Hero Killer, aren't you?"

Despite himself, a gasp escaped Tenya's throat. "H-Huh? How did you…"

"I couldn't think of any other reason why you'd come to my agency." Manual placed a hand to his neck embarrassedly, only to realize how insensitive that sounded. "D-Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you did! But… you shouldn't be pursuing personal grudges."

Hearing his more serious tone, Iida stood up straight, listening as Manual lectured him. "We heroes don't have the authority to arrest people or punish them. The only reason we're allowed to use our Quirks is because of the regulations put upon them. That's why, no matter how noble the reason may be, a hero must not use their Quirk for themselves. If a pro used their power for their own selfish desires, it would be a serious crime." There was a long pause after the mini-speech, which made Manual suddenly feel very flustered again. "I-I'm not saying the Hero Killer ISN'T incredibly guilty or anything!" he asserted, waving his hands around. "You just seem like the earnest time, you know? I'd hate for you to focus on one goal and ignore everything else."

"…Thank you." Tenya bowed curtly. "I appreciate it."

"Oh, it's okay, so long as you get what I'm saying." Manual smiled in relief, moving back around to continue down the sidewalk. "So, we good?"

At his sides, Tenya tightened his fists, feeling his anger about to boil over. '…No.' In his head, the only thing he was focused on was the Hero Killer, and what he would do if he were to ever find him. 'What am I supposed to do… with all of this burning hatred… if I can't act?!'

Not too far away, much to the ignorance of both Tenya and Manual, a certain Police Jeep was watching from the shadows, keeping an eye on the former in particular. Even by just observing his body language, Strongarm could tell that Tenya was NOT fine. Unfortunately, her search for the Hero Killer had been fruitless over the past three days, with absolutely no signs of him or any victims. It was like he had never been in Hosu in the first place.

"…Tenya." she whispered to herself in worry. "I have no idea how I can help you right now, but I promise, if the Hero Killer IS somehow still here, I won't allow you to get hurt. Whether the Killer gets to you… or if you get to him first."

…..

Little did the police cadet and Engine Quirk user know, however, that the Hero Killer was much closer than they thought. High atop a water tower—which, in turn, was situated on top of a tall building—Stain crouched in wait as the sun set over the horizon, waiting for it to get dark so that he may continue his mission. Tonight would be a night that he took a life, having let the other non-hero off with a simple warning. His blades were sharpened… as was his focus.

…Now if only the riff-raff would actually leave him alone. "Huh, Hosu City looks nicer than I expected." Stain peered over his shoulder, seeing Shigaraki and Kurogiri emerge from the latter's dark portals. "So, what're you gonna do?" the hand-wearing villain asked, his shoulder bandaged after their first encounter a few days back.

Stain didn't even bother facing to him as he answered. "I will reform it. In order to do so, blood must spill."

"You have a clear goal." Kurogiri stated. "Your dedication is admirable."

"Hmph, finally, someone who understands."

Somehow, Tomura had an inkling that snide comment was aimed toward him specifically. "I get the feeling you enjoy picking on me." he muttered, gripping his injured shoulder.

Stain simply ignored him, standing up and spreading his arm out toward the entire city of Hosu. "The title of "Hero" is for those who've accomplished great deeds!" he declared. "This city is full of false champions. All they care about is money and fame." His voice became much more bitter as he went on, narrowing his eyes down at the streets while gripping onto his sword. "Until this world realizes its mistakes, I will continue my work." With that, he leapt off the water tower down to the roof of the building, drawing his sword before continuing further down below.

For his part, Tomura was left incredibly miffed. "He talks all high and mighty and stuff, but he's wasting his time on a small stage." He ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "He's so noble, I could cry."

"You shouldn't spurn his methods." Kurogiri advised. "The reality is, in all the cities where Stain has appeared, the crime rates have fallen." He could tell that Tomura was annoyed just by how he was scratching his neck, but he continued on. "Perhaps because heroes are more conscientious, or perhaps out of fear. Regardless, he does bring change wherever he goes."

"Oh, isn't that just wonderful?" Tomura threw his hands up, emphasizing his sarcasm. "Heroes are working harder thanks to all those murders! I guess you could say our Hero Killer is also a Hero Breeder!" The villain put his hands down, folding them over his chest. "This is getting boring. It won't work. We just can't agree on a basic level… and he annoys me." He craned his head back toward his handler. "Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus."

Reluctantly, the portal user created a new dark vortex, where three massive beings stepped out into the sunset light. One was a MASSIVE beast with a huge upper body and strong legs donned in brown pants, his skin pitch black and covered with red scars. However… he had no face. Just a lower jaw with a row of teeth and a visible brain with no other features to speak of.

The next one DID have a face, though, along with eyes… four of them, in fact, ON his visible brain. His skin was grey and his mouth hung open dumbly, with his only article of clothing being a pair of brown pants as well. He was also built much leaner than his "brother", his arms long and lanky.

The final one was the smallest of the bunch, his skin bleach white and also in brown pants. He had two eyes on top of his brain, though the rest of his head was covered in a gas mask. His most notable features, though, were the wings sprouting out of his back, along with his talon-like feet and claws for hands.

"You think you can get away with stabbing me? When I get tired of you, I'll kill you. Whenever I feel like it. Just like that, Stain!" Shigaraki rambled on, watching as his loyal beasts stood before him, ready to do whatever he wanted to the city. "Hehe, but let's make it more interesting. How about I crush your honor and your pride first? What do you say, big bad Hero Killer?"

…..

With the sun now firmly set and day giving way to night, the bullet train to Shinjuku went roaring past Hosu City, with Izuku, Mirko and Gran Torino on board. The Hero Course student peered out his window, noting how dark it was getting. "So, um, this train isn't gonna get there until pretty late…" He turned to his mentors in concern. "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Uh, yeah, kid." Mirko put her hands behind her head, reclining in the seat behind him and Torino. "That's why we picked it!"

"Exactly!" the elderly hero affirmed. "There'll be more skirmishes then, so it'll be much more fun!"

Mirko pumped a fist in the air, startling some of the passengers. "Heck yeah! Maybe we'll even bust up some gang fights, too. There's always gotta be some of those!"

Izuku felt a trickle of sweat fall down his forehead at their enthusiasm. "Maybe we just have different ideas about what "fun" is." From there, he took out his phone, pulling up his messages to see if he got any response from Tenya.

"Bah, you kids these days, always buried in your cellphones." Gran Torino commented offhandedly.

But the greenette brushed it off, too concerned by what he saw on his phone screen. He had sent a clear message to his friend;

"I'll be passing near Hosu! How are things going with you, Iida?"

…That was an hour ago. And Tenya had left Izuku on read. 'He read the message, but didn't reply. I don't think Iida has ever waited more than three minutes to respond to something before… aside from when his brother was in the hospital.' His gaze traveled back toward his window. 'We're almost at Hosu station… I wonder…'

"Woah! Hey, did you see that?!" One of the passengers managed to jostle Izuku from his thoughts, his attention shifting to the other side of the train as several people began clamoring toward those windows. "A building exploded!"

Mirko's ears perked up at that. "Woah, really?"

"What's the ruckus?" Torino questioned.

"Some sort of fire?" Izuku guessed, only for the train's intercom to come online;

"Passengers, please hold on to your seats."

Not two seconds later, the train suddenly lurched and everyone fell over, heroes and student included. And, if that weren't enough, their side of the train came blasting open, with the body of a hero and something else blowing a hole through it. The passengers began screaming almost instantly, all as the hero; a white-haired man wearing a furry coat with massive clawed paws for hands, struggled to stand as he bled from the mouth. "W-What the hell—AUGH!" The hero was forced down by a large, grey hand, slamming him into the train floor.

Izuku's eyes widened as they traveled up the arm, where he saw the assailant's other hand reach up and pull back the twisted metal of the train car, revealing its ghastly… and familiar appearance. The exposed brain, the bugged eyes, the massive build, it was all there. Izuku couldn't believe what he was seeing. "NOMU?!"

Gran Torino stood up in his seat, placing his hand to Izuku's chest. "I want you to stay back, you hear me?!" Using Jet, Torino blasted into the fray and leapt off the ceiling of the train car, colliding with Nomu full force out of the moving strain. They crashed through the guard wall and went careening down to the city below, much to Izuku's surprise.

"Wait! GRAN TORINO!" Approaching the hole, Izuku was all the more astonished when he saw what was going on in the city itself. A good portion of it was glowing in a blazing inferno, leaving him mouth agape, staring in horror. "No way… what the hell is going on here?!"

"No freakin' clue, kid!" Mirko stated with an eager smirk, her eyes glinting with anticipation. "But we're gonna go and find out!"

Izuku wasn't quick enough to avoid her grasp as she picked him up by the scruff again, now trapped firmly in her grasp. "W-Wait, but Gran Torino said—"

"Ah, we can't let Gramps have ALL the fun, now can we?!" With her legs bent and ready to bounce, Mirko practically shot out of the train just as it was about to start slowing down, avoiding the conductor as he attempted to stop them. His words fell on deaf ears while Izuku screamed in shock, all while Mirko laughed all the way down. "Hahaha! Relax, kid! Your internship just got a WHOLE lot more interesting!"

…..

As all of that was happening, the atmosphere at Autobot Headquarters, was relatively peaceful by comparison. Every bot—aside from Strongarm and Optimus—was accounted for, and they were doing their best to keep themselves busy. …Which was easier said than done considering all of their human companions weren't there. "…Anybody else realizing just how centralized we've become to having the kids around?" Sideswipe asked.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Sunstreaker nodded, doing his best to buff himself. "It's a lot less fun without them around, for sure."

Lounging across the room, Bumblebee turned his radio on to express his own feelings; "Zrkt—All by myself~ Don't wanna be… all by myself~"

"Oh, Bee, cheer up!" Arcee came over and sat next to him, nudging him with her elbow. "There's still plenty of things we can do here while they're gone. And besides, it's not like they ALL left for the week."

*BOOOM*

Without warning, the entire base shook as an explosion rocked the very foundation, causing all Autobots to find something to hold on to. Once it was over, Windblade jerked a thumb over to their local mad scientist's laboratory, all while smoke billowed out the entryway. "…Case in point."

From the lab, Red Alert came sprinting out with a soot-covered Mei in his hand, the medic spinning around and pointing his multi-tool at the smoking room. Shooting out from its tip, a cascade of white foam flew in, dousing any flames before they could become a real problem. Red Alert groaned and looked down to the pink-haired inventor, seeing her smiling despite the incident. "…Mei, how is it that you were able to make a fire-retardant gel burst into flames?"

"I've got NO clue!" Mei stood up in his palm, placing her hands on her hips. "But if it was supposed to be fire-retardant, then it probably wasn't very good in the first place, huh?"

"Ugh…" With a shake of his head, Red placed Mei down on the floor, ushering her away. "Go get yourself cleaned up. I have to deal with the mess in here."

Giving him a salute, Mei exclaimed; "Gotcha!" and marched straight toward the other Autobots, who were staring at her incredulously. "Ah, heya guys! How're things out here?"

"Oh, you know… we're just trying to NOT get blown up." Sideswipe piped up, with Sunstreaker nodding firmly in agreement.

"Here." Windblade reached for a towel and passed it off to Mei, who took it readily. "You've got a huge smudge on your face." As Mei cleaned herself of the heavy soot all over her, Windblade noticed Bulkhead, Springer and Jazz all coming in as well. With them was Matt Trakker, the M.A.S.K. leader having come over to discuss his plans with Springer. Oddly enough, he was also carrying a metal briefcase, and had a brown backpack slung over his shoulder. "Don't worry, guys, everything is alright. Just had a minor mishap in the lab."

Bulkhead couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Hehe, why am I not surprised? Mei, what'd you do this time?"

Pulling herself out of the towel, Mei narrowed her eyes at the rotund green Autobot. "Hey, anything goes in the name of science, Bulkhead. I suggest you remember that." But then, she noticed the M.A.S.K. agent with the group of Autobots, making her tilt her head. "Wait… I don't know you."

"Heh, likewise." Trakker affirmed, approaching the young girl and giving her a salute. "Matt Trakker, leader of Sector Seven's M.A.S.K. division. And you must be Mei Hatsume. Bill Fowler's made sure to tell me about all of you."

Narrowing her eyes at the man, Mei brought a finger to her chin as she leaned toward him. "I see… and you're NOT some kinda spy for an evil organization?"

"Ha! I promise you, I'm not." Trakker laughed, only to then notice an interesting feature about the girl. "Oh, say! You have some special eyes, too, I see." he pointed out, highlighting his own eyes in the process.

Almost immediately, Mei's suspicion was replaced with excitement. She always relished in talking about her Quirk and how useful it was. "Oh, yeah! That's my Quirk, Zoom! It allows me to, well, ZOOM in on anything. It comes in SUPER handy when it comes to making my cute little babies!"

Her wording managed to confuse Trakker instantly. "Er, um… "babies"?"

"She's talkin' 'bout her inventions, Specs." Jazz piped up. "Don't get it twisted or nothin'."

"Ah, I see. Well, Mei, it really does sound like you've got one heck of a Quirk." Matt turned his attention back to Mei and tapped on the side of his head, ready to talk about his own eyes. "I mean, heck, my Quirk, Spectrum, doesn't have zoom vision, so there's that."

This got Mei intrigued immediately. "Ooh, well what DOES it have, then?"

"Heh, pretty much anything else, honestly." Trakker admitted, counting off on his fingers; "Night vision, X-ray vision, Thermal, Infrared, you name it, I got it." Setting down his briefcase and pulling his backpack off, he unzipped the sack and pulled something out. What Mei saw made her eyes widen and her lips part in astonishment. The M.A.S.K. leader was holding onto a massive helmet, which was roughly bullet-shaped, made to cover the entire head, and had a respirator and large visor. It didn't seem like much at first glance, but the inventor could tell it was top of the line and SUPER high-tech. "And THIS sucker is what helps enhance my Quirk."

"OOOOOHH!" Mei peered into the helmet's underside, smiling wildly seeing all of the intricate details inside. "This… I-I recognize this sort of technology anywhere!" She beamed up to Trakker and asked; "This was made by Sumdac Systems, wasn't it?!"

Matt nodded proudly. "Yep! I asked Issac Sumdac himself to make it for me, in fact—"

"YOU'VE MET ISAAC SUMDAC!" Mei screeched, causing all of the Autobots to cover their audio receptors. "EEEEEEEEE!"

Springer wasn't too particularly happy with that, either. "Woah! Jeez, Mei, what the frag's the big deal? So he got his gear from a support company, big deal."

And just like that, the pinkette went from elated to grimacing up at the Triple Changer, taking him aback. "Uh, it's the BIGGEST OF DEALS! Professor Isaac Sumdac is the world's foremost leader in Hero Support Tech! Not to mention robotic engineering!" She slapped her hands together, lacing her fingers as her smile returned. "He's essentially MY hero! I want to work for his company someday so BAD!" …But then her mood deflated and her shoulders slumped. "Ugh, it's too bad he's based in America, let alone Detroit of all cities."

"Ah… yeah, I can see how that'd be a problem." Bulkhead concurred. "Not exactly easy to be an intern somewhere when it's all the way across the globe."

"I can't even THINK of going over there until I graduate!" Mei whined further, placing her face in her hands. "And even then, I'd have to REALLY impress him to get in."

Hearing this, Trakker pursed his lips in thought, only for him to smile once more. "You know… I think Professor Sumdac is actually going to be holding an exhibition for young, up and coming inventors at his company in a month's time." Mei's head perked up, which assured Trakker that he had her attention. "If you'd like, I could put in a good work for you and—"

Whipping around, Mei took hold of Matt's hands, her eyes shimmering brightly. "You mean you could put in a good word for me and he might let me show off some of my babies?!"

"W-Well, it's possible, so I'll give it a try, but—"

"AAAAAHH!" And just like that, Matt Trakker found himself in a soul-crushing hug, the wind being forced out of him by Mei's surprising strength. "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"

"D-Don't… mention it." he choked out. "Can't… breath…"

Thankfully, he found his salvation when a communication came through on the main console, which was when Red Alert reentered the room. Going straight to the computer, he was greeted by the voice of Optimus himself. "Autobots, I am ready to return to base. Red Alert, the GroundBridge, if you would, please."

Red Alert didn't have to be asked twice. "Of course, Optimus. One moment." Within moments, Red had opened the vortex and the Prime came strolling through, slowly making his way from the platform to the rest of his Autobots. "I trust that your first meeting with Detective Tsukauchi was a good one, Prime?" the medic inquired.

There was a bit of a pause before Optimus affirmed his thoughts. "It was, yes… though during that time, we have come to certain revelations when it comes to the League of Villains."

This garnered both Windblade and Bumblebee's attention rather quick. "Woah, hold up, you mean the group who attacked the USJ a couple months back?"

"Zrkt—Didn't think we'd hear from THEM." Bee admitted, raising his hands above his head. "Zrkt—They had—zkrt—a MONSTER—zrkt—THIS big!" The yellow bug pointed to Windblade with a gleeful; "Zrtk—and SHE killed it!"

Windblade cleared her vents, bringing her hand to her lips awkwardly. "Ahem, y-yes, that I did. But we don't need to talk about that right now. Prime, you were saying?"

"Well, in actuality, the Nomu's demise is what brought about the conversation, Windblade." Optimus clarified. "You see, they—" *beep-beep-beep* But he was cut off when, much to everyone's surprise, the main computer sounded off again, bringing their attention to the screen as a certain voice piped through;

"Autobot HQ, this is Strongarm, please respond!"

Optimus' optics widened. The cadet was quite clearly in distress, prompting him to drop the topic for the time being. "Strongarm, this is Optimus. What is the matter?"

"Sir, we have a very serious situation going on over here! I'm sending you a live feed from my optics…" The computer screen suddenly changed… and what the Autobots saw took them all aback. Strongarm seemed to be hiding in an alleyway as, on the main street, fires burned and buildings crumbled as monsters tore through the city, a particularly massive one waving around a car as if it were nothing. "Hosu City is under attack, I repeat; Hosu City is UNDER ATTACK!"

Springer was left dumbstruck, having never seen such a grotesque creature in his life. "What the SCRAP is that thing?!"

Grasping his arm, Sideswipe wasn't sure what to make of it either. "Uh… I'd say it's a monster, but even then… I-I've got NO clue what kind of monster it's supposed to be."

But Windblade and Bumblebee new exactly what it was. "That's the same kind of monster that the League brought to the USJ." The City Speaker elaborated, bringing everyone's sights to her as Bumblebee nodded grimly. "They called it… Nomu."

"To think, we were just speaking about it not a moment ago." Optimus whispered, only to continue speaking with the cadet. "Strongarm, are there heroes on the scene?"

"Yes, but they won't be enough." The fact that Strongarm said that with such assuredness left the Autobots stunned. "After observing them for days, it's clear that these heroes are not prepared to confront a threat like this. They need assistance, NOW." Cutting her feed, Strongarm added; "And… I-I've gotta find Tenya in all of this."

The Prime agreed, but warned the cadet not to fly off the handle. "I know, Strongarm, but we must think this through first." Turning back to his Autobots, Optimus raised a determined fist. "We must find a way to assist the heroes of Hosu without revealing ourselves. And in that event…" He craned his head down to Trakker. "I believe it is time to put your plan into motion, Matt. Do you agree?"

The blond man gave an affirming nod right back to the Autobot leader. "Right. People are in danger. And when people are in danger, M.A.S.K. will always be there to help where possible." Matt handed his helmet over to Mei, who grabbed it in surprise. "Hold this for me, Mei, please. I gotta suit up." Using his foot, he kicked over his suitcase so that it was flat on the ground, which caused it to open… but not in the expected way.

*Insert: M.A.S.K. Theme Song*

Instead, the silver and red panels began shifting in strange ways, with two holes opening up at the top. Trakker inserted his hands into these holes and they tightened up around his wrists, allowing him to lift the briefcase up to his chest. Bringing his arms out, the others watched in silent awe as the entire case began to fit itself over his entire body, becoming a suit of power armor. It was mostly silver with a heavily ridged chest plate, which had a black harness crisscrossed over it and a matching belt around his waist. The large neckpiece, shoulder and knee pads, gloves, boots and storage capsules on his thighs were bright red, which helped accent suit overall. Once all of the metal panels were in place, Matt clenched his fists and moved his arms, making sure that the suit moved with him. "M.A.S.K. Hazard Suit is up and running."

"…Amazing." Mei squeaked in a tiny voice.

"Heh, comes with being partnered with Sumdac Systems." Trakker chuckled, extending his hand toward the girl once again. "And now, for the finishing touch." Mei gladly handed Matt his headpiece, watching intently as he placed it over his head. With a loud hiss, the helmet was secured in place, its visor lighting up with the same multi-colored hue as Trakker's eyes. "Alright… Spectrum online." Setting his sights over to Springer first, Spectrum gave him a thumbs up. "So, Springer, you ready to be passed off as an advanced military vehicle?"

Springer returned the gesture without second thought. "Heh, you bet. If it means not having to scan a vehicle mode, then I'm all for it." *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt* Transforming into his Cybertronian armored car mode, Springer opened his cockpit, allowing Spectrum easy entry. "I believe the name we agreed on was "Springmaster", yeah?"

The M.A.S.K. leader walked over, placing his hand on Springer's hood. "Hehe, yep, so make sure you respond to that, okay? And remember, no talking while I'm not driving you. Don't want people getting suspicious." Going back to the other Autobots, Spectrum continued; "As for the rest of you, I'd actually like Prime and Red Alert to accompany us."

"W-Wait, me?" Red asked.

"Yes, you. There's going to be lots of injured people who need transport to the nearest medical facility." Spectrum pointed up to him. "And you've got the best chance in helping provide that." Ultimately, Red Alert understood his logic, prompting Spectrum to address Prime next. "As for you, Optimus, that combat deck of yours will definitely give those Nomu a run for their money."

"Hm, of course." Optimus concurred. "I will retrieve my trailer immediately."

Just then, however, another voice called out from the other end of the room; "Hold on! Don't forget about us!" The Autobots all turned to see the Roller and the Mini-Con Counsil come rushing on to the scene, the leader of the Mini-Cons speaking on their behalf. "We heard everything, and we think we can help."

"We're small enough that we can probably be passed off as humans in transformable exo-armor." Anti-Blaze suggested. "We can help!"

Despite their passionate reasoning, Spectrum held his hands up to slow things down a bit. "Woah, woah there, guys, let's not get too hasty here."

But Checkpoint wasn't about to let up. "Too hasty? Mr. Trakker, with all due respect, people's lives are in danger, and we were literally made to assist in those situations."

"Exactly." Scythe joined in, curling his large fingers into the best fist that he could. "We're not just the Mini-Con Council, we're also the Emergency Response Team. If people need help, we gotta be there to help." His focus went up to Prime, giving him a salute. "Provided you'll allow us, of course, sir!"

Taking in the Mini-Cons' words, Optimus shared a look with Roller, the two partners sharing a silent nod in agreement. "Spectrum, I too believe that it would be prudent to bring the Mini-Cons on this mission. They are small enough that saying that they are humans in exo-suits would be a valid justification."

"Hm, well…" Seeing all four tiny robots staring at him with anticipation, Spectrum could tell that there'd be no arguing with them. "Hah, alright, I can tell there's no stopping you. You can join in." he relented, much to the Mini-Cons' rejoice.

"Well then, if we are all clear on the plan, then I believe there is but one thing left to do. Red Alert, program the GroundBridge for the most secluded spot near the scene of the carnage." Following the order, the Medic picked a rather isolated location within the city and programed the coordinates in, activating the GroundBridge soon after. "Autobots… Transform and Roll Out!"

…..

Back in Hosu City, Izuku's mind was racing as he and Mirko dashed through the crowded city streets, both of them searching for Gran Torino. The student had been left reeling ever since they had leapt off the train, not because he wasn't opposed to coming down and helping, but because none of this made ANY sense. 'I don't get it, why did that guy look like Nomu?' Izuku thought to himself. 'It can't be a coincidence. There can't be that many people with wild eyes and brains spilling out. …Maybe he's Nomu's brother? And what's he even doing in the city? Oh, Gran Torino, please be okay!'

It was at that moment that Mirko spoke back to him. "You've been awfully quiet since we landed, kid." Now out of his stupor, Izuku's eyes were trained directly onto her. "You knew what that thing was when we were on the train, didn't ya? Seen something like it before?"

"Y-Yeah, a similar monster was at the USJ." Izuku replied. "The League of Villains were controlling it." He furrowed his brow at her seriously. "They might be at the center of this craziness, too, if that's the case. And if this Nomu has the same insane power as the one All Might fought, this could be REALLY bad. It won't just be Gran Torino in trouble, but the entire city! …Including my friend who's interning here."

Mirko suddenly stopped, which in turn made Izuku do the same. "So, you've got some personal stake in this…" With a determined and reassuring smile, Mirko put a firm hand to Izuku's shoulder. "Don't worry, Deku. We'll find your friend and beat these monsters. Promise." She placed her finger to her head. "If we're gonna do this, though, we're gonna make it a learning experience. I want you to think; how do you be the best possible hero right now?"

That gave Izuku pause for a second. '…The best possible hero?' It was a question that burned into his mind, one that he often thought about, but never in a situation where things were happening in real time all around him like now. He was about to give an answer, but then…

"TENYA! Where are you, Tenya?!"

Izuku gasped, hearing his friends name being called out. "Tenya… th-that's my friend!" Recognizing the significance of this, Mirko ushered for the greenette to follow her toward where the voice was coming from, moving through a short throughway toward the next street over. They were just in time to see a bus get flipped over onto a car, which screeched closer toward them before blowing up in the middle of the street. Mirko covered Izuku as best she could as the concussive force of the explosion blew all around them, burning flames now igniting the entire area in an orange hue.

…But it was what they saw next left them dumbstruck. Emerging from behind the bus was yet another Nomu, this one a bit closer to the one that Izuku saw at the USJ. But instead of having a bird beak, the entire top of its head was an exposed brain. What's more, there was yet ANOTHER Nomu, this one much smaller and with wings sprouting from its back. It was currently in midair… and had a hero captured in its talons. In fact, there were multiple local heroes all across the street, no doubt trying to stop the beasts' rampage.

"…Good god." Izuku muttered. "What are these things?"

"Wish I had an answer for ya, kid." Mirko admitted. "I really wish I did."

Not far away, a horned hero yanked off a fire hydrant with his enhanced strength, water shooting straight up out of the ground. "Manual! Stop the fire!" he shouted.

Once again, Izuku's attention was caught, seeing the Normal Hero sprinting toward the hydrant. "Manual! H-He's who Iida was interning with—"

But just before Izuku could think to call out to him, Manual said something that left him even more worried; "Why'd you run off by yourself?! Where the hell are you, Tenya?!"

"W-Wait… he went off on his own? Despite what's happening?" Izuku stammered, turning to the Rabbit Hero in concern. "That doesn't sound like my friend, Iida, at all! Something's wrong, I can feel it."

Mirko was about to respond when another voice cut her off. "Hey! You, kid!" The duo were set upon by a blonde woman with a red ascot and in a white and green costume, approaching them quickly. Her focus was on Izuku in particular. "You're in the way, get out of here! We need to hold the line against these—ah!" But then, she caught sight of Mirko, coming to a halt in front of them. "M-M-Mirko?! You're here?!"

"Uh, yeah, pretty plain to see there, honey." Mirko placed her hand on her hip in defiance. "And ya don't have to worry about the kid. He's my intern for the week."

"I-I'm sorry." the heroine apologized before she went back to the carnage, watching as her horned colleague engaged the Nomu. "If you're here to help, then we'd gladly accept it. Just so long as the kid doesn't get injured—"

"GYAAAAHH!" Just then, a loud scream came as the winged Nomu flew straight up, taking another hero with it.

Narrowing her eyes, Mirko went into a crouch, preparing to jump. "Alright, duty calls! Deku, stick back and watch what I do!" Much to the greenette's surprise, instead of leaping up, Mirko burst forward with incredible force, briefly intervening with the horned hero's fight to dropkick the larger Nomu in the chest. From there, she hopped off the creature and propelled into the air, legs out and spinning with amazing speed. "Lunar… SLAMMER!" With an impressive kick to the gut, Mirko forced the winged Nomu to let go of its intended prey, catching him in her arms before the beast careened down toward the pavement below.

Izuku was certainly impressed… but then something else happened that caught his attention. The horned hero ended up getting tossed away by the larger Nomu, which had recovered from Mirko's attack quickly. Then, grabbing the nearest car it could find, it flipped it over… where a hero dressed like an angel sat with an already injured arm. "Oh no, watch out!"

"You've gotta move, Fly! NOW!" the blonde heroine called out.

But it was too late. The car landed and exploded… but not before a black and blue blur came zooming onto the scene, accompanied by loud, blaring sirens. Everyone was left stunned and confused… especially when they saw what had actually happened. From behind the burning wreckage, a miniature police car drove back around, carrying Fly on top of it. "W-What the—" the angelic hero stammered.

"Are you alright, sir?" the police car spoke, leaving Izuku slackjawed.

'Ch-Checkpoint?!'

"U-Um, yes, I'm fine." Fly stood and hopped off the tiny car, still clutching his hurt arm. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Checkpoint replied. "Now you may want to get clear. Things are about to get rather intense…" Spinning around with his tires screeching, the Mini-Con zoomed right past the Nomu, causing it to chase after him down the street. "That's right, follow the birdie, ya big idiot…" On a dime, Checkpoint swerved out of the way of another incoming vehicle, and then…

*HONK-HOOOONK*

*WHAM*

"GRAAAAUUUGHH!" The Nomu roared as it collided headfirst into a certain red and blue semi-truck, careening straight into a building just across the way.

Izuku was left almost speechless… and quite a bit relieved as well. He wasn't sure HOW he was here, but he was. "…Optimus." he whispered. In addition, Red Alert, Springer and Strongarm were with him as well, which only filled Izuku with even more hope for how this would turn out. Now, they had a fighting chance.

The Prime had noticed Izuku almost immediately, pulling up to the curb next to him. His holoform stuck his head out of the driver's side, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Izuku?! What in the world are you doing here?" Orion asked.

"Op—Orion!" Izuku smiled. "…Would you believe that I just so happened to be in the neighborhood?"

The man didn't seem too convinced, but he would take the answer for now. "We will discuss this later. Right now, we need to clear the area and—"

"Woo! Nice rig you got, pops!" Mirko complimented as she knocked against Prime's grill. "Ya rammed into that thing and it didn't even scratch the paint!"

Furrowing his brow, Orion replied. "Um… thank you?" He raised a brow down to his protégé. "Izuku, do you know this woman?"

The One for All inheritor's expression became sheepish as he waved his hand. "Oh, y-yeah, she's one of my mentors, actually. She and I were on the train to Shibuya when it was attacked by one of the Nomus…" However, he shook his head, remembering the more important issue at hand. "But Orion… about Iida, h-he's not with Manual! He went off on his own somewhere!"

Strongarm—or rather, Stella—did a doubletake at that. "He did WHAT?! Oh no, dear Primus, WHY now, Tenya?!"

Orion narrowed his eyes grimly at the news, having an idea of what the spectacled boy was up to. "It is just as we feared. Izuku. I am afraid that Tenya did not chose to come to Hosu for his internship based on pure coincidence."

"…No. Don't tell me." Izuku muttered fearfully. "He's after the Hero Killer, isn't he?"

Peeking past Prime's front end, Mirko's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull when she heard that. "Your friend's going after WHO?!"

"You heard correctly." Orion confirmed. "Tenya has succumbed to seeking vengeance for his elder brother upon an enemy he cannot hope to beat alone." He looked down to Mirko with the utmost gravity behind his gaze. "Please, you must locate Tenya and stop him before he does anything rash—"

"GRAAAAAUUUUGHH!" Their conversation was interrupted, however, when the Nomu that Prime ran into burst out from the building, sending rubble flying everywhere.

Optimus' holoform grimaced, his tone now even more urgent than before. "We have run out of time! Mirko, I entrust you with Izuku, take him as far away from here as possible and go find Tenya, quickly!"

Izuku stepped forward in concern. "B-But what about you guys?"

"Do not worry, we are in perfectly capable hands." Orion grinned over to Springer as his hatch opened up, allowing an armored hero whom Izuku had never seen before step out. "Isn't that right, commander?"

To Izuku, that was definitely a new one. Optimus Prime answering to someone else? "H-Huh? Commander? Who are you?!"

With heavy footsteps, the armored man moved up in front of Izuku and gave him a salute. "Heh, the name's Spectrum, kid. And don't you worry…" Turning his head, Spectrum locked his sights on the Nomu, his helmet analyzing its body searching for potential weak spots. "The M.A.S.K. crusaders are here to save the day!"

Hearing the name, Izuku felt a bit of familiarity. 'Pretty sure Fowler said something about Sector Seven's M.A.S.K. division in the past…' Shaking his head and resolving to think about it later, Izuku gave his own salute up to Orion. "Okay! We're going to find Iida and get him out of this mess. Good luck, guys."

"Yeah, you're gonna need it." Mirko asserted as she placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Alright kid, let's move, double time!" Bringing his helmet up and activating Full Cowling, Izuku dutifully followed Mirko, leaving the Autobots and Spectrum behind to confront the Nomus.

All the same, Strongarm clenched her fists, frustrated that she couldn't help find her friend. "Tenya… please be okay."

…..

Meanwhile, across the city in a secluded alleyway, the Hero Killer himself had found his latest target, plucked right off the street amidst the confusion of the attack. That said, he found himself quite frustrated with the onslaught, despite the advantage it presented him. Of course, that was mainly to do with WHO was behind it. "That idiot's making a move. And he's so noisy. I'll have to dispose of him later…" Raising his sword, he brought it to his latest victim's neck, eager to wrap up what he started. "At the moment, I have important work to finish here…"

The hero he had captured was a dark-haired man dressed as a Native American, complete with an "N" embroidered on his shirt. His hero name was Native, and he was currently bleeding out from the shoulder, fully paralyzed. "M-My body… I-I can't move…" he muffled out from behind Stain's hand as he was kept pressed against the wall. "You bastard… I'll kill you!"

"If you call yourself a hero, you should choose your last words with care." Just as he was about to deal the final blow, the sudden sound of rapid approaching footsteps took him aback, snapping around just in time to see an armored hero come blasting toward him with a powerful kick. But of course, Stain was faster, bringing his blade up and hitting the man out of midair, knocking his helmet off in the process.

But then, Stain's eyes widened in surprise. Beneath the helmet wasn't a man… but a boy. "…A child wearing a suit? Who are you?" With a bitter snarl, the boy went to sit up, prompting the Hero Killer to send him a warning; "Run. Run away from here. This is not a place for children.

"…You're carrying blades all over your body." the boy observed. "And you're wearing a blood-red scarf. You must be the Hero Killer, Stain. It's you, right?!" Getting into a crouch, the young man went on, giving Stain a merciless glare. "I've been looking for you, but I didn't think I'd find you so soon. I am—"

The armored child was cut off when Stain raised his sword, the tip just mere centimeters away from his nose. "Your eyes are searing with vengeance. Be careful what you say next. If need be, even someone your age can be my target."

"Are you saying… that I'm not even a threat to you?!" His fists tightening, the boy's resolve only strengthened, feeling insulted on top of every other negative emotion he was feeling. Slowly, he started to stand up. "Listen to me, criminal! I am the brother of an incredible hero that you attacked. He's the best older brother that anyone could hope for! I have come to stop you… because he can't anymore! You're going to remember my name for as long as you live!"

Hearing his brother's words echo through his mind, Tenya Iida put on the bravest face he could, and declared; "I am Ingenium! And I will defeat you! That I PROMISE!"

"…Then so be it." Stain narrowed his eyes. The boy had sealed his fate. "…Die."

…..

A/N: And thus, Tenya Iida has made the stupidest decision of his life. Of course, this confrontation can't change too much since it's important for story reasons, but yeah, not even Strongarm's presence could help deter Tenya from finding Stain. However, how the fight will go following this WILL be slightly different thanks to the addition of a certain Rabbit Hero, so there IS that.

Speaking of Mirko, she and Gran Torino are teaching Izuku the ways of the kicks, it would seem! Shoot Style's coming in pretty early on thanks to them, so expect to see some certain upgrades come to Izuku's costume soon as well. Too bad their intended patrol had to be highjacked by a bunch of monsters because Shigaraki was being sore about Stain's attitude.

But to that end, huzzah! The Autobots are helping out with the Hosu City battle! And all thanks to the brilliant plan of passing them all off as M.A.S.K. vehicles. I mean, come on, M.A.S.K. specializes in vehicles that change form from one thing to the other and are armed to the teeth, so why not take advantage of that? It even means that Springer doesn't HAVE to scan any Earth vehicles because he can just be passed off as a new high-tech military vehicle! Convenient all around!

In addition, we get to see a bit more of Matt Trakker here, along with some of the connections he has. Because there it is again; Sumdac Systems and the mention of Professor Isaac Sumdac himself. For anyone who's watched Transformers Animated, this is a BIG deal, and an even BIGGER deal that Mei might be able to present some of her babies to Professor Sumdac as well. Because of course she'd be his biggest fan. So yeah, look forward to seeing that.

…Also, yes, I essentially turned Trakker's M.A.S.K. suit into an Iron Man armor. In a world full of superheroes, you KNOW that would be a thing. I hope you all played the M.A.S.K. theme when he was suiting up, too, because nearly four decades later, that song is STILL a banger.

Oh, and yes, we got a little bit of time between Kyoka and Snake Eyes at the start. Master and student, chilling out having breakfast… which turns into a lesson orchestrated perfectly by the Ninja Commando. Kyoka might have some doubts, but I think she'll be just fine learning from Snake Eyes. …And yes, I'm fully aware that making Bento Boxes is an unexpected hobby for him to have, but come on, there's hardly anything ELSE to do on that island! So, with all that said…

And now, the Preview! Things escalate quickly in the alleyway as Izuku and Mirko arrive on the scene… though they find that Tenya's gotten himself in quite deep very quickly. Of course, some additional help arrives in the form of one Icy Hot guy who just ALSO happened to be in the area. Meanwhile, the Autobots and M.A.S.K. continue to fight the Nomu… where a certain Hellfire user shows up to try and hog all the glory, as per usual. Let's see if our heroes can show him up, eh? Next Time; Hero Killer vs U.A. Students! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you later. Stay safe out there, and as always;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!