A/N: Hey there, guys, how're you doin'? Hope you guys are stuffed after yesterday, because I've brought with me a pallet cleanser that's sure to bring you joy; a new Transformers MHA chapter! Nothing too fancy today, though. More of a casual chapter to give us time to decompress after all the insanity that went on in the city. So, with that said, let's get on with it, shall we? This is…

Chapter 55: Hosu Aftermath: Hospital Happenings

…..

Izuku Midoriya was wiped. Exhausted, beat, tired, if it described a lack of proper sleep, he was it at this moment. Immediately after the whole debacle with Stain and the Nomus ended, he was brought straight to the hospital with his classmates, and the process of assessing how bad their injuries were was very arduous. Tenya and Shoto were obviously much more injured than he was, but Izuku still needed a few stitches in his arm and leg. Unfortunately, because his injuries weren't too severe, he didn't get a room like his friends. So, he was forced to sleep on a chair in the waiting lounge if he wanted to stay and see how his friends made out.

And so there he was, trudging his way down the hall with only five hours of sleep and a massive knot in his back. 'Well, I guess this is what entails with the life of a hero.' he lamented. 'Though I guess the… less than stellar news I received last night didn't help too much.'

Before he had went to sleep, Izuku was approached by Gran Torino, Mirko… and Hosu's chief of police, Kenji Tsuragamae. Admittedly, he almost soiled himself when he saw the rather intimidating man before him, but after hearing the news, it made things a whole lot clearer as to why the chief was there. Also, the fact that Optimus was there in his holoform helped immensely as well. However, this news would have to reach Shoto and Tenya as well the next morning, so that's why he was working his way up to their shared room… and he was admittedly a little nervous as to how they'd react.

'Iida would probably be all for the idea…' Izuku concluded in his head. 'But Todoroki… he might need some convincing.' Taking a deep breath, Izuku reached for the door handle. 'Well, here goes nothing.' He knocked first and was given approval to enter immediately, putting on his best smile when he saw his friends sitting up in their beds. "H-Hey guys… did you get any sleep?"

"Hah… no, not exactly." Tenya shook his head tiredly, both of his arms wrapped up in casts.

"Me neither." Shoto muttered, with only one of his arms bandaged up.

"Yeah, I figured." Izuku nodded, entering the room and taking a seat on the nearest chair. "I only barely got any sleep…" He craned his head up toward the ceiling, letting out a sigh. "Thinking about that fight now, though, we did something pretty amazing."

Shoto gave a nod back. "Yeah, I agree."

Running a hand through his hair, Izuku reflected. "After everything that happened back there, it kinda feels like a miracle we're even alive. …Though I guess having a pro there with us really helped our chances."

"Hm, though it seems to me like Stain let us both live on purpose." Shoto concurred, glancing over toward Tenya. "I'm impressed by you, though, Iida. He was actually trying to murder you, but you stood tall."

"That's not true." Tenya denied. "I was—"

But before the young man could continue, the door opened again, revealing Gran Torino and Manual on the other side. "Ah, so the injured youngin's are awake." the elderly hero said as he glanced over to his own intern, his disapproving gaze making Izuku flinch. All the same, Torino shook his head, wanting to get to the point of them being here. "I hope you kids are up and at 'em, 'cause you've got a visitor."

Stepping around the corner and into the room, the boys were left surprised at the exceptionally tall man… mainly because his head was that of a black and white dog. He was dressed in a black suit with a dalmatian-themed tie, keeping his hands tucked in his pockets as he looked down at them. "This is Hosu's chief of police." Gran Torino introduced. "Kenji Tsuragamae."

"The… chief?" Shoto wondered out loud as he and Iida went to stand up.

"No, please, stay seated, woof." Kenji said in a deep baritone, taking everyone off guard.

'…Woof?' Both Tenya and Shoto thought to themselves.

Clearing his throat, Kenji proceeded to greet the boys. "So, you're the U.A. Students who helped Mirko bring down the Hero Killer, huh?"

Shoto gave a curt nod to him. "Yes, that's right."

"Hm, I had a discussion with young Midoriya last night about this subject, and I want to make certain that the two of you know this as well…" Kenji began, straightening out his tie in the process. "You see, Stain has some serious injuries. Severe burns and several broken bones. Right now, he's in a separate hospital under strict guard, woof." The dog man extended a hand out to the boys with a single finger raised. "Here's a lesson you should've already learned; when Quirks became the norm, the police force sought to maintain the status quo. They decided we wouldn't use Quirks as weapons. That's where the heroes came in. They could do what we couldn't, if they were licensed, of course, woof."

Lowering his head, Kenji closed his eyes. "It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly Quirks. After all, we're here to stop such harm from being done. The only reason pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics that the early heroes chose to abide by." Opening his eyes again, Kenji regarded the boys gravely. "That's why it's against the law for uncertified people to use their Quirks to cause injury. Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, none of you had the authority to harm the villain. Under normal circumstances, you and your supervisors would receive harsh punishments for such gross abuse of your powers."

The man's words settled amongst the group, but Shoto seemed to take issue with what he was saying right off the bat. "Now wait a minute. If Iida hadn't stepped in, Native would've been murdered. And if not for Midoriya and Mirko, BOTH of them would be dead. No one even knew the Hero Killer was in Hosu." He took a challenging step forward. "Are you saying we should've just stood by and watch people die?!"

"T-Todoroki, wait." Izuku interjected. "He wasn't—"

"So by your logic, it's okay to break the law so long as it goes your way?" Kenji retorted calmly, taking both Izuku and Shoto off guard.

Nevertheless, Shoto wasn't about to back down from his opinion. "But sir! Isn't it a hero's job to save people?"

Kenji shut his eyes again in disappointment. "…This is why you're not a full-fledged hero yet. It's obvious that U.A. and Endeavor haven't been teaching you near enough. What a shame."

And that was what put Shoto over the line. "You damned mutt!" His fists clenched in rage, he began making his way up to the dog man, much to the fear of his friends.

"Todoroki!" Tenya insisted. "Listen, he's right!"

"Stop, Todoroki, please!" Izuku got in the Half-Cold Half-Hot user's way, but that didn't deter him, raising his hand to shove the greenette out of his path. But Izuku caught his arm, giving Shoto a serious look. "Listen, please! He isn't finished yet!" He craned his head back toward Chief Tsuragamae. "Right, sir?"

Kenji nodded down to the boy. "Hm, yes. What I've just said is the official stance of the police department." He locked eyes with Shoto again. "However, any punishment would only be necessary if your true roles in the fight went public. If it did, you'd be applauded by the citizens and undoubtedly be famous, but there'd be no way to escape being reprimanded. Thankfully, you children DO have an easy out in this situation…" Just then, one of Kenji's ears perked up and he craned his head back toward the door. "Ah, and I believe I hear her coming right now…"

Before anyone knew it, a certain Rabbit Hero came bounding into the room, her hands placed firmly on her hips as her wild grin greeted them. "Mornin', kids!" Mirko saluted. "How the hell are ya?!"

"M-Mirko!" Tenya exclaimed.

"You're still here?" Shoto questioned.

"Uh, duh! Of course I am!" Mirko went over to Izuku, reaching up to ruffle his hair up a little bit. "I can't leave this one unsupervised, ya know?"

Izuku's could feel his cheeks flushing at the gesture, but still tried to shrug it off. "O-Oh come on, I-I think we both know which one of us is the more responsible one."

That got a laugh out of Mirko as she hooked her arm around Izuku's neck, leading him to struggle and cough for air. "Hahaha! Nice one, kid. I knew you had a sense of humor on ya!"

Clearing his throat, Chief Tsuragamae brought the conversation back to the main point. "Ahem, while the levity is appreciated, Mirko, I believe you had something to tell these young students? A suggestion that won't get them in trouble with the law?"

"Oh! Hah, right. Sorry there, cheify!" Earning a grumble from Kenji, Mirko led Izuku and Shoto back over to the beds, sitting them down next to Tenya. "Alright, so here's how things are right now; you three helped me beat the tar outta that Hero Killer, right?"

"Pretty much." Shoto affirmed, while Tenya and Izuku nodded silently. The young man shot the police chief a brief glare. "And apparently that was something we weren't supposed to do."

Mirko winced and rubbed her neck. "Yeah… that kinda sorta slipped my mind, too. I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot about what the consequences would be." She furrowed her brow to the three boys seriously. "But yeah, the chief's right. The three of you aren't only unlicensed, but you're also minors who got put in harm's way…" She directed her gaze over to Izuku. "And you specifically, Deku, got put in harm's way because of me. If word got out about this, I could have my own hero license revoked."

"W-What?! No!" Izuku stood up defiantly. "That can't happen! You're so close to entering the Top Ten!"

But Mirko shook her head at that. "Kid, my reputation's the last thing I'm worried about right now, it's yours. Sure, I wouldn't be a hero anymore, but YOUR future would also be put into deep shit." Just then, however, her smile returned as she jabbed her thumb over to Kenji. "But thankfully, K-Dog and I have thought of a way to clear ALL of us of this mess secretly."

Izuku and the others were intrigued and surprised to hear that. "Woah, really? We're just… gonna lie to the public?"

"Happens more times than ya think, kid." Mirko wagged her finger. "Sometimes, it's just necessary to keep the peace. But don't worry, the story I came up with will make sure that all of you all still have a role to play… even if those roles are lessened."

The trio of students eyed one another skeptically, but Shoto prompted her to go on. "We're listening."

"Okay, so here's how I see things; instead of Deku and myself arriving first, we'll say that Icy Hot over here got to Engine Boy first." Mirko explained, wearing a proud smile. "That way, your injuries and the severe burns on Stain are explained as an act of panic and self-defense instead of intentional harm." She pointed over to Izuku. "Then that's when me and Deku find you and I have HIM get all of you away from the problem area so that I can take Stain on myself."

"So in the end, you will be taking a majority of the credit." Tenya concluded with an understanding nod. "It makes sense… though it would paint Todoroki and I as victims of the Hero Killer while Midoriya takes credit in helping us escape."

Mirko pursed her lips, nodding apologetically. "Yeah, sorry, but it's what would make the most sense logically."

"And you're sure it's the only option?" Shoto questioned.

Giving a shrug, Mirko's expression soured a bit. "Well, it's either that… or your old man gets the credit since he's the only other person who could give Stain severe burns like that." Seeing Shoto's scowl deepen, Mirko knew that he wasn't a fan of that option at all. "Yeah, see? Compared to that, our little white lie sounds like the more awesome option."

"Personally, I know where I stand." Kenji spoke up, the dog man giving the teens a thumbs up. "I don't want to damage any promising young careers, not for a mistake like this."

As much as this felt like a hollow victory for Shoto, he had to admit, this presented quite the opportunity. After all, if this was a chance to screw over his old man, he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers. "Okay, sounds good to me, I guess."

"That's the spirit!" Mirko pumped a fist into the air. "Besides, having a lesser role is better than having no role at all, am I right?"

Back toward the door, Manual had finally broken his silence as he began to tear up a little. "Of course, either way, we'll still have to take responsibility for being negligent supervisors…"

Seeing his mentor silently weep, Tenya stood up and walked over to him, giving an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, Manual, sir. I should've listened to you."

"Yeah." Manual gave a light chop to the back of Tenya's head. "You caused us a lot of trouble. Remember that, and don't do it again."

"Sir!" Tenya straightened up at full attention.

Shoto nodded over to the police chief as well. "And I apologize, too. We'll leave things to you."

Hints of a smile came to Kenji's canid features. "I know it's not the fairest option. No one will know what you truly did, even if you still had parts to play in the story…" He trailed off as he gave a full bow to the teenaged boys. "But at least allow me, the chief of police, to thank you."

There was a short pause before Shoto muttered; "…You know, you could've led with that."

"Ahem, well, yes, I suppose, woof." Kenji stood up straight again, placing his hands behind his back. "Well, with that, I must get going. There's still much work to be done in the aftermath of all this. And if I'm correct, you have more visitors coming soon." He turned toward the door, giving a wave to the group as Manual and Gran Torino joined him. "I wish you boys a good recovery, and once again, thank you."

With that, the three men left, leaving the three boys and Mirko by themselves. "Wait, what'd he mean by "more visitors"?" Shoto asked.

Izuku winced and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeah… about that." He approached the door and peered outside, seeing said visitors immediately. "You guys can come in now." Moving out of the doorway, Izuku allowed a familiar pair of people inside… or rather, a familiar pair of holoforms, to be more accurate.

Shoto's eyebrows rose up at the sight of Orion Pax entering their room, instinctively sitting straighter at attention in the presence of such authority. Coming in next to the "man" was Stella Armstrong as well, her eyes locked firmly onto Iida, who fidgeted uncomfortably on the bed. Both of their expressions were unreadable, no doubt because of how important their business here was. Orion peered over to Izuku, giving him a nod. "Izuku, I assume things went well in your meeting with Chief Tsuragamae?"

"Yes, sir." Izuku confirmed, glancing over to his classmates. "It took a bit of convincing, but the guys have agreed to Mirko's plan."

"Hm, I see." Bringing his attention over to the Rabbit Hero, Orion bowed his head slightly to her. "Mirko, thank you. Your idea for keeping these children out of trouble with the law is much appreciated. And once again, I apologize for my bluntness last night."

"Ah, it's alright, OP." Mirko shrugged off. "Trust me, I get it. Having to deal with those monsters and Endeavor at the same time? Pfft, I'd be pretty peeved, too."

That managed to get Pax to crack a small smile. "Hmhm, yes, of course." However, his expression went back to being serious as his sights settled on the two injured boys. "Izuku, Mirko, if you could kindly leave us be for a little while… there's something that we'd like to discuss with these two."

Izuku gave a salute. "Y-Yes, sir, understood." But before he left, he shot a sympathetic look over to his friends. "I'll see you guys later. And uh, Iida… good luck." He received a wordless nod from the spectacled young man before he and Mirko both hurried out of the room, with Stella closing the door behind them.

Orion pulled up a chair in front of the two boys and sat down in front of them, leaning down to rest his elbows on his knees as he laced his hands together. "So… where do we start?" His focus shifted between the duo, both of them visibly nervous for different reasons. Ultimately, though, the Prime decided where they should start. "Why don't we begin with you, Shoto?"

"M-Me, Mr. Pax?" Shoto stammered, caught off guard.

"Yes, I'd say that's the easiest place to start. And feel free to call me Optimus." the Prime affirmed. "We are in private, after all. In any case, I have already had this discussion with Mirko the night before. It's abundantly clear that both of you now know our secret."

Shoto took a deep breath. "Yeah… honestly, I'm still trying to process all of it."

"Understandable." Optimus said with a slight smile. "After all, it isn't every day once meets an extraterrestrial race of autonomous robotic organisms." His countenance grew more serious again as he continued. "However, I wish to know how comfortable you are knowing this information. I can imagine that it is quite a lot to take in, especially considering how… abruptly you came to know about it."

But the young man didn't seem bothered in the least. "Oh, I'm fine, really. Sure, it was… surprising seeing a VW Beetle come roaring out of a portal and transform into a giant robot, but in a world full of Quirks, you get used to seeing strange things."

For her part, Strongarm was rather impressed. "Hm, you don't seem to be the kind of person who lets things bother you too much, Shoto." she said in approval. "If you were a cadet for the Cybertronian police force, Prowl would probably site you as one of his favorites. What with that calm demeanor of yours."

Shoto wasn't entirely sure if that was a compliment, but he wasn't about to wave it off. "Um, thank you." His attention went straight back to Prime, wearing a stern grimace. "Anyway, you can count on me to keep your secret. But please promise me one thing?"

"What is that?" Optimus inquired.

"Please don't tell my father that I know about you guys." the young man implored. "I know that he's aware of your existence, but if he knows that I know, then he'll never leave me alone again."

Optimus tightened his lips hearing that, understanding completely. "Hm, I see. Very well, I accept those terms."

"L-Listen, I know that it's a very BIG ask for me to make but—w-wait, you said you'd do it?" Shoto blinked as the Prime's answer finally registered in his brain. He hadn't expected it to be THAT easy.

Nevertheless, Optimus extended his hand, allowing Shoto to shake it. "Of course. You have my word that Endeavor shall not hear a word of this." His features became slightly more apologetic as he went on. "…To be completely honest with you, Shoto, on the day of the Sports Festival when we first met, I overheard part of your conversation with Izuku." That made Shoto gasp slightly, his eyebrows shooting up. "I know, and I'm sorry for my eavesdropping. However, after hearing of your… problematic history with your father, I completely understand why you wish to remain discreet. Feel free to drop by the command center whenever you'd like, you will be welcomed with open arms in a completely Endeavor-free environment."

Shoto let go of an anxious breath that even HE didn't know he was holding, setting a hand over his chest in relief. "Hah… thank you, Optimus. I appreciate it a lot, you don't even know."

"Oh, I think I have an idea." Prime said knowingly, leaning in a bit with a knowing grin. "After all, one thing that I know we have in common is that we both cannot tolerate your father."

"Hah, glad we're on the same page then." Shoto chuckled.

At his side, Tenya gave a short sigh. "Well, I suppose that clenches it." the young Iida stated before smiling to his classmate. "Welcome into the fold, Todoroki. I'm certain the others are going to be quite thrilled to see you joining our ranks."

"Ah, right." Shoto turned to Tenya, remembering that it wasn't JUST them who knew. "You said that there were others in Class 1-A and even some in 1-B who knew about the Autobots, right? Who're we talking about here?"

However, before any explanations could be had, Strongarm interrupted. "Ah, we can save that for later. Right now, there's more important things to discuss…" Her sights traveled down to her partner, whose confidence was replaced by unease in an instant under her disappointed gaze. "Tenya… I don't think we have to explain what we need to talk about here, do we?"

Swallowing hard, Tenya lowered his head in shame. "No… no you do not. I understand that you both must be angry with me for what I did."

"We are not angry, Tenya." Optimus denied, standing up in front of the blue-haired boy. "Simply disappointed that you would make such a reckless decision."

Screwing his eyes shut, Tenya clenched his hands inside of his casts, but because of how they were wrapped, they didn't move at all. "I'm sorry. …I'm so sorry!" he shouted, his voice breaking as sobs escaped his throat. "I was so consumed by anger and thoughts of revenge… that I couldn't focus on anything else. I let my hatred for Stain overcome my sense of judgement… and… I-I put my friends in harm's way as a result! I feel so ashamed…"

"…Tenya." Optimus set a hand on the boy's shoulder, prompting Tenya to slowly raise his head back up. "I know this feeling that you have experienced. I have seen several lives lost over the course of the war, and in the ensuing battles, I have seen Autobots become obsessed with thoughts of revenge against Decepticons who took the lives of those close to them, much like yourself." His face was very somber as he recalled a specific bot. "One bot in particular, who was once a respective member of the police force, was entirely consumed by revenge when his entire outpost was destroyed by a rogue agent. That agent was eventually captured, but the bot insisted that we terminate him instead of retain him, which I refused. He didn't take that well, and has been in self-imposed exile ever since."

Hearing this, both Tenya and Shoto couldn't help but gawk in shock and horror. "Dear god… what was this bot's name?"

"…Depth Charge." Strongarm answered solemnly. "It was a shame, since he was one of my favorite commanding officers before the incident."

"And one of my oldest friends." Prime added. "But I wasn't about to resort to doing something a Decepticon would do, and he felt betrayed by my choice." He shook his head with a sigh. "Being the leader of the Autobots does not come lightly, Tenya, but know this; Depth Charge should not be an example to live by."

With a shaky breath, Tenya nodded up to him. "I-I understand, Optimus. And I'm sorry. I promise, I won't do anything like this ever again."

Strongarm clenched her teeth and tightened her fists, approaching her partner before taking him up by the collar, making him gasp. "You'd better not! Otherwise, I'll put you in solitary confinement myself!" But her angry façade didn't keep as she saw the concern and fear in Tenya's eyes, causing her to quickly break down and let out a sob of her own as she hugged him. "…But I'm sorry, too. I should've been more diligent—more protective—of you when your brother was hurt. I tried to find the Hero Killer here in Hosu before you did, but no matter how many times I patrolled, I came up emptyhanded. I'm ashamed not just as an officer of the law, but as your partner as well! I'm a complete FAILURE!"

But Tenya rejected that conclusion almost immediately. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" he shouted in her face. "I'm the biggest disappointment here, NOT you! I knew that it had to be you who followed me to the city, and all the while, I cursed the fact that you did!" He buried himself in Strongarm's shoulder, not wanting to look her in the eye. "I rejected EVERYONE in my pointless quest for revenge… even my own partner. I'm the one who should feel ashamed, not you! I'm so sorry!"

"…T-Tenya." If Strongarm could cry genuine tears, she would have in that moment. Her embrace tightened as she could feel his tears run down her holomatter body, all while rubbing soothing circles into his back. "…Let's make a promise right now. To be better than we were in these past couple of weeks. Better partners, better teammates… and better friends."

She heard Tenya sniffle against her shoulder before feeling him nod against her. "…I-I would like that, very much."

"So would I." Strongarm smiled.

Off to the side, both Optimus and Shoto couldn't help but smile silently at the scene, witnessing the two friends vow their solidarity to one another. However, just a few seconds later, a knock came at the door, which then opened up, revealing a woman in a white doctor's coat on the other side. "Excuse me, boys, I—oh." she paused, seeing Stella and Tenya in their embrace. "…I-I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no doctor, please come in." Orion assured, standing up as Stella let go of Tenya and let him sit back down. "We were just wrapping up our conversation. I take it you're here for something important, correct?"

"I am, yes." The doctor pulled up a clip board, flipping through the papers on it. "I have the boys' test results back and I came to deliver them. In particular…" Her sights traveled to Tenya in particular. "We need to discuss your results, Iida. They're very important."

Everyone's focus went straight to Tenya, the boy frowning on concern. "Oh… o-okay." Before she said anything, Tenya watched the doctor shut the door for privacy's sake. That's when he knew… that this news likely wasn't good.

…..

Meanwhile, in a different part of the hospital, Izuku and Mirko were walking through the corridors down to the main lobby, the Rabbit Hero having asked to go the long way so she could talk to her protégé. "So, kid, I've gotta ask…" She garnered the boy's attention and sent him a smirk. "Think you can keep up what you pulled off last night? After all, hero work involves a LOT of what we had to do in the city."

A sigh passed Izuku's lips and he hung his head, wearing a sheepish smile. "Well, while I'm utterly exhausted, I can honestly say that I actually feel pretty good about what I did last night. Mostly because I helped save my friend, of course." He clenched his hand into a confident fist. "But in the long run, I think I can definitely see myself doing this sort of thing day-to-day. In fact, this is the part of the job I was looking forward to the most."

"Really?" Mirko tilted her head. "Ya certainly didn't seem too enthused about it when we left Gramps' place last night."

"W-Well, that's because I didn't think I was ready." Izuku explained, placing a hand over his chest. "I felt so anxious about perfecting my Shoot Style that I felt I needed to perfect that first before anything…"

"Ah, see, there's the thing;" Raising a finger, Mirko gave him a wink. "The best sort of practice is the kind you get while you're out in the open! And if ya let yourself worry about every single detail, you'll just end up falling on your face." Once they were in the lobby, she spun around so that she was directly in front of him now, placing her hands on her hips expectantly. "So, what'd you learn from this, hm?"

Stopping, Izuku thought her question over for a few seconds before giving his answers. "…That the best experience is the kind that happens in the moment?"

Mirko scratched her chin, humming ponderously. "Hm… well, yeah, there's that. Though what I was gonna say was that ass-kicking can really help clear your head of distractions and really help ya just GO for it!"

With a wincing smile, Izuku felt a drop of sweat fall from his forehead. "I probably should've expected THAT kind of thought from you, haha…" *BZZT-BZZT* *BZZT-BZZT* Izuku's eyebrows rose up and he reached into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. "O-Oh, excuse me, I… EEEEEHH!?"

"W-Woah! Kid, what's wrong?!"

His hand now shaking, Izuku held it still with his other hand so that he could clearly read his phone's screen. He had… THIRTY unread messages from his classmates. A couple were from a few of the ones he didn't interact with much, like Tsuyu and Tokoyami, but for the most part, it was just EVERYONE in his friend group. Momo, Ochako, Eijiro, Mina, Denki, even Kaida were all apparently trying desperately to contact him from at least six in the morning, which was not only astonishing… but a little overwhelming. '…THIS many people care about me?' Izuku almost teared up right in front of his mentor, but he resolved himself to hold them back. 'No, don't focus on that, focus on getting word out to them.'

"S-Sorry, Mirko, I've gotta make some calls." Izuku apologized with a bow.

Peering down to see his phone, the rabbit woman's eyes widened at the number of messages he had, and she waved him off. "Oh, no, go ahead, it's fine. It's obvious your classmates must be worried, so go do what ya gotta do. I've gotta wrap some stuff up at the station, anyways."

"Thank you. I-I'll meet up with you later." With that Izuku jogged outside and immediately went into his contacts to call Momo, since she was the one who had sent the most recent message. "Please don't be busy, please don't be busy…" Izuku prayed silently.

Fortunately, not one second after the first ring, Momo picked up, her voice sounding frantic yet relieved. "H-Hello?! Midoriya!"

"Y-Yaoyorozu! H-Hi, yeah, it's me—"

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING?!" the Creation user shouted right in his ear, making him yank the phone away. "I was confused when I got your location text, but I didn't understand until Edgeshot switched on the news! I almost considered convincing him to try and mount a rescue operation, for goodness sake!"

Izuku almost bowed again to apologize, but realized it'd be kind of pointless. "I-I'm sorry… really, I had no plans to be in Hosu right as everything went down, but my train got derailed by Nomu as we were passing through."

Hearing the explanation, Momo calmed down a little. "Oh… I see. So you and your mentor weren't supposed to be there in the first place."

"That's right." Izuku affirmed, taking a glance around to make sure that nobody was around to listen in. "But… get this; the reason why I sent out my location is because me and my mentor found the Hero Killer there."

"Well, that's obvious by now." Momo stated. "It's all over the news, after all. …And you found Iida and Todoroki there, too, correct?"

That made Izuku raise a brow. "How did you…"

"Woman's intuition." the rich girl said knowingly. "That and your faces are all over the news."

Out of all the things Momo could've said, Izuku was the least prepared for that. "They're WHAT—MMPH!" He clasped his own hand over his mouth, hoping to god that no one had heard him nearly scream his lungs out. After a quick glance around, he deemed it safe and spoke more softly into the phone. "How much of us is on TV?"

"Not much, really. You have to zoom in REALLY close for anyone to get a clear look at you, and even then, it's just the backs of your heads." Momo's words make Izuku sigh in relief, a sentiment which she agreed with. "Yes, I'm sure. You're quite lucky that Mirko happened to be in the area, otherwise you, Iida and Todoroki would've been done for."

Despite himself, Izuku couldn't help the cheeky grin that formed on his lips. "Uh, heh… well, actually, funny story about Mirko…"

On the other end, Momo had taken note of the familiar nervous tone in Izuku's voice, which usually meant he knew more than he let on. "Hm? Midoriya, is there something—wait." To Izuku, it sounded like his friend had a brief epiphany, letting out another gasp in shock and excitement. "AH! Wait, don't tell me… Midoriya, is your mentor…"

"Yes… kind of." Izuku affirmed. "My REAL mentor hired her to help him with training me, so technically I have TWO mentors for my internship."

"…You DO realize how insanely jealous the rest of the girls are going to be when they hear about this, right?" Momo inquired, already feeling quite envious. "And how they're going to beg you to introduce her to them someday?"

"Eh, well, that won't be a difficult request." Izuku answered, his smirk increasing a little. "After all, she DOES know about the secret now."

He swore he heard Momo's jaw hit the floor on the other end. "She WHAT?! W-Wha—I-I mean, I SAW that the bots were in Hosu helping in disguise, b-but I didn't think—"

"Yeah, you can thank Bee for that." Leaning against a tree, Izuku shook his head. "He basically bridged in and beat the tar out of the Hero Killer after we got done with him. Showed himself off to both Mirko AND Todoroki."

Momo let out a groan. "Ugh, of course he did. Why do things like this always seem to occur with Bum—wait, did you say Todoroki, too?"

The greenette nodded. "Mmhm, he's in on it, too. Oh, uh, just make sure that his dad doesn't find out about that. Otherwise things are gonna get REALLY complicated, really fast."

"O-Oh, I completely understand." Momo assured. "I will not speak of this within earshot of Endeavor, you have my word." Once more, Momo sighed as she continued. "Still, this is a lot to take in all at once. Nomus, the Hero Killer, Todoroki and MIRKO of all people finding out about the secret, it's quite a lot. Hah… but I'm just glad to hear that you're safe, Midoriya. I'm sure everyone else will when they hear from you as well."

Izuku couldn't help but blush a little hearing that from her. "Y-Yeah… again, sorry for worrying you. All I really had time to send in that moment was my location. And after everything happened, I've just been caught up in police and hospital business."

Momo giggled on the other end. "And again, I say that's understandable. It sounds like you've been through a lot, so make sure to get plenty of rest. In fact, I'LL make sure to spread the word around. We can talk to everyone about what happened later."

"Wow, really? Thanks, Yoayorozu…" But then, Izuku remembered something. …Something that didn't seem right. Thinking back to all the names he saw pop up on his phone, there was one that was VERY conspicuous by her absence. "Um, hey… did you happen to get any calls from Kyoka this morning? I got one from her last night, but after the Stain incident, I haven't gotten anything."

That gave Momo pause, humming her herself. "Hmm… now that you mention it, I haven't. That IS very odd that she hasn't tried to call you again."

But then, just as Izuku was about to speak… something strange happened…

*SHYOOOM*

*THUNK*

"AAAAH!" Leaping about five feet in the air, Izuku spun around as something hit the tree directly next to his head, raising his hands defensively on instinct. What he saw next, though, made him utterly confused. A fiberglass arrow with a metal tip had stuck itself into the tree, and attached to it was a rolled-up piece of paper around its shaft.

"M-Midoriya?!" Momo shouted from the phone. "Is everything okay?!"

"…Yeah, I'm good." Izuku reached up and plucked the arrow out of the wood, unfurling the piece of paper and reading its contents to himself; 'The Woods. Come Alone.' Peering up from the message, Izuku saw that there WAS a wooded area directly behind the hospital from his vantage point… and the moment he laid eyes on it, something began shimmering from the thicket. Whoever had fired this at him was trying to get his attention. He swallowed hard and spoke as calmly as he could to Momo. "Yaoyorozu, I'm gonna have to call you back."

But it was obvious that wasn't going to satisfy the rich girl's curiosity. "Are you sure? You're not in trouble, are you?"

Izuku began making his way to the woods regardless. "No, I'm not. It's just… something's come up and I've gotta meet with someone about it. I'll see you back at base soon, okay?"

There was a moment's hesitation from Momo, but ultimately, she sighed and relented. "Okay, will do. Just… be safe, okay, Midoriya?"

"Hm, of course." Izuku smiled briefly. "Bye now." Once farewells were exchanged, Izuku hung up and proceeded into the woods, the glimmering light now gone from where he had seen it. It was still visible, though, having moved further in, as if prompting him to follow. 'This feels like a trap… but who'd set up one near a hospital of all places?' Deciding to take the risk, Izuku followed the shining light until he was about twenty feet away from where the woods began. And then… *WHAM* "GYAAA—oof!"

Landing flat on his face in the dirt, Izuku coughed as the air was forced out of his lungs, a sudden weigh having crashed down on his back. He felt his hands pinned to the forest floor and was about to activate Full Cowling… but then a sudden and familiar jabbing sensation went through him from the base of his neck, paralyzing him temporarily. "AAAGH!"

"You are not moving a MUSCLE until we TALK, Celery Stick!"

"…Oh no." Izuku turned his head as best he could to peer over his shoulder, and just as he thought, there she sat upon him. The very girl he had been thinking about mere moments ago, and in her hero costume, no less. "K-Kyoka?! W-What the—HOW the… when did YOU get here?!" It was then that Izuku realized… "Wait, YOU were the one who shot that arrow?!"

"A few minutes ago." The Earphone Jack user answered, her expression neutral while her eyes stayed focused. "I had a feeling you wouldn't notice since we used a stealth craft." She stood up abruptly and used her foot to move Izuku onto his back, moving over to get the arrow. "But no, I didn't fire this. Tried handling a bow the past couple days, but haven't been able to get the hang of it." She threw the arrow over into a shadowy part of the thicket. "He's the one who fired it."

Izuku lifted his head up just in time to see an arm reach out and grab the arrow, followed by the rest of the body it belonged to walking out of the darkness. The boy let out a gasp and his eyes widened at what he saw; a tall man with a lean, muscular build wearing an all-black body suit and mask, which had a silver visor that was reflective in the light. This man was also decked out in several pouches along his hips, and some even on his torso, even a couple strapped to his left thigh. On his right thigh was an Uzi and at his back was holstered a katana, no doubt just as deadly as the compound bow that he held in his hands.

All in all… Izuku knew he was looking at a badass right from the get-go. "O-O-O-Oh m-my g-g-g—" *WHAP* "AGH! GOD!" After receiving a smack to the back of the head, Izuku snapped back to his feet, staring at Kyoka incredulously. "Kyoka, what in the world is going on?! W-Why plan this ambush? Why the arrow? And…" he pointed over to the black-clad man. "…is that who I think it is?"

"Hah, yes, Izuku, that is Snake Eyes." Kyoka introduced, waving her hand to the silent operative. "And Snake Eyes, this is Izuku Midoriya… my supposed best friend." Izuku was about to open his mouth to retort, but Kyoka cut him off. "Who PROMISED me that he would stay safe only to then jump headfirst into a fight with the FREAKING HERO KILLER despite saying that!"

"…Oh. Yeah." Izuku muttered. "You were the one who asked the bots to send Bee to our location, weren't you?"

"Yeah, glad to know ya got my care package!" Kyoka knocked him on the chest.

Izuku raised his hands in defense. "K-Kyoka, please listen, I—oof!" He was expecting another strike from the purplette… but instead, something unexpected happened. She ran into him and hugged him with all her might, locking him in place. Blinking, Izuku brought his gaze over to Snake Eyes, who simply gave a shrug. "…Uh, Kyoka?"

"…Do you have any idea how scared I was?" Kyoka responded. "…How worried everyone has been? I knew you were going to save Iida, but I didn't think you'd try to actually FIGHT the damned insane serial killer, Izuku!"

Hearing her voice crack and feeling her hands clench against his costume, Izuku already knew what was happening. Sensing this, he brought his arms down across her back soothingly, embracing her as she buried herself deeper into his chest. "…I'm sorry, Kyoka. I knew that what I took was a major risk, and I'm sorry. I couldn't just leave it at saving Iida, I had to help stop the Hero Killer… namely because he was too good for any ONE of us to take down."

This made Kyoka do a doubletake, raising her head back up to look him in the eye. "W-Wait, seriously?! Mirko wasn't even enough to bring him down?"

"Nope. But together with Todoroki and even Iida's help, we all managed to bring down the Hero Killer…" Izuku bobbed his head to the side. "…And then Bumblebee came and finished him off for us…" And then to the other side. "…But then Stain woke up again to kill that Nomu before he FINALLY stopped thanks to his own Quirk affecting him."

"Hm, I saw that." Kyoka mentioned, with Snake Eyes giving a nod. "It's all over the news."

Izuku blinked in confusion. "W-What do you mean?"

"Stain's speech." Kyoka pulled out her phone, showing him a picture of the paralyzed Stain being carted off by police. "It's been played across news stations a few times. Even been uploaded to the internet, but it's being taken down everywhere."

Shaking his head, Izuku affirmed; "That's not surprising. Words like his can be used like dangerous rhetoric. Who knows how many people he can inspire?"

"Yeah… but do you think it's true that he was part of the League of Villains' attack?"

"No, I don't think so." Izuku denied. "He seemed to be pretty spiteful toward their presence, actually. Especially since he killed the Winged Nomu."

Kyoka tucked her phone back into her pocket. "Hm, yeah, good point… but you're still not off the hook yet." She reached out and grabbed him by the collar, bringing the boy down so that he was at eye-level with her. "There's one—and ONLY one thing—that I wanna know, Izuku Midoriya. And you'd better give me the CORRECT answer."

Izuku swallowed again, his throat feeling utterly dry at this point. "O-O-Okay, what's that?"

Drawing closer, Kyoka stared deep into his emerald orbs and, with the utmost seriousness, asked; "…Did you smack Iida upside the head like I said to?"

And just like that, all hint of nervousness exited Izuku's body through a single laugh. "Ah-ha! Yes, yes I did."

"Haha!" Kyoka laughed along with him, reaching up and ruffling his hair. "Great! Just the answer I was hoping to hear. I knew you'd follow through for me, Green Bean."

"Well, what can I say?" Izuku shrugged. "When you're right, you're right, and Iida was acting not like himself, I'll say that much." He glanced off to the side as he brought his hand to his neck. "Though, uh… he may have figured that out before I smacked him."

"Eh, doesn't matter." Kyoka winked. "He still needed it. Speaking of Iida, though, come on, I wanna go see him."

Watching her turn around toward the hospital, Izuku was taken off guard. "H-Hold on, really? You wanna go in?" His head snapped back and forth between her and Snake Eyes, pointing to the latter in confusion. "What about Snake Eyes? Aren't you two out here training or something?"

Kyoka shook her head, however. "Nah, I asked if there was any way we could make a quick trip out here just so I could make sure you all were okay." But then, her eyes widened and she spun back toward Snake Eyes, bowing to him respectfully. "…Though it's just occurred to me that I should probably ask if I can go inside the hospital, too., hehe… sensei?" Fortunately, Snake Eyes gave a thumbs up, nodding to the girl in approval. "Ha! Alright! Thanks, Snake, I'll be back on the ship just a few minutes."

With a short salute, Snake Eyes took his bow and went straight into the thicket again, no doubt retreating to where the ship was. When he was gone, though, Izuku eyed his best friend, jerking his thumb to where Snake Eyes disappeared. "You do know that I wanna ask more about him after this is over, right?"

"Heh, not surprised." Kyoka said sarcastically, the two making their way back to the hospital. "But I gotta say, I was expecting MORE surprise from you seeing him, Izuku."

"Uh, yeah, about that… Gran Torino might've filled me in about Snake Eyes a little."

That caught Kyoka's attention very quick. "Woah, really? Your mentor knows my mentor?"

"Well, not directly." Izuku clarified. "They've never interacted or anything, but Gran Torino knows enough about top-secret government stuff that he's aware about Snake Eyes and the secret ninja school." He pointed over to Kyoka with a knowing smirk. "Which, by the way, insanely jealous that you get to go there. How's it been there?"

Letting out a groan, Kyoka rotated her arm, keeping pressure on it with her opposite hand. "Ugh, it's grueling, I'll say that much. The people there are nice, but damn, they don't let up when it comes to teaching…" She pressed a finger to her lips. "That said, we should keep mum about it when we get outta the woods. Can't blab about it in public, ya know?"

Izuku understood clearly, motioning his lips being zipped shut. "Gotcha. My lips are sealed." It didn't take long for the duo to arrive at the front of the hospital, but when they did, they were greeted by the sound of screeching tires and several shouts in the distance. Not long after, they saw a black sedan come rolling into the hospital parking lot… and it was barreling straight for the front.

"W-What the—"

"Kyoka, MOVE!" Grasping her by the shoulders, Izuku rushed himself and Kyoka out of the way… right as the sedan came to a grinding halt. The two teenagers stared at just how quick the stop was, but then the passenger side door opened… and out came someone that neither of them was expecting.

Wobbling out and placing his hands on his knees… was All Might. Or rather, Toshinori Yagi. The Number One Hero was breathing hard after the abrupt stop, and from the sound of it, he had been thrown for a loop. "Hak-hak… I am here… ashamedly late… hak…"

"A-All Mi—er, Mr. Yagi!" Remembering where they were, Izuku quickly corrected himself and rushed over to his mentor, his hands reaching out to him. "A-Are you okay? Where did you even—"

"G-Give me a minute… young Midoriya…" Toshinori raised a finger, halting his protégé. "I've… gotta get my bearings." Pulling himself back, the One for All user bent backwards and stretched himself out, taking a deep breath in the process. "Hah… okay, I think I'm good…" All the same, he glared into the vehicle that had dropped him off. "Bill, you're damn lucky you're with the government, otherwise that lead foot of yours'll get ya in trouble."

The driver's side door opened next, and out came Agent Fowler, giving All Might a sympathetic grin. "Hah, sorry 'bout that, Toshi. Didn't mean to throw ya around like that. Guess I'm just too at home flying aircraft." Seeing the teenagers, he grinned and nodded to the two. "Midoriya, Jiro, been a while."

"Agent Fowler!" Izuku smiled and bowed to the man. "Yes, it has. It's good to see you."

"Well, it's something to see you, I'll say that much." Kyoka quipped with a shrug.

Fowler raised a brow at her. "Hmph, still not my biggest fan, eh, Jiro?"

Kyoka pointed double finger-guns at him, keeping a smirk upon her lips. "Right on the money, Big F."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fowler gave a relenting sigh. "Hah, alright, yeah, stupid of me to even ask." He shook his head to get things back on track. "In any case, I'm still glad to see that the two of you are okay. When I heard from Trakker about the impromptu mission that he took the bots on, we were scrambling to get back to Autobot HQ."

"But by then, everything was already over." Toshinori continued, rubbing his neck guiltily. "A twenty-five-minute battle… and we were stuck in Sector Seven's base for the majority of it." He lowered his head to Izuku in shame. "I am so sorry, young Midoriya. If I had known that you were here when it all happened, I would've busted my way out of the base myself just to get here. The fact that you had to fight the Hero Killer himself, I—"

"Mr. Yagi, it's fine." Izuku asserted, the name feeling foreign to Izuku even though he knew he HAD to use it in public. "Trust me, everything went a lot better than we could've hoped, actually. Sure, we've had some injuries, but Stain was brought in, we saved IIda, and M.A.S.K. helped make sure the citizens stayed safe while taking on the Nomu." He smiled and balled a fist. "If anything, I think things here are in pretty good shape."

All Might raised his head and took a deep breath, settling into a smile of his own. "Hah, that's very reassuring to hear, young Midoriya. But I do have to ask…" He peered over to Kyoka. "What're you doing here, young Jiro? Shouldn't you be at your own internship with… erm… you-know-who?"

Kyoka nudged her head toward the back of the hospital. "Well, technically I still am. Snake's just letting me visit the hospital to make sure everyone's okay. He's actually in the woods back there waiting for me right now."

"Heh, not surprising." Fowler mused. "Snake always did have a soft spot."

With an understanding hum, Toshinori gave a nod to the duo. "Well, alright then. If everything's fine here, then I suppose we're not needed hear—"

"TOSHINORI! And is that you, Bill Fowler?!""

And just like that, the skeletal man and his rotund comrade straightened up and froze like statues, the familiar, crotchety voice sending the fear of god through both of them. Shakily, they turned their heads back, breaking out into a nervous sweat as their eyes dilated at the sight of Gran Torino storming over to them, holding his cane like it was a weapon. "G-Gran Torino, sir!" Toshinori exclaimed.

"Sir!" Fowler saluted, though he was still trembling like a leaf. "I-It's an honor to see you aga—" *KONK* "AGH!"

*KONK* "UGH!" And just like that, All Might and Fowler were both squatted down on the ground, holding their heads after a pair of new lumps had been put on them via blunt-force trauma by cane.

"Hmph, yer late." Torino huffed down at his old pupil. "Suppose there's a first for everything. Boy!"

Just like that, Izuku snapped up straight. "SIR!"

Gran Torino was about to say more… but then he noticed the young woman standing with Izuku, her violet eyes staring back at him in confusion. Deciding to pump the breaks for her sake, Torino sighed and waved for them to go. "I just got word from the big man in red upstairs. He says he wants to see you back in that room with your friends. There's been some sorta important news that you gotta hear." He nodded to Kyoka. "Feel free to take yer friend as well. Visiting hours are still open."

"Thank you, sir! I'll do that right away!" Zipping behind Kyoka, he placed her hands onto her shoulders and ushered her into the hospital. "Well, thanks for checking in, I-I'll leave you to it! BYE!"

Before either All Might or Fowler could protest, Izuku pushed Kyoka inside, much to the girl's surprise. "W-Woah, Izuku, wait, what the heck was—"

"H-He's my mentor." Izuku explained quickly. "He also used to be All Might's mentor, so you can imagine what that conversation's gonna be like."

"…They're gonna talk about you behind your back, aren't they?"

"Expeditiously."

Back outside, Gran Torino scoffed with a brief smirk before grimacing to All Might and Fowler again. "Ya coulda warned me about him, Toshinori." he stated, approaching the now petrified blonde man. "I know it probably couldn't be helped, but thanks to him, I'm getting a pay cut AND my teaching license suspended for six months. His tendency to jump into situations without thinking is just like yours, Toshinori."

Toshinori wasted no time getting on his hands and knees to grovel. "I humbly apologize, sir! It's because of my insufficient teaching! I can't believe my protégé caused you so much trouble…"

Surprisingly to All Might, though, Gran Torino let out a calming breath. "Hah… well, I don't care about my teaching license anymore, anyways. You're the only reason I got it, after all. And that was so I could keep my promise to your predecessor, Shimura." He folded his arms over his chest. "In any case, there's something more important that we need to talk about." Fowler and Toshinori were both focused on the old man now as he elaborated; "…That being the Hero Killer, and how his influence could create a cascade unlike any we've ever seen."

…..

Upstairs, meanwhile, Orion, Stella, Tenya and Shoto were all sitting silently in the boys' room, still processing the news that they had heard just a few minutes prior. Stella seemed to be kneeling against the side of Tenya's bed, almost as if she was praying for something, but Tenya himself appeared to be the farthest removed from reality, keeping his head down and isolated from the others. It wasn't until the door opened that the silence was broken, and Orion craned his head back to see exactly who they were waiting on. "Ah, Izuku… and Kyoka?"

This caught everybody's attention VERY quick, including Iida who snapped himself back up to confirm that it was indeed their punk rock classmate. "Heh, hey there, guys." Kyoka waved. "Bet ya weren't expecting to see ME, huh?"

"No, no, we weren't." Stella muttered. "Kyoka, how did you even get here? You're supposed to be at your internship on a deserted island, right?"

"Well, let's just say there's ways to get OFF that island—with teacher's permission, of course." Kyoka hastily explained, her gaze shifting to the two boys on their beds. She addressed Shoto first, seeing as he was the newest to all of this. "'Sup, Todoroki? So, I heard you got quite the introduction to our little yellow friend, eh?"

"Hm, you could say that." Shoto stated with a single nod. "Thanks for sending him, by the way, Jiro. The Hero Killer's got a few more broken bones than he already had thanks to you."

But Kyoka denied the Half and Half user's claims. "Ah, nah. I just told the bots where to go. Bee's still the one who smashed Stain into the ground." She peered over to the other couch frowned, seeing Tenya avoiding eye contact. "…Iida." No acknowledgement, which didn't surprise her. "Hah, look, I know I told Izuku to smack you upside the head, but it kinda needed to—"

Orion came forward and set a hand on her shoulder. "Kyoka, wait. Tenya… just got his test results back. And the results are… well…"

"I'll tell them, Optimus." Tenya finally piped up, his eyes settling on her and his best friend, who both were now visibly concerned. "My left hand… might have damaged that's permanent." A gasp elicited from the pair's throats before he went on. "Both of my arms were pretty torn up. But the injury to my left arm was especially severe. There was damage to by brachial plexus, which just means… I'll have trouble moving my fingers. And my hand might have some numbness." He gave a hopeful smile. "Though apparently there IS a chance it could be healed with nerve transplant surgery."

Kyoka had her hand over her mouth in shock. "Iida, I… I-I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

But Tenya shook his head. "It's okay… I, well…"

"Maybe you should tell them what you told Prime and I." Stella encouraged, reaching out to give Tenya's knee a reassuring squeeze.

Tenya clenched his fingers softly around her hand. "…When I came across the Hero Killer, I stopped thinking rationally. The first thing I should've done was call Manual. But I got lost in my anger. I hate him so much, but I can't deny that he spoke the truth." His expression took on a more determined countenance as he went on. "That's way, until I'm able to call myself a real hero, I'll leave my left hand as it is."

"Are you sure?" Kyoka asked.

"Yes… the name Ingenium must be worn by someone worthy." Iida concluded. "And until I prove myself worthy, I'll just have to learn to live with a slightly gimpy left hand."

Izuku couldn't help but purse his lips, feeling frustrated at himself. 'Iida… I could've done so much more to help you." He balled his fists at his sides. 'Maybe… if I had been a better friend, I—no. Stop it.' Izuku berated himself, shooing those thoughts away. 'He's already accepted what happened. It'd be selfish to make this about me.'

So instead, Izuku did something else. Taking off his right glove, the greenette exposed the scarred hand he'd received at the Sports Festival, raising it toward Tenya. "Iida… I feel the same way." Lifting his head, Tenya stared at Izuku in astonishment, the One for All user giving a single, resolute nod. "Let's get stronger. Together."

Following the idea, Tenya returned the gesture with gusto while everyone else looked on… including Shoto, whose eyes widened before darting away. "…I feel kind of bad."

"Huh?" Everybody's sights went to him as Kyoka tilted her head. "Why's that, Todoroki?"

"…Whenever I'm involved, someone's hand gets all messed up." Shoto expressed, lifting his own hand to gawk at it in horror. "Is something wrong with me? Am I cursed?"

The group ogled at Todoroki incredulously for a few seconds… before the students broke out into uproarious laughter. "BAHAHAHAHA!" Kyoka was clutching her sides while Tenya did his best to support himself against his bedframe, with Izuku trying desperately to control himself. Even Strongarm was trying to keep a lid on herself. "Hah-hah—T-Todoroki, I had no idea you had a sense of humor! Hahaha!" Izuku guffawed.

"It's not a joke." Shoto replied with the utmost seriousness. "I'm like "The Hand Crusher" or something."

"PFFT—HAHAHA! "THE HAND CRUSHER"!" Kyoka couldn't take it anymore, she fell to her back in hysterics, running out of breath within moments.

As Shoto watched on, Optimus came up to him and pat him on the shoulder. "If it's any consolation, Shoto, I not only do not believe you are this "Hand Crusher" that you believe you are… but I also cannot find the humor in your statement."

"…Thanks, Optimus. I think."

…..

*KRA-CHOOOOOM*

Several miles away from Hosu City, the volcanic summit of Mt. Fuji towered over the Japanese landscape, leaving many locals and tourists alike to revere its supreme immensity. However, on this day, the serenity of its surrounding forests would be torn asunder by an object that fell straight from the sky, crash landing into the deep undergrowth of the woods at the base of the mountain. However, this was no ordinary space rock… no, this was space metal… decidedly taking the form of an orb-shaped pod. And, once the pod burst open… a very large, imposing figure stepped out from it. It took a couple steps out from the crater its pod had landed in, taking in every aspect of the nature that surrounded it. And, with a deep, baritone yet raspy voice… it recited;

"This wonderful world…

Teeming with grace and beauty…"

With its red optics taking note of a patch of flowers in front of it, the robotic being raised its foot… and stomped them into the dirt.

"…It WILL be destroyed."

Stepping into the light, the robot revealed himself to be quite the garish one. His helm was blue and had a flat top with silver jagged parts on the cheeks, and a long, silver head crest that curved forward. His face was bright yellow and he had gnarled teeth, a crooked nose and big, red optics completing his terrifying visage. His chest was broad and colored cyan… and oddly enough, it ALSO had a pair of red optics, one on each pectoral. In the center of his chest was also a purple crystal… which held the Predacon symbol in its center.

From his back, a pair of large, folded, blue panels stood straight up, cast over his yellow, spiked shoulders. His arms were also blue, but they were asymmetrical, too; one with a normal hand with sharp fingers… and one that was just a four-pronged claw. On these arms, he had two torpedo weapons; a magenta one on his normal forearm while a bright green one was held in his claw. His abdomen was completely silver, and he had a pair of blue hip pieces that were somewhat shaped like fish fins. His pelvic region was all yellow while his thigh armor was blue, then below a pair of silver knee pads, his shin armor was again very bright yellow. Finally, his feet were surprisingly quite flat, though he seemed well-balanced enough, nonetheless. As he gazed out over his new territory, the Predacon couldn't help but recite to himself once more;

"This planet will fall

to Decepticon rule. So

dost proclaim—"

"Twitwitwitwi!"

Cutting himself off, the Con sneered and whipped his head around and he caught sight of a large bird of prey. Naturally, he did what anyone would do in this situation… he shot his magenta torpedo at it, making it fall out of the tree. The torpedo returned to him and reattached to his arm, allowing him to finish his haiku;

"…Sky-Byte."

…..

A/N: Rest in Peace, Peter Spellos. The original and BEST portrayal of Sky-Byte. And before you ask, yes, I ALWAYS intended on bringing Sky-Byte into this story. However, given Mr. Spellos' recent passing, I felt like now needed to be the time to bring Sky-Byte in. I want to show my respect to such a great talent and hopefully I can live up to the legacy of Sky-Byte here.

…That being said, that leaves the conundrum of who WOULD voice him now that Peter Spellos is no longer with us, but I might be able to come up with something if I think on it long enough.

But yeah, this chapter overall wasn't much of a game changing thing, just a break chapter to let us breath after that whole mess in Hosu. Though of course, that's not without having to deal with the ramifications of everything that happened in Hosu. Ugh, law enforcement always have to make things more difficult, don't they? Ah well, better to deal with a bunch of legalese than dealing with jail time or ruining potential careers, right? And hey, at least Endeavor is getting NONE of the credit! Huzzah!

Still, Prime and Strongarm did end up having that talk with Tenya, and as you can imagine, it was quite the serious affair. Though that said, at this point, it's pretty clear that Tenya's learned his lesson, so it's good that he and Strongarm are taking this as a chance at a fresh start. No more rule breaking for THIS Class Rep… hopefully.

And man, Kyoka, Snake Eyes, All Might AND Fowler showing up to check in on Izuku was quite something, wasn't it? Guess that'll show that there ARE, in fact, a ton of people who care about our resident One for All inheritor, eh? …And of course, it means that Snake Eyes is a reasonable teacher as well, interrupting his lessons to make sure his student has peace of mind. Overall, really awesome stuff!

And now, the Preview! Even with Tenya and Shoto in the hospital, internships still need to continue, leading to Gran Torino taking Izuku back to his place… right after the old man wraps his meeting up with All Might and Fowler, of course. However, as Kyoka is going back with Snake Eyes… their ship is taken down when it passed by Mt. Fuji, leaving them stranded in the forests below. Thankfully, they're not alone as a certain OTHER Ninja Hero and HIS protégé are patrolling the area themselves, and they managed to see them get taken down. Will this quartet be able to escape the forest with their lives… or are they going to be needing a bigger boat? Next Time; Bite from the Sky! A Flying Shark?! …Did those torpedoes on Sky-Bytes arm just transform?! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!