A/N: How's it going, everybody? Well, here we are! The last Transformers MHA chapter of 2023! Been quite the year for this story in terms of progress, and I'm very happy with the results of going bi-weekly with it. Of course, starting in January, we WILL be going through Transformers MHA Month, and believe me, I've got quite the storyline planned for it. For now, though, this chapter's going to be doing a bit of set-up for what comes IN that month, so be sure to keep an eye out here.

…Also, yes, I changed the name of this chapter to better reflect what happens here. Let's be honest, "Meeting New Faces" was so generic that I regretted saying it LONG after I posted the last chapter. So, with that said, let's begin, shall we? This is…

Chapter 57: Of Mini-Cons and Army Men

…..

Around the GroundBridge in Autobot Headquarters, every single Autobot was standing in attendance, anxiously waiting for when their teammates would come back through. Bumblebee had already arrived with the kids, Snake Eyes and Edgeshot, the latter having introduced the fellow ninja to all of them. There was only one member of the team missing, but it wasn't long before she came swooping in from the front opening before gliding into the adjacent room where they were waiting. Airazor flapped her wings and made her landing, shuffling her way over to the others while still in her beast mode. "I came as soon as I heard." the robotic falcon spoke, bringing the group's attention to her. "Is everyone alright?"

"Well, we're alive." Kyoka replied. "So there's that." She brought her sights down to her best friend, feeling guilty that she couldn't do more. "But Momo tripped and fell while we were being chased. She sprained her knee."

"Oh dear…" Airazor beat her wings a single time, reaching the children in a single bound before lowering her head to them. "It's not serious, is it?" she asked the creation user. "Will you be okay, Momo?"

Smiling up to the falcon bot, Momo raised her hand. "Oh, I'll be just fine, Airazor, really. I just need to wait until Merissa arrives so she can use her healing Quirk on me." She raised her eyebrows as she remembered; "But what about you? Last we saw you, you had a bit of a spell."

Airazor's optics widened and she brought her wing up to her face, slightly embarrassed. "O-Oh, yes… I'm sorry you had to see that, children. But don't worry, I'm feeling much better."

"That's good to hear!" Izuku piped up with a hopeful smile. "Did you and Windblade discover any of your memories at all?"

That made the Maximal sigh as she finally assumed her robot mode, transforming without much fanfare. "Hah, well, some things, yes." Airazor placed her hand on the back of her helm with a wince. "Fragmentary things, such as what the environment on my home planet was like. But nothing truly concrete. We were hoping to get a session in today, but… well…"

"Ah, yeah…" Izuku's shoulders slumped, pursing his lips in mild annoyance. "Of course today would be of all days for a new Predacon to show themselves on Earth."

Arcee came over to the group and kneeled in front of them, her optics shifting between the kids and Bumblebee. "Right, but… you're absolutely certain that this Pred was Sky-Byte?"

"Pretty sure." Kyoka rolled her eyes. "He spouted his name so many times, it's kinda hard to forget. …Also, he's really bad at haikus."

"Hmph, yep, that's Sky-Byte." Flare Up sneered, swinging her fist into the wall she was leaning against. "Dammit all! Can't we just have ONE major Con get reduced to atoms?"

"You all seem pretty upset that this Predacon is on Earth." Edgeshot noted as he and Snake Eyes stared up at them curiously. "Care to explain why?"

Surprisingly, Sideswipe was the one to answer that, the normally jovial bot wearing an incredibly serious expression. "'Cause Sky-Byte is easily one of THE worst Cons to be on Earth, let alone exist. He's one of Megatron's best tacticians, ranking up there only with the likes of Unicronus, Onslaught and… ugh… Six Shot." he shuddered at the mention of the last name, leading everyone else to as well.

"We can only hope to PRIMUS that he doesn't find his way here." Sunstreaker grimaced, though he quickly got back on track. "In any case, Sky-Byte was behind a lot of major Decepticon victories. He might be a bit of a clown when it comes to getting into a battle itself, but there's no doubt that he's got a processor programmed for victory."

"And we thought we'd seen the last of him, too…" Strongarm added, her eyeridges furrowing. "At least, that's what we'd hoped when we saw him go up in that supernova."

That caught the humans' attention. "A supernova?" Kyoka thrust her hands up for emphasis. "As in… an exploding sun?"

Springer nodded down at them, his arms folded over his chest. "Yep, pretty much. I personally wasn't there to see it, but from what I heard, that one was particularly potent. I'm surprised ANYTHING could've survived that…" His sights trailed over to Red Alert by the GroundBridge, raising a metal brow at him. "Hey doc, I heard about the bot who lead Sky-Byte into the thing… he didn't come out of it, right?"

The medical officer didn't face him when he answered, instead craning his head down in a downcast way. "…No. He didn't." he replied, with all the other Autobots also appearing quite saddened.

Airazor and the humans, however, were left perplexed by what they meant. "I-I'm sorry, but I feel I'm a bit lost here. Who was this Autobot?"

"An Autobot who'll forever be remembered as one of the greatest." Red Alert continued, raising a fist for emphasis. "A close friend of mine and Optimus' who gave his life to protect Cybertron from the likes of Decepticons like Sky-Byte." Slowly, he lowered his hand back to his side. "We may have not been able to find his body, but we made sure he received a proper memorial on Cybertron for his great efforts. His name… was—"

*Bleep-bleep, bleep-bleep*

Before he could finish, Red Alert's commlink chimed up, where he heard Optimus speak from the other end; "Red Alert, bridge us back. …We have much to discuss with the team."

The order was surprisingly blunt from the Autobot commander, his voice low yet carrying a sense of urgency. The others were surprised to hear it as well, but Red Alert complied immediately. "Yes, sir. Activating the GroundBridge now." With a pull of the lever, the Red started the Bridge back up, the green vortex swirling into existence.

"…It doesn't sound like things went too well." Edgeshot pointed out to his fellow humans in a whisper. "Be ready."

Momo tilted her head to her mentor. "For what, exactly?"

The Ninja Hero craned his head toward the portal, where Prime, Bulkhead, Jazz and Windblade came walking through. "I've been in enough situations like these were the enemy gets the upper hand. If this is anything like those previous experiences, then you kids are going to really find out what it's like… to go through a war."

But, not long after he said that, All Might came marching through the GroundBridge next… and he was holding a Mini-Con. "WE are here…" he raised the panel up above his head, showing it off to a stunned Autobot crew. "…with the spoils of war!"

"All Might!" Izuku beamed with excitement as he and Kyoka rushed over, the two not expecting to see that. "W-Where did you… HOW did you come across a Mini-Con?!"

"Was THAT what Sky-Byte was after?" Kyoka followed up.

The Number One Hero nodded down to both of them. "Correct! Though sadly…" *poof* In less than a second, All Might's smile disappeared along with his muscles, the skinny man scowling at his own shoddy work. "…I was only able to get one. Sky-Byte got off with the other."

The room was left in stunned silence for a few seconds after that, but it was Sideswipe who tried to encourage the blonde man. "H-Hey, don't beat yourself up about it, All Might. One's better than nothing!"

"Exactly, Sideswipe." Prime confirmed. "We should count our blessings and take our victories where we can…" All the same, though, Optimus' visage grew quite serious, his optics narrowing as he continued; "That being said, Sky-Byte said that he would be using the Mini-Con as a bargaining chip… in order to join Starscream's crew."

A collective gasp ran through the Autobot ranks, with Arcee clenching her fist. "That conniving shark! Of course, he'd pull something like this!"

Strongarm wasn't too happy about it either. "Using a Mini-Con—a living being—as a tool to get himself into Starscream's good graces. It's disgusting."

However, Sunstreaker was a bit more skeptical about the situation. "But uh… will it even work?" Everyone's attention was on him as he elaborated further. "I mean, think about it; Sky-Byte's one of Megatron's most loyal followers. Maybe not as much as some others, but still, you gotta think that ol' Screamer probably wouldn't like that fact about him, right?"

The Autobots all shared a look before Optimus answered. "While I would agree with your logic under normal circumstances, Sunstreaker, we must remember that Starscream isn't the ONLY one in command of the Darksyde." At the reminder, the yellow Autobot lowered his head with a grimace, which Prime couldn't blame him for. "Indeed, the fact that Unicronus is on that ship means that Sky-Byte will likely be welcomed aboard, whether Starscream likes it or not."

"Which means we'll have even MORE problems to deal with soon." Bulkhead said with a roll of his optics. "Fantastic."

"Well, at least it ain't a total wash." Jazz encouraged, pointing down to Toshinori and the Mini-Con. "After all, All Might still managed to nap that Mini-Con, which means we're still WAY ahead a' the Cons on that front. They'll have four while we still got eight."

"Hey, yeah!" Kyoka brought her fist down into the palm of her other hand, smiling up at her Autobot partner. "Way to stay positive, Jazz! Though, uh… just one question." Her gaze directed over to All Might himself with a raised brow. "Why hasn't the Mini-Con come online yet? Usually all you have to do is touch the panel and it wakes up, doesn't it?"

Toshinori hummed to himself, eyeing the panel curiously. "Yes, it's quite the mystery, young Jiro. Optimus, might you know why?"

Kneeling down in front of his friend, Optimus reached his hand out, requesting the panel from Toshinori. "It certainly is an inquiring case, I agree." With All Might setting the panel in his giant, metal palm, Optimus peered closer at it. "Though some do say that Mini-Cons are generally compelled to react better to a bot that they share similar traits with." He set his sights down to Izuku, Kyoka and Momo. "Perhaps that is why the Mini-Con Council awoke when you touched their panels. You both shared a common cause and because of that, they responded to your emotions."

"Ah, I see. Very interesting." Momo nodded in understanding. "So if that's the case, then perhaps some of the other bots around could have something in common with this Mini-Con?"

"I was about to suggest that very notion, Momo." Prime concurred, extending his arm out to his team. "Autobots, if any of you wish to attempt and bring this Mini-Con out of its hibernation, then feel free to do so."

"Ooh! OOH! Me, me, me! I wanna try!" Sideswipe rushed forward, much to the chagrin of all who he barreled past.

Strongarm, of course, was the least impressed with his decorum. "Sideswipe, do you just LACK patience all together?"

The warrior Autobot just narrowed his optics back at her. "Well, it beats being a slow and steady stickler for protocol, if ya ask me." He turned back to Optimus as Strongarm snarled at him, asking his leader nicely; "May I please take a shot at it?"

Optimus wasn't so certain, but he wasn't about to deny the young bot. "Very well, Sideswipe. Give it a go." Sideswipe was practically bouncing up and down on his peds as Prime handed the panel to him, all while he advised; "Remember, it is important that you convey your thoughts to the Mini-Con within. If it understands you, then it will allow you to understand it."

Sideswipe gave a thumbs up. "Gotcha!" Closing his hand gently around the panel, Sideswipe closed his optics and concentrated as best he could. "C'mon, little guy… think about how great we'd be as a team! Kickin' Decepticon cans left and right, speeding through the battlefield unmatched, it'll be great, right?" He opened his optics and… nothing. The Mini-Con wasn't so much as glowing a single bit in his hand.

"…Nothin's happening." Sunstreaker pointed out, peeking his head over his brother's shoulder.

"I-I can SEE that, bro!" Sideswipe snapped.

"Hm, maybe there IS something to having patience after all, eh?" Strongarm said smugly, placing her hands on her hips. "Either that, or the Mini-Con doesn't exactly like the idea of going all-out in battle. Remember, Sideswipe; each Mini-Con has its own distinct personality, and not ALL of them are going to be warriors like Roller or the Council."

With a loud groan, Sideswipe thrust his hands out at his sides, throwing his head back and shouting; "Well, what the scrap am I supposed to do NOW? If the Mini-Con doesn't like ME of all bots, then who… would it… like?" But the red bot cut himself off as, in his hand, the Mini-Con actually began to glow, much to everyone's shock. "Hah… haha! YES! It's working!" He brought it back up to his face… and it stopped. "…W-Wait, huh?" Once more, he extended his arm back out to where he had it, and sure enough, it started glowing again. And the very second he brought it back, it stopped again. He repeated the process over and over, always getting the same result. "What the heck is going—"

"Uh… Sides?" Bulkhead piped up, pointing to where Sideswipe had his arm extended.

Everyone craned their heads up, seeing that the Mini-Con glowed more intensely… when it got close to Red Alert. Suddenly feeling several gazes locked on him, Red glanced past his shoulder from where he was working and asked; "What?"

"Red… the Mini-Con is reacting to you." Optimus answered as Sideswipe neared the medic.

"W-What? That's preposterous!" Red Alert denied, moving around to raise a hand at Sideswipe. "I am in no position to take on a Mini—" But before he could finish his argument, the Autobot warrior practically shoved the panel into his upturned palm, where it began to glow bright and intense. "Ah! Sideswipe!"

"Trust me, Red, not too thrilled about it either." Sideswipe admitted, though he wore a sly smirk while saying it. "But hey, you getting a Mini-Con just sounds WAY too hilarious to pass up."

As much as Red Alert was FAR from thrilled about this… he knew he couldn't continue resisting at this point. Not when the Mini-Con was already beginning to take shape. After all, who was HE to deny the little one from emerging from its long slumber? 'Maybe if I'm lucky, whoever this is can be of assistance around the lab or some… what?' But the medic had to do a doubletake when he saw a familiar silhouette in the shining form, and before long, it faded to reveal the Mini-Con in full. Red was left slack-jawed…

In his hand stood a grey and blue Mini-Con, its arms and lower legs taking on the former color while its body and head were the latter. The little bot's blue chest was detailed with three, thick red stripes going down each side, and his square-shaped helm was donned with a silver faceplate and red visor that wrapped around his whole head. On the left side of his forehead, there was also a small, red lens, which may have acted as a third optic of sorts.

The little bots thighs were bright yellow by contrast to the darker colors of his body, along with the rims of his tires and… the crane arm that stuck out of his back. The wheels themselves were located inside his biceps, forearms and his heels, making six in total. Once the Mini-Con had come to, he immediately brought a hand to the back of his head, letting out a tired moan. "Mmph… wow, how long've I been out?" he spoke in a light, raspy voice.

"For too long, little bot." Optimus spoke up. "But worry not, you are safe now."

With a turn of his head, the Mini-Con spotted Optimus and gasped, retracting his faceplate to reveal his open mouth in shock. "O-Optimus Prime?!" The more he whipped around, the more he kept spotting Autobots, and all the more questions passed through his vocal processor. "W-Where am I? What's going on?! What happened to the Ark—"

"Calm yourself." Red said firmly, making the Mini-Con stop in place. "It's as Optimus said, you're safe now… Longarm."

Neither the Autobots OR Longarm were expecting to hear that from the medic, with Longarm himself seemingly astonished to hear him at all. He spun back to Red and immediately gasped again, bringing his hands up in shock. "N…N-No way! Red Alert?!"

Red Alert gave a nod down to him. "Hello, soldier. It's been a long time since we've encountered one another, hasn't it?"

"S-Sir!" Longarm saluted, standing at attention. "It's good to see you again, sir!"

The others in the room couldn't help but eye one another in confusion, with Kyoka expressing their curiosity for them. "Uh… what's with the whole "sir" thing, Red?"

"Well, for one…" Red shook his head to Longarm. "I thought I told you not to call me "sir", remember?"

"O-Of course, Red Alert!" Longarm bowed apologetically. "Please forgive me, but… I'm forever in your debt for what you did." He moved back up and gave Red a thankful smile. "After all, you saved my friend's life!"

And THAT managed to throw a wrench into everyone's thought process. "W-Woah, hold on, slow down for a second." Izuku piped up. "Red, what's going on here?"

"Indeed, I'm also rather surprised by all of this." Optimus interjected, tilting his head to his old friend. "I don't remember you ever making mention of this before, Red Alert. Would you please elaborate for us?"

A sigh passed through Red Alert's vents as he stared down at Longarm, who kept smiling back at him unwavering. "…It was a long time ago, during the mid-days of the War for Cybertron. As you all know, I was mainly a security guard during that time, but when the chips were down, I was also a reliable field medic. I never took the practice AS seriously as my main occupation, though… at least, not until that day…"

…..

~Cybertron, Millions of Years Ago~

Red Alert's danger detection was going through the roof as he drove through the city streets of Paralax, an Autobot controlled municipal that was currently under siege by Decepticon forces. He and his squad had been moved here on an important mission; save the civilians who called this place home and bring them to Iacon, where it was safe. The Autobot capital hadn't been breached yet and the Ark was nearing completion. Its mission was to hopefully find energon to bring back to aid the Autobots in their effort to stop the Decepticon threat… at least hopefully. Red Alert himself didn't have much faith in the mission, but he knew that Optimus Prime's decision was firm.

Granted, part of the reason might've been the upcoming promotion he'd be receiving as a result. His mentor, the Autobot Ratchet, had been chosen to leave on the Ark's mission, along with the bot's top engineer, Wheeljack. As a result, he had been selected by Optimus to take on BOTH roles, recognizing him as a practitioner of all three. Of course, he WAS a jack of all trades, but he felt it unwise of the Prime to appoint HIM of this task when his main role was security. Still, both Ratchet AND Wheeljack had faith in him, so he wasn't about to rebuke them.

'I only wish I had faith in MYSELF to take the position.' he mused. 'I'm at best a field medic and a tinkerer compared to them…'

"H-HELP!"

Skidding to a halt, Red Alert transformed and began scanning the area, searching for whoever cried out. "Speak up! Where are you?"

"O-Over this way! Please, m-my friend needs help!"

The voice was coming off to Red Alert's right, echoing from inside a nearly collapsed building. He saw a large hole that he was just barely able to squeeze himself through, the infrared scanner in his visor searching for the bots in peril. It wasn't long before he picked up their location… but what he saw wasn't what he was expecting. There, in front of a large pile of rubble, was a Mini-Con. A blue and grey one with a yellow crane on his back. He was desperately trying to lift the rubble off of another Mini-Con, this one orange with a back-mounted propeller. When he heard Red Alert begin to approach, the blue and grey Mini-Con spun around and waved him down. "Oh, thank the maker! A-Are you a medic?"

"Yes, I am a field medic." Red confirmed as he knelt down, continuing his scan over the trapped Mini-Con. "What happened?"

"W-We were making our escape through here, but the ceiling collapsed on him before we could make it out. C-Can you help him?"

In truth, Red Alert wasn't sure how to answer that question as he carefully lifted the rubble off of the little one… where he saw that his midsection had been stabbed through by a piece of sharp metal, nearly bisecting him. He was still alive, but Red knew if he didn't do something now, he would be a goner. 'I wish we were closer to a proper care unit, but… I'll have to do what I can here.' With that thought, he craned his head down to the other Mini-Con. "I'll… give it my best. In truth, my medical skills aren't as impressive compared to most…"

But the crane bot didn't seem to care. "Please! W-We at least need to see if he can be saved long enough to get him to a proper medical facility, right? I… I have faith that you can do it, sir!"

Red had to admit, he was taken aback by the proclamation. This Mini-Con had only just met him and he had faith in him? Either he was far too naïve or the feeling was genuine. The security officer cleared his throat and clarified; "A-Ahem, well, firstly, don't call me "sir". I work for a living. The name is Red Alert, understand?"

"Y-Yes sir—er, I mean, Red Alert." the Mini-Con saluted. "And my name's Longarm. I'm a Mini-Con engineer…" He stared worriedly down at his friend. "…That's my best friend, Jolt. Please, do what you can for him."

"I will, I can promise you that." Taking up his multi-tool hand and activating his laser scalpel, Red Alert got right to work, patching up any and all integral mechanisms he could inside of Jolt's torso. To reconstruct his whole midsection would mean they'd need an CR Chamber, so until they could get to one, this was the best he'd be able to do. 'Just stop the energon and fluid leaking, Red, and you'll buy enough time for—'

"HEY! I think I spotted somethin' in there!"

Red snapped his head up in panic. "Scrap." he whispered, only to recoil when a wall off to his side was blasted open.

Through the new hole came a battalion of five Vehicons, their red visors glaring directly at them. "There! I knew it!" one Con pointed toward them. "An Autobot an' his little Mini-Con pals!"

Another Vehicon snickered at this. "Hehehe, well, well, we've hit the jackpot! Destroy the Autobot, but take the Mini-Cons alive. I'm sure Lord Megatron will find some use for them."

Red Alert stood up to his feet, raising an arm to block their path. "Stop, stay back! This Mini-Con is injured!"

"Does it look like we care, Autobot?!" the Vehicons raised their blasters at them. "Prepare to meet the maker!"

"NOOO!" Longarm suddenly yelled, dashing in front of Red Alert and raising his arms. "I won't let you take us! Leave my friend alone!"

Almost all at once, the Vehicons began to laugh, throwing their heads back in sheer hilarity. "BAHAHAHA! Oh, OH, this is too rich!" the commanding officer said before glowering down at Longarm. "And what do you think YOU can do to stop us, small fry? Huh?!"

To their surprise, however, Longarm's answer was confident. "You'd be surprised what a Mini-Con can do…" He craned his head back to Red Alert. "…When working together with a bigger bot."

Once again, Red Alert was stunned. This Mini-Con… one seemingly fueled by the desire to protect his friend, was suggesting that they Powerlink. The confidence the little one was exuding was so great… that it made the field medic realize something. 'If this little one is willing to fight anything to protect those he cares about… then how does a bot like ME have cold struts when it comes to taking over a job?' Red pursed his lips, his own resolve coming to the forefront. 'No more. It's time to grow some bearings, Red.'

"…You're absolutely certain of this?" the soon-to-be full-time medic asked.

"If you'd let me." Longarm nodded.

For the first time in a long time, Red Alert gave a genuine smile. "Then let's do it… POWERLINK!" Longarm transformed and then hooked onto Red Alert's shoulder. What happened next couldn't be seen by normal optics as a bright flash engulfed the area, but one thing was for sure; the Vehicons weren't the ones who walked out of that building.

…..

~Present Day~

"…And that was that." Red Alert concluded, grinning down to Longarm. "We walked away unscathed, Jolt got the proper care he needed, and I delivered the two of them to the Ark where they were put into their stasis panels for the long trip."

Needless to say, everyone was left in complete silence as the story wrapped up, with Momo having placed a hand over her chest. "Oh my gosh. That… that was—"

"AAAAAAHHH!" The sudden, loud bawl took everyone off guard, bringing their sights down next to Red Alert's foot where… Mei was crying tears of happiness. "AAH! Th-That was the most touching story I-I've ever heard!" She put her face against Red's leg as she continued crying, much to the medic's chagrin.

The group couldn't help but just stare at her… mainly because they had NO idea where she came from. "M-Mei!" Red Alert exclaimed. "H-How long have you—"

"Long enough, you big dummy!" she replied, pounding her fist against his leg. "I come out of the lab for a minute for some food—which you CONSTANTLY remind me to do, by the way—and you drop THIS on me?!" She whipped her head up and pointed directly at her four friends… seemingly stopping her waterworks on command. "Also, what the heck are you guys doing here? Aren't you supposed to be sidekicking or something?"

Kyoka and Izuku both facefaulted while Momo hung her head with a heavy sigh, though the rich girl couldn't help but smile amusingly. "Hah, good to see you, too, Hatsume. Never mind the fact that two of our mentors are here."

Mei tilted her head before, out the corner of her eye, she spotted them. Her eyebrows shot up at the sight of Edgeshot and Snake Eyes, the latter ninja raising his hand in greeting while the former gave a salute. "Hello there, Miss Hatsume. It's good to see you again."

"Ah, okay, I see." Mei scratched her chin. "Obviously I missed something pretty big." Kyoka was about to explain, but Mei thrust her hand out, pointing directly at Longarm. "But that doesn't matter right now! You there, little bot with the armature on your back!"

"Um… it's Longarm." the Mini-Con said with confusion in his voice.

"Right, of course, Longarm!" Mei rushed up to him and shook his hand. "Easy to remember! I like ya already! Red mentioned that you were an engineer on Cybertron, correct?"

Longarm gave her a hesitant nod. "Yes…"

But he immediately regretted it as Mei's crosshair eyes shined brightly. "That's amazing! It means you must've built some awesome babies, am I right?!"

"B…B-Babies?"

Izuku facepalmed, his and Kyoka's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "…She means "inventions"."

All the same, Longarm still felt a bit lost, even with the clarification. "Oh, u-um… I guess I have, yes. Th-Though I never really took a MAJOR part in certain projects. I was more along the type of Mini-Con to be put into construction more than anything."

If anything, though, this didn't quell Mei's enthusiasm, only stoked it. "Ah, so you built BUILDINGS, huh? BIG babies!" She reached up and placed a hand on Longarm's shoulder, giving an approving nod. "Longarm, you and I have a LOT in common. We make things, we're both friends with Red… yeah, you and I are gonna get along JUST fine."

…And then Longarm was completely lost. "What is happening?"

"Hah, Longarm, this is my human friend, Mei Hatsume." Red Alert explained, all while gently separating the two so that the Mini-Con wouldn't feel congested anymore. "She's a genius when it comes to creating inventions, though she is very… excitable at the same time. But I promise, she's quite brilliant despite her demeanor."

"Oh… o-okay." Longarm sheepishly said before bowing his head to her. "It's nice to meet you, Mei. If Red Alert trusts you, then I guess I'll extend the same kindness to you."

That made the pink-haired girl throw her hands up in celebration. "WOO! Glad to hear it! It's gonna be great having a Mini-Con around the lab, I already know it! C'mon, I'll show you around!"

But before Mei could even take a step, the sound of a loud engine roared in the distance, garnering the Autobots' attention. "What on Cybertron is that?" Bulkhead asked.

Optimus proceeded toward the exit, already having an idea on who it might be. "Very likely, it is Agent Fowler. Come, Autobots. There's someone who I'd like to introduce you to." The team all proceeded outside and into the yard, just in time to see Fowler's black vehicle come bowling down the forest path. As the drivers' side door opened, Prime was about to advise Fowler not to drive so recklessly… but it WASN'T Fowler who was driving. "W-What the—"

"YOU!" Of all people who could've been driving that vehicle… no one would've expected it to be Mirko herself, the Rabbit Hero pointing violently at Izuku with gritted teeth. "KID! You've got SOME nerve!"

Izuku, the girls, and Toshinori all gasped in unison, the latter quickly ducking into the base to buff back up into his Muscle Form. When he came back, though… he bore witness to the white-haired woman having grabbed Izuku by the arms and hoisted him up into the air, violently shaking him until he was dizzy. "…Oh boy."

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! You went to battle a freaking Decepticon and you didn't invite ME?!"

"M-Mirko, please!" Izuku begged, as his eyes spiraled. "I-It was an e-emergency! We had to leave immediately!"

"A likely story! You little dummy, you KNEW how badly I wanted to kick Decepticon ass!"

The entire group couldn't help but watch with utter astonishment as Izuku pleaded for mercy, his screams echoing down all the way to the beach. From the vehicle, Fowler, Gran Torino, as well as Marissa simply stared on, too, not wanting to get involved with the quarrel. "…Again, I ask, what is happening?" Longarm inquired.

Sideswipe kneeled down and whispered; "You know the phrase; "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"?"

"What is "hell"?"

"Exactly. You don't want to know."

The only one who wasn't perturbed in the least was Mei, beaming from ear to ear at the sight of more new arrivals. "Ooh! New people! I'd better go get my notes!" She rushed off to the lab, without anyone able to ask her what she meant.

As the shouting went on, Optimus couldn't help but give a sigh. "Hah… well, I suppose this day couldn't get any stranger…" *SHOOOOM* But then, the sound of jet engines came rushing over from above, leading Prime and the others to crane their heads up. There, a small airship with the Arashikage symbol and the G.I. Joe logo came in for a slow descent on the beach, leading the Autobot leader to crane his head down to Snake Eyes. "…I certainly hope that whatever tracker you have on you cannot be detected by anyone other than your allies, Snake Eyes." The specialist gave him a thumbs up. "Good, just checking."

…..

Several miles away from Japan, meanwhile, Sky-Byte was practically rocketing through the ocean at lightning speed, the boost from his tail thruster and torpedo Mini-Cons giving him an exponential increase in velocity. He knew he likely wouldn't get to the location of his allies until the next day, but he wasn't about to let that deter him. 'I must get to these Decepticons and aid them in their battle. No doubt Starscream has already bungled many an operation.' Just as he was about to break through the water's surface to take to the air, however… his commlink clicked on.

"Attention unidentified Decepticon signal." Barricade's voice rang through. "We've caught you on our radar. Identify yourself."

Sky-Byte's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't think that the scanners on their ship would be THAT long-range. Still, he certainly wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. He Terrorized into robot mode and cleared his throat to reply. "A-Ahem, yes, very good! I was hoping that you would contact me eventually. Honestly, I expected it MUCH sooner." Sky-Byte smirked to himself, proud at himself for keeping up appearances. "After all, the Harbinger of Doom is not to be kept waiting, isn't he?"

A gasp from the other end of the call was all he needed to hear. "AH! S-Sky-Byte?! Is… is that really you?"

"Barricade, old chum! How've ya been?"

"H-Hold on a second, I'll get a GroundBridge open and let you through."

And that served to pique Sky-Byte's interest. "Ah… you have a GroundBridge?"

"Er, well, yes. Though it's a more portable system with no dedicated base." the Decepticon cop uttered. "As a result, it takes up a lot of power, so we can't use it often or else we'll waste Energon that we need to keep the ship's systems online. For this occasion, though, I think it's MORE than a worthy expense to make." Just a few moments later, Sky-Byte saw the vortex appear before him, much to his delight. "Come on in."

The Predacon happily did so, passing into the swirling portal and emerging though the other side onto the bridge of the Darksyde's. He stood upon the massive catwalk overlooking the dozen or so Vehicons working at their own individual consoles. Once the GroundBridge closed, Barricade spun around in the chair of the ship's main console, spreading his arms out in greeting. "Welcome to the Darksyde, Sky-Byte. And I've gotta say…" he stood up and went over, shaking Sky-Byte's hand. "It's good to see you."

Sky-Byte's gnarled grin increased with a snicker. "Hehe, I can say the same for you, Barricade. I—huh?" All of a sudden, the lights on the bridge flickered, but they stabilized a second later. "Oh, sheesh! You really weren't kidding with the power supply being low, were you?"

"Nope." Barricade shook his head. "I mean, we've found a pretty significant Energon deposit where we're based, but—"

*sssshhhkkt*

The sound of the automatic door opening caught their attention, the two Cons turning just in time to see Starscream storming in, with Swift directly behind him. "Alright, the light just flashed!" the Seeker stated, pointing a finger down to the floor. "I want an answer as to who just used the GroundBridge and I want it—AAAAAAHH!" If Starscream had lungs, sharp gasp that he took would've been enough to make him pass out. And if it didn't then then shock he was experiencing likely would have.

Swift also gave a light gasp, her optics widening and mouth falling open. "…No. Way." She looked to Starscream for affirmation. "Is… i-is he real? Or a figment of our imagination?"

"Th-Th-There's no WAY he can be real!" Starscream insisted with a swipe of his hand. "I saw him go up in a blaze of glory! We ALL did!"

Their stunned state made Sky-Byte's smirk increase, spreading his arms out before performing a bow to them. "Oh, I can assure you that I'm very real. Starscream, and the lovely Swift! It has been far too long."

As much as Starscream didn't want to admit it… the Con standing before him was very real. The exaggerated mannerisms, the high-class yet raspy voice, the MASSIVE ego that only rivaled his own. There was no mistaking it. "…Sky-Byte."

"Oh! So flattered that you remember me." Sky-Byte placed a hand over his chest, feigning worry. "I was genuinely concerned that all of you had forgotten about me!"

Swift could only laugh at that. "Ha! After the stunt you pulled getting rid of that Autobot? Never in a million years! Megatron had a statue erected in your honor!"

That bit of news actually managed to make Sky-Byte take a sincere pause. "Hah… my old friend… commemorated my sacrifice…" He took a shaky breath and placed his hand to his forehead. "F-Forgive me, I need a moment."

"Very well. …Okay, moment's over." Starscream jetted over to the Predacon with a single jump, grasping him by the chest to bring them eye-to-eye. "Now talk, you sorry excuse for a Sharkticon! How in the PIT did you survive that little "sacrifice" of yours? And, pray tell, WHAT are you doing aboard MY ship?!"

"AHEM!" And just like that, Starscream's energon ran cold as a certain other voice entered the conversation. "I think you mean OUR ship, right, Starscream?" Through the bridge door, Unicronus came trudging in, the shadowy Decepticon's optics zeroing in directly at Sky-Byte. "But I gotta admit, I'm pretty curious myself, Sky-Byte. How DID you survive?"

"…Er, I'm sorry." Sky-Byte apologized as he scratched his chin with his claw. "But who are you, exactly?"

Swift took the liberty of doing introductions. "Oh, yeah, that's right. You weren't around when he came into our ranks." She raised her hand to the dark Decepticon. "Sky-Byte, this is General Unicronus. Megatron… recruited him during the final days of the War for Cybertron before we drove most of the remaining Autobot forces off the planet."

"Ah… I see." Sky-Byte approached Unicronus hesitantly, offering a hand. "Well, regardless, it's a pleasure to meet you. …Just please tell me that you didn't take my old spot."

Unicronus just laughed and shook Sky-Byte's hand. "Hahaha! You kiddin' me? With how much Megatron revered you, we wouldn't let ANYONE take your old job, and that includes the Main Mech right here." he said as he jabbed a thumb to himself. "You're the real deal, Sky-Byte, and it's a pleasure to have ya abord."

"B-B-But—er, eh—b-but—" Starscream stuttered.

"NO BUTS!" Unicronus dismissed. "You know how happy Megatron is gonna be when he finds out that SKY-BYTE of all bots is alive?! He's on board, and he's STAYING on board. That's final!"

Sky-Byte held his head high at his triumph. "I am more than happy to be of service to you all. That said, I think you asked me before just HOW I survived…" He sat himself down in the nearest seat, raising his hand and claw to emphasize his story. "Well, after the sun went supernova, I made it out of the blast radius just enough to avoid being incinerated. However, the resulting explosion still sent me halfway across the galaxy… which is when I landed on the planet of Charr."

"Wait, Charr?" Barricade piped up. "That's a Cybertronian colony, right?"

The shark bot nodded. "Yes, though they've somehow remained ignorant of the war even after all this time. All they knew was that SpaceBridges to and from Cybertron were suddenly cut off and they had no idea why…" His grin coming back in full force, Sky-Byte continued; "Which is how I was able to convince them to side with the Decepticons. After the Charrians repaired me, I told them of Lord Megatron's great ambitions and showed them our symbol. I said to them that anyone wearing it is to be helped should they land on their planet. And should any Autobots come… they are to be terminated with extreme prejudice."

Unicronus was greatly pleased to hear that. "Hahaha! Excellent! I always heard you had a silver tongue, Sky-Byte. Good job putting it to good use."

"Hmhm, I aim to please." But then, Sky-Byte grimaced. "Unfortunately, I was unable to return to Cybertron. By the time my wounds were fully healed, I found myself hounded by… several Autobots who hounded me to seek revenge for their comrade's demise."

Starscream rolled his optics. "Psh, let me guess, it must've been those Aerialbots, correct? They were always close to that pompous windbag…"

"C-Correct! Silverbolt and his forces were incredibly tenacious!" Sky-Byte insisted, dramatically raising his arms. "But I was even more so! After the Charrians gifted me two of their Mini-Cons, I flew through the cosmos, outwitting and overpowering any Autobot I could, until eventually, I found my way to THIS little marble." Taking a brief pause, Sky-Byte suddenly remembered; "Oh, yes, that's right…" He took his damaged Mini-Cons off his back, handing them to barricade. "See to it that these two get repaired, okay? They were damaged in a fight I had after arriving here."

"Understood." Barricade took hold of the torpedoes in each arm before moving toward the exit. "I'll see to it that Flatline gets them back in fighting shape."

Once the Decepticon cop was gone, though, Starscream glared inquisitively at Sky-Byte. "A fight, eh? Already encountered some Autobots, I take it?"

"Yes… along with their surprisingly powerful organic allies." Clenching a fist, Sky-Byte growled. "Grr, and I would've had them both if that muscle-bound, pointy-haired brute hadn't gotten in my way!"

The description made Starscream clench his metal teeth. "…Pointy-haired brute? All Might." He stepped closer to Sky-Byte and narrowed his optics at him. "I have a personal matter I have to resolve with that one. He punched me ONCE and somehow knocked me out!" At the mention of that, Sky-Byte started to snicker… and as much as he tried to hold it back, it just blew out into full-on cackling within seconds, much to Starscream's confusion. "W-What's so funny?!"

"PFFT—HAHAHAHA! Oh, Starscream, you were only capable of taking ONE punch from this "All Might"?" Sky-Byte raised a pair of fingers. "Then it might interest you to hear that I took TWO impeccable impacts from that so-called "hero"!"

"WHAT?!" Starscream clenched his helm in disbelief.

Swift and Unicronus, however, were simply awestruck, the former even more so. "Gotta admit, that's impressive." she muttered.

The Decepticon general wore a smirk and nodded in approval. "I knew I'd like you if we met, Sky-Byte, and I'm glad to see I was right. Again, welcome aboard the Darksyde!"

"I'm honored to be of service, general." Sky-Byte bowed graciously. "I honestly didn't think it would be that smooth of a welcome. Though that DOES leave me with a conundrum…" The Predacon opened up his chest and took out the Mini-Con panel he procured, which was starting to glow quite brightly. "What am I to do with my intended bargaining chip?"

Starscream and the others were left slack-jawed. "A… A MINI-CON?!"

Waving the panel in between his fingertips, Sky-Byte affirmed; "Yes, indeed! What do you think I was fighting All Might for? Initially there were two Mini-Cons, but I only managed to get away with one before the Autobots came in." He outstretched his hand, which only made the Mini-Con glow brighter. "I was unfortunately outnumbered, so I decided to cut my losses and just make off with the one."

This only managed to further Unicronus' good mood. "Oh, that's alright, Sky-Byte. One Mini-Con is more than enough. They may've got more compared to us, but WE'RE the ones who find the better Energon deposits, so it evens out." He went to pluck the panel out of Sky-Byte's palm… but then pulled his hand back. "Hmph, though it would be of no use to me considering I'm confined to this ship until Megatron orders otherwise. One of you two take it, then."

"Hmhmhm, excellent!" Starscream went to grasp the Mini-Con within his clutches. "Perhaps with this, I will be able to send the Autobots running with their gear shifts between their legs during out next encount—w-wait, wha—"

"DIBS!" Sliding in front of her commanding officer with a conniving twinkle in her optic, Swift wasted no time in thrusting her hand out and grabbing the panel, engulfing the room in green light in the process.

Once the light died down, the group were left stunned at the femme's sudden move, Starscream most of all. "S-Swift?! What did you go and do THAT for?!"

"Sorry, but I could feel it, 'Screamer." Swift insisted, keeping the Mini-Con close to her. "It was like the little guy was calling out to me. And besides…" She revealed the Mini-Con to her cohorts, allowing them to bask in its destructive glory. "Isn't he just PERFECT for me?!"

The three mechs all stared at the little bot as it glared back at them with its gleaming, yellow optics. It was mainly a deep red color with some grey in its arms and yellow accents near its shoulders. Its entire chest was the canopy of its vehicle mode, which must've been some sort of mining machine. Its red legs had black treads all the way down from hip to foot, and while its left arm was completely normal… the other one was just an entire drill, a massive one that was almost as big as its own body. Its helm was grey and had a flat top, with its faceplate just as yellow as its optics.

It didn't speak at first, leading Starscream to push a finger out at it. "Uh… is it oven onli—" *CHINK* "YEOWCH!"

The Seeker pulled his hand back after the Mini-Con swiped its drill, thrusting his own finger back at him. "Don't ya go pointing at ME, buster! Not if ya aren't prepared to tangle with the one an' only Drill Bit!" he spoke in a gruff, city accent.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo, I'm likin' ya already!" Swift giggled in delight.

"Ma'am, I aim to please!" Drill Bit spun around in her palm, saluting with his normal hand. "An' from what I can tell, you an' I share a love fer destruction! An' that's sayin' somethin', since I'm part a' the Destruction Mini-Con Team!"

That made Swift's optics light up even more. "Oh, so you have a team? And you specialize in destruction… sounds FUN."

"Oh, you betcha!" Drill Bit pounded his fist to his chest. "We were THE best demolition crew on Cybertron, no questions asked! If ya needed it taken down, WE were the ones to call!" He placed his hand to his hip and craned his head around. "So, where're the boys? I wanna get right to work!"

Just as quickly as her smile appeared, Swift's lips fell into an awkward frown, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "Er, yeah, about that… we kinda don't know where they are, exactly. You were alone when you were found."

Drill Bit's optics flashed red briefly at the news. "WHAT?! Dualor an' Landslide ain't around?!" He was about to go off on Swift, but quickly reeled himself back in, raising his hand to stop himself. "NO! No… keep it together, Drill Bit. Keep. It. Together." His focus went back to Swift and he asked; "How high are the chances that I can find 'em?"

"Not too high if you go at it alone." Swift smirked. "But stick with me and my Decepticon crew and we'll find your friends. Then… we can do some real damage."

"Haha, I like the way you think! What's yer name, lady?"

Bringing her hand up, the copter bot introduced herself. "Name's Swift. Pleasure to be doin' business with ya, Drill Bit."

"Likewise!" Drill Bit shook her hand. "Now, let's see about findin' my pals, eh?" Swift wholeheartedly agreed and the duo made a beeline for the door, leaving the trio of mechs to themselves.

It was Sky-Byte who broke the silence. "Well… I certainly wasn't expecting that."

Unicronus sighed and shook his head. "None of us were, I guarantee. But all the same, at least that whole situation's been taken care of. Now c'mon, let's get you acquainted with the ship."

"A-Ah, yes…" Sky-Byte's mind began racing a mile a minute, searching for any excuse to get away from Unicronus for just a little bit. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to come up with one. "Though before we do, would you mind if Starscream escorts me to the medical bay first? I wish to check up on the condition of my own Mini-Cons."

An incredulous stare was earned from the Second-in-Command at the request, though Starscream was even more stunned when Unicronus allowed it. "Hm… yeah, sure, alright. Just be back soon. I wanna get word to Lord Megatron that you're alive an' all that."

"Of course! Hah, I cannot wait to catch up with my old friend, that's for sure!" Reaching out with his claw hand, Sky-Byte gripped Starscream by the wrist, practically dragging him out of there. "Come now, Starscream, I want to get this done as soon as possible!"

"W-Wha—now wait just a moment!" Starscream protested, hobbling into the hallway as Sky-Byte nearly caused him to fall over. "I never agreed to any of this! What right do YOU have to drag ME around, you brown-nosed—hmph-HMPH!"

Pressing a firm hand over Starscream's mouth, Sky-Byte raised his claw and whispered; "Shh! We don't want him to hear you." After taking a quick scan around the hall, the duo ducked into a different nearby room that was mostly empty, save for a few tools and such. Exhaling all at once, Sky-Byte calmed himself before going any further. "Hah… alright, now… I am more than aware that you likely can't stand me…"

"Oh my goodness, what gave it away?" Starscream asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm while folding his arms. "Was it your unwavering loyalty to the bot I hate most, or the fact that you just waltzed onto my ship and practically bought your way onboard?" His optics shifted to the side while admitting; "Though… I suppose you DO earn points from me by killing my old "friend" in such a spectacular manner…"

The shark bot's coughed into his hand, fighting to keep his composure. "Y-Y-Yes, well… be that as it may… I still need your help. You're good at keeping things from Megatron, so can I trust you in helping me hide my shame?"

Starscream's eyeridge raised in confusion. "Shame? What shame?"

Sky-Byte took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. "You know that "old friend" of yours that you just mentioned?" Instantly, he was met with narrowed optics again, which did nothing to help his nerves. "I… may have miscalculated when it came to that supernova. The truth of the matter is that the Aerialbots WEREN'T the ones who've been hounding me, heh… it's him. He survived the blast as well."

"HE WHA—"

"SSHHH!"

"He what?!" Starscream whispered harshly, his anxiety going through the roof. "What do you mean he's alive?!

Placing his hand upon his helm, Sky-Byte sighed heavily, realizing that he probably made a mistake. But even so, he had to go through it anyway. Ironically enough, Starscream was the only one on this ship who he could trust. "Exactly what I mean; he is alive and has been chasing me around the universe for some time." Sky-Byte craned his head down shamefully. "It's why I never attempted to return to Cybertron, or make contact with any other Decepticon forces until now. I couldn't confront Megatron knowing that I would be shamed for my failure…"

At that, Starscream rolled his optics. "Oh, please, do you have any idea how often I get THAT from him? And why would you tell ME of all bots about this, anyway?" His lips curled up into a smirk. "I have every right to tell Megatron about this, if only so I can watch you squirm."

"B-Because I know just how much you hate Megatron, Starscream!" the Predacon asserted. "My loyalties remain with him, but I knew that you'd be the only bot who wouldn't instantly report this to him." He raised his hand and whispered; "Besides, I'm sure you'd know what it'd mean if Megatron found out that HE is alive. Imagine how much anger would be directed, not just at me, but toward you for not being able to finish him off when YOU had the chance."

The Seeker's grimace came back, knowing the truth in Sky-Byte's words. He DID have several chances to destroy that Autobot in the past before Sky-Byte's own attempt… but he had always spared the bot because of their past friendship. It was something that Megatron always berated him for, and he didn't need any more of that. "…Thing is, I know you're playing me… but you're right."

Sky-Byte's smile returned in full force, relieved that the second-in-command was complying. "Oh-ho! Thank you, Starscream! I knew I could—"

"BUT!" Starscream interrupted, shoving a finger against Sky-Byte's gnarled nose. "IF Megatron so happens to find out about this, I'm not going to make any attempt to defend you. It'll be on YOUR head, understand?"

"O-Of course…" Sky-Byte gulped. "I understand."

"Good. Now, let us return to Unicronus. No doubt he wants to do more brown-nosing with you."

As Starscream left the room, Sky-Byte followed after, though not without sending him a harsh glare from behind. 'I suppose it's better than nothing… but mark my words, Starscream; if you betray me, I WILL see to it that you are dismantled limb from limb, personally.'

…..

Back at Autobot Headquarters, things had finally settled down for the most part. …At least AFTER Mirko had been calmed down by several apologies from Izuku, and a berating by Gran Torino. But once that had been taken care of, a round of introductions followed, with Mirko, Torino, as well as Jinx and Mackenzie all going through the Autobot ranks to introduce themselves. Jinx had explained that Budo and the other Joes had remained behind on the island to stand guard while they came to retrieve Kyoka and Snake Eyes themselves as well.

"They were all so glad to hear that you were both okay." the red-clad kunoichi smiled to her master, Snake Eyes bowing back to her in acknowledgement. "When we detected your ship going down, we feared the worst."

"Sorry to make you all worry." Kyoka smiled sheepishly. "Needless to say, we weren't expecting to be shot down by a flying robot shark and his torpedo buddies."

But Jinx shook her head. "Oh, no need to apologize, Kyoka. It's not your fault in the least."

"Yeah, and besides, at least you got word out pretty damn quick." Mackenzie agreed, her gaze drifting over to All Might as he discussed something with Optimus, Izuku, Fowler and Gran Torino. "The fact that All Might is in on this is freaking amazing, by the way." But then, her sights moved straight to Edgeshot, who was standing just off to the side, watching as Marissa healed Momo's knee. "But I definitely didn't think that YOU were a part of this as well, Master Kamihara."

Catching the hero's attention, he craned his head up just as Jinx smiled and approached him as well. "Yes, a pleasant surprise, for sure. It's been a long time since we last heard from you, Shinya-senpai."

Edgeshot suddenly went into a coughing fit and abruptly stood up, trying to keep his cool. "Hak-hak-hak! A-Ahem, yes, it's good to see you too, Kimi. I don't think I've seen you since your wedding day. How've you been?"

Jinx gave a simple shrug. "Oh, you know, been helping keep the world safe in secret. Unlike yourself." She wore a smirk and shook her head in amusement. "You'd think that a former ninja of the Arashikage would stick more to the shadows instead of becoming a public figure with his own little team of heroes. What would our old master say?"

"That you are being an unnecessary tease, as per usual." Out the corner of his eye, though, Edgeshot saw Snake Eyes miming a little laugh, causing him to whip his hand around and point at him. "And you stop encouraging her. Gah, nothing has changed since those days, has it?"

"Well… that's not entirely true, you know." Jinx said, pursing her lips as her eyes lowered in sadness. "After all… there are only three of us here." At that, both Edgehot and Snake Eyes became visibly crestfallen, hanging their head with her.

All the while, though, Kyoka and Momo were left confused. "Um, excuse me, but I believe we're missing some context here." the Creation user piped up.

"They're talking about Storm Shadow." Marissa elaborated, bringing everyone's attention to her as the brunette stared directly at Jinx, who furrowed her brow right back at her.

"Uh… Storm Shadow?" Kyoka scratched her head. "Sorry, I'm lost here."

Jinx sighed and slumped her shoulders. "I suppose I do owe you an explanation on that front, Kyoka. I was going to tell you before you left our school once I was sure that you were ready, but…" She softly glared over to Marissa. "…I guess that's been hastened. Thanks for that, by the way, Marissa. Good to see you too."

The Sector Seven medic crooked her head to the side. "Same, and no problem." Her attention went back to Momo's leg. "Just trying to make sure all you Joes are being honest these days unlike SOME people I could mention." She could practically feel the girls staring at her curiously, which Marissa responded with a raised finger. "I'll tell you girls about it later, I promise."

That was something the kunoichi was more than happy to agree with. "Yes. That can of worms is something to be saved for later." Bringing the girls' focus back to her, Jinx continued; "In any case… Storm Shadow… is my older brother. And he is now a member of Cobra." Kyoka let out a gasp and Momo's eyes widened, all while Snake Eyes and Edgeshot kept their heads down. "Once, he was set to take over our family's clan. And he, myself, Snake Eyes and Edgeshot were a very tightly knit group at one point in time."

"Indeed, we were." Edgeshot whispered, only to look over to Snake Eyes. "Unfortunately, as Storm Shadow, myself and Snake here climbed the ranks, he began to notice just how far Snake Eyes was beginning to surpass him in skill, to the point where he was worried that the elders would allow HIM to take over the clan instead. He grew immensely jealous, especially when Jinx began to take lessons from Snake Eyes more."

"This led to a confrontation between the two, one where my brother let out all of his envious rage in a battle to the death with Snake Eyes." Jinx and everyone's attention diverted to the silent ninja, who had since raised his head back up. "The battle was fierce, to the point where it set fire to the Arashikage's main castle on mainland Hokkaido. And at first, it seemed as if my brother was victorious. …But then Edgeshot interfered, rescuing Snake Eyes from the burning structure. In the end, the Arashikage were left to disband, and my brother was banished from the family for his actions."

"Several years later, we saw him again… as a member of Cobra." Edgeshot concluded. "I guess he must've seen Snake Eyes having affiliated himself with G.I. Joe, so he took the easiest route he could to seeking his revenge."

Kyoka and the others were left silent after hearing the tale, the purplette in particular letting out a deep sigh. "Hah… wow, that's… I-I'm so sorry to hear that."

But Jinx shook her head. "It's alright, Kyoka. It's been many years since then, and I've… come to terms with it. Though even then, I haven't given up hope that my brother can be saved." Once again, she shared a glance with Snake Eyes, who nodded back resolutely. "After all, the last thing I want is for him to be influenced by those terrorist monsters."

"Now that, I can agree with you on." Marissa said as she pulled her hands away from Momo's knee, giving her a reassuring smile. "There you are, Momo. You should be able to stand now, but don't put too much stress on it for the rest of the day, okay?"

Momo returned the smile as she carefully stood, bowing her head in gratitude. "Thank you very much, Marissa. But, it you don't mind my asking, what was your issue with—"

"ATTENTION, PLEASE!"

Before any further questions could be asked, everyone's heads snapped around to see Mei entering the room again, holding up a clipboard in her hand. "…Oh no." Kyoka muttered.

Bringing the board back down in front of her, Mei spoke as loud and as emphatic as she could to get her point across; "Seeing as we now have at least SEVEN new arrivals here at our glorious base, I thought I'd take a few moments to present you all with the welcoming message that I've been working on!"

Izuku was completely baffled. "W-Welcoming message? Hatsume, what're you talking about?"

"Muscles, let's be honest here; the secret gets revealed to new people pretty much every couple of weeks." Mei deadpanned, waving the clipboard at him. "If it's gonna continue at this pace, we might as well have SOME sort of welcome-slash-warning message for whenever people drop by this place." She cleared her throat as Izuku gave her an incredulous stare. "Alright, so lemme run what I've got by you so far so I can get some proper feedback…" And with that, she began reading out loud;

Welcome to Autobot Outpost Omega-1.

Here, you will be greeted by extraordinary things that you could once only see in your WILDEST dreams! Giant mechanical beings from a different world that can transform into just about anything! Technology beyond ANYTHNG seen here on Earth! And most important of all, all of the cutest little babies you've ever seen being made WITH that technology! Constructed by yours truly, of course.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to consult the Autobot leader Optimus Prime. He usually has answers for everything.

Prime raised a contending finger at that. "Um, Mei, I believe you may be exaggerating just a little—" But she just kept going;

And if you're interested in knowing more about what we're making here, feel free to come into the lab! Just be aware that we at Autobot Outpost Omega-1 are not responsible for any injury you might receive. Concussions, contusions, fractures or sprains are all to be observed and treated at your own discretion.

Please enjoy your stay!

Beaming up at the group, Mei asked; "So, what'd ya think?"

"…Kid, I think ya might be a smidge conceited." Gran Torino remarked.

"A BIT?" Mirko countered.

Leaning over to Kyoka, Mackenzie whispered; "Is she always this… erm, interesting?"

As random as the inventor's recital was, Kyoka couldn't help but smile in amusement, rolling her eyes with a chuckle. "Hehe, that's Mei for ya. Always keeps ya guessing…" However, not a second later, Kyoka was greeted by a new sound, leading her to whirl her head around and perk her Earphone Jacks up. "Woah… something's coming. Something BIG."

"What?" Izuku asked with concern as he and Momo leaned in. "Kyoka, what do you—"

"PRIME!" All at once, Bumblebee and Jazz came rolling into the base, causing all of the other Autobots to come charging in from the other rooms. "We've got trouble comin'!" Jazz announced as they transformed.

"Zrkt—It comes from over the sea!" Bumblebee spoke through his radio, throwing his arms up. "Zrkt—Helicopter, Helicopter—zrkt—it's as big as a a WHALE!"

Their words only left the Prime perplexed. "What?" Moving over to the nearest window that faced the ocean, Prime peered through… and sure enough, his Autobots were right on the money. Directly approaching their base was a massive Osprey helicopter, its dual propellers carrying it toward their location at almost frightening speed. "…Red Alert?"

The medic shook his head, though. "Not a Decepticon. No signals showing up on the radar. It's human… though I have no clue who it could be."

Agent Fowler approached Optimus, sticking a hand up to him. "Lemme take a look." Opening his hand, Prime allowed Fowler to climb up and he lifted him up to the window. There, Fowler narrowed his eyes at the approaching aircraft… and a smile quickly formed on his lips. "Oh, ho, ho! Prime, you don't have anything to worry about." He turned down toward Snake Eyes and Jinx, giving them a thumbs up. "They're comin' in, right on schedule. I'm guessin' you told them where to go?"

"Um… no, I didn't." Jinx denied. "Are you sure it's them?"

"The logo's on the side of the chopper and everything." Fowler assured. "And even from this far away, it's hard to miss the light reflecting in Bill's sunglasses. He's flyin' that thing, no doubt about it."

But this only left Jinx more perplexed. "I don't understand, though. How did they—wait." Her head whipped up to her master, the mute ninja seemingly not shocked at all by the revelation. "They probably followed him here. They have access to the tracers as well, so when they noticed Snake Eyes wasn't on the island…"

Optimus nodded down to them. "Hm, I see. The Joes must have some impressive technology if they can trace the tracking device all the way here." He peered out the window once again, seeing the Osprey closing in on the beach. "They're coming in for a landing…"

"Well, what're we waiting for?!" Kyoka asked, she and her friends all smiling with excitement. "Let's go out and meet 'em!"

Fowler, however, halted the teens before they could go anywhere. "Woah, woah, let's not fly off the handle, kids. We don't wanna crowd 'em the moment they land." He set his gaze upon the rest of the Autobots, as well as Gran Torino and Mirko. "I think it's best if most of you wait out here while Prime, Snake Eyes, Jinx and I meet up with them first. Just to get 'em settled in."

"Aw, what?!" Mirko protested with a shaking fist. "Come on, are you serious?! I only start finding out about all this crap and I don't even get to meet the big secret military guys first?!"

Gran Torino grumbled and shook his head. "Usagiyama, would you have a modicum of patience? Fer goodness sake, it'll only be probably five or ten minutes."

All Might was much more understanding of the circumstances, though. "We understand, Bill. We'll give you guys as much time as you need to help get the Joes comfortable." All the same, though, he jerked a thumb to his chest. "Then, when the time's right, we'll come out and introduce ourselves!"

"Thanks, All Might. Much appreciated." Fowler ushered for his group to follow him. "Alright, come on, people. Let's—"

"Uh, excuse me…" Mackenzie piped up, raising her hand. "Mind if I come along too? After all, I know all these people too and I'd kinda like to see them."

"Oh, hah, that's right. Sorry there, Mackenzie. Feel free to join in." Once Quick Kick joined their group, Agent Fowler then offered the same thing to Marissa. "You, um… you wanna come along, too, Fairborne?"

Marissa just narrowed her eyes. "And risk "you-know-who" being with them? No thanks."

With a small wince, Fowler accepted her decision. "…Fair enough. Alright, people, it's show time!" Following his lead, the Joes and Optimus all filed out of the base after him, the group going down toward the beach where the helicopter was making its descent. They all stayed back as sand was kicked up everywhere, all while the chopper spun around so that its rear was facing them. Then, carefully, it settled onto the ground, allowing its rear hatch to open up and allow its occupants to disembark…

The first to come out was a tall, well-built, Caucasian man with brown eyes who seemed to be in his fifties, his brown hair visibly greying along the sides. He had a rather rugged appearance, his aged features giving him an air of wisdom yet also hardened resolve. He wore a brown aviator jacket with white fur lined inside the collar, and he had a large black belt around his waist with a matching harness over his left pectoral, both of which had pockets and weapon holsters. His pants were camo green and he wore black combat boots, and hanging off the back of his neck was a green army helmet that had a pair of goggles strapped over it. What he wore on his head instead, however, was a black beret that had the G.I. Joe logo embroidered on the left side.

The first thing the man did when he stepped out into the open, however… was immediately direct his attention up to the red and blue robot before him in complete awe. "Hah… well I'll be damned. It's true…" he said in a deep, gravelly tone.

"Haha, whaddya think, there, Clay?" Fowler called up to him with his arms spread out. "Gonna call me out on my BS now?"

His quip earned a laugh from "Clay" as he came down the steps the rest of the way, meeting Fowler with a handshake. "Hahaha! Bill, by god, I'll admit, I was skeptical when you told me about all this, but I guess I gotta eat my words now." His attention diverted to Snake Eyes immediately after. "Hah, there you are, Snake! Always good to see you." After exchanging another handshake with his old friend, he went straight to Jinx and Mackenzie. "And ladies, you look well! Hope everything at the castle is going good for you."

"It is, general, thank you." Jinx bowed. "At least, it is now…" she exchanged an awkward glance with Mackenzie. "We had a bit of a hectic time this week."

"Yeah, but we managed to get things cleared up." Quick Kick assured, bowing to him as well. "But how've you been, general? It's been a while."

"Ah, about as well as it CAN go, really." The general shrugged. "Been tryin' to figure out what Cobra's next scheme is gonna be. They've been quite for a bit too long… it's got a lot of us concerned." However, he shook his head to get back on track. "Ah, but we don't have to worry ourselves with that right now. I wanna get down to the REAL interesting stuff here…" Craning his head back up to Optimus, he sent him a salute. "So… Optimus Prime, I presume."

Prime reciprocated the gesture. "You presume correctly. And to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Without even flinching, "Clay" proceeded to give his name and rank; "General Clayton Abernathy, leader of the G.I. Joe Special Mission Force, at your service." With a wry grin, he extended his hand up to the Autobot Leader. "But please, call me Hawk. Or General Hawk if you feel like it, I don't mind which."

Kneeling down, Prime brought in his hand and gently grasped Hawk's, giving it a shake. "It is an honor to meet you, general. I apologize for the sudden wrench thrown into your schedule, what with Snake Eyes being brought here."

"Ah, it's no problem!" Hawk said with a smirk over to the ninja. "Wouldn't be the first time we'd have to pick Snake up in an odd location. And besides, we fully intended on meeting up with you anyway, after Fowler over there insisted on it, of course."

Before Prime could even ask, a very loud and bombastic voice suddenly shouted out through the area; "WOO-WEE! Another successful landin'! YEAH!" Everyone's attention was brought up to the top of the ramp, where another man stood proudly with his hands upon his hips. His skin was lightly tanned and he wore reflective sunglasses to block out the light… at least what little light his blue, wide-brimmed cowboy hat didn't keep out already. He had a well-trimmed brown mustache and wore an all-green ensemble, with the exception of a brown tactical vest and matching cowboy boots. He spotted the group down below… and was left slack-jawed by Optimus, causing him to bring his sunglasses down. "Huh… and here I thought the heat was playin' tricks on me."

Just then, another voice piped up from behind him, this one more feminine… and with a prominent Irish accent. "Ach, I swear, Bill, d'ya have to announce every successful landing you make?" Stepping into the light, she revealed herself to be a rather gorgeous, green-eyed woman, her long, flowing red hair tied into a ponytail that rested against her back. She wore a blue body suit with a turtleneck collar, over which was strapped a yellow breast plate that had a knife holstered at her left shoulder. Her gloves and boots were yellow as well, and she kept a gun holster strapped to her thigh while green pouches were sewn in at her hips.

"Scar, I don't think that's what we should be talkin' about right now." the cowboy said, pointing down at Prime. "Take a gander at that!"

When the redhead spotted Optimus, her eyes went wide and she gasped, her hand flying over her mouth. "By god's green earth! It's… it's real!"

"Hah, seems so." A deep voice came from inside the ship… and the stature of the man certainly matched his dulcet tone. He was a massive and muscular African-American—almost as tall as All Might himself—with a bald head and big, bushy mustache. He was wearing a sleeveless camo shirt under a dark green tactical vest that was strapped up with grenades. His lower half was donned with tan brown pants with holsters strapped on both thighs, with black kneepads and matching boots. He folded his arms over his chest with a big, joyous grin as he let loose his boisterous laughter; "HAHAHA! Gotta admit, this is definitely a new one."

Finally, the last Joe came out of the helicopter, making his way to the front of the group. "In all my years fighting Cobra, I thought nothing would be able to surprise me anymore…" He was a Caucasian man with short, blonde hair and bright blue eyes, wearing a tan, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore a green strap across his chest that was littered with pouches, along with a pair of tactical binoculars that hung from his neck. His pants were solid green as well and he wore tall, brown combat boots… but none of those were his most prominent feature.

No, because everyone could immediately tell what his Quirk was. On either side of his head, instead of normal human ears… there were a pair of pointed, brown-furred wolf ears that stuck straight up, their tips extending about an inch over the top of his head. The wolf-eared man put his hands to his hips, wearing an amused smile. "Hah… but here I am, surprised and wondering what the hell is going on."

"General…" Optimus began, his gaze shifting between the team and Hawk. "I take it that this is your team?"

"Yep! Well, a small part of it, but they're all VERY key members, that's for sure." Hawk ushered for the four to come down. "Optimus, I'd like you to meet some of my best men and THE best woman on my team; this is—"

"Sir, if I may?" the cowboy interjected with a salute. "We'd like to introduce ourselves to our planet's visitor, if you don't mind." After a moment, Hawk waved his hand to the mustachioed man, allowing them to do so. "Thank ya kindly." Taking off his cowboy hat, the man sent up a salute. "Sir, the name's William "Wild Bill" Hardy! Chief Warrant Officer and expert helicopter pilot. It gives me great pleasure to welcome ya to our world!"

The Irish redhead went next; "Second Lieutenant Shana O'Hara." She sent the Prime a wink. "But most a' my friends call me Scarlet, an' my specialty is bein' a bit of a crack shot."

The biggest man put a fist to his chest. "Sergeant First Class Marvin Hinton, G.I. Joe's resident machine gunner… and professional chef. I go by Roadblock."

Finally, the blonde, wolf-eared man went up and saluted up to Optimus Prime. "And I'm Lieutenant Conrad Hauser, at your service, sir. But please… call me Duke."

…..

A/N: Say it with me, now… YO JOE! Yep, we got 'em! We finally got 'em! Some of G.I. Joe's most prominent members—aside from Snake Eyes—are finally here! Hawk, Duke, Scarlet, Roadblock and Wild Bill are certainly going to be playing some pretty big supporting roles in the upcoming storyline for Transformers MHA Month, if you couldn't already tell by their introductions. And who knows? Maybe we'll see a couple more Joes coming in to help out too? Perhaps Shipwreck could be coming back into the picture? We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

Oh, and if you're wondering… I'm going to be listing the Joes' voice actors NEXT chapter, so look forward to that. I've actually got something special in mind for them, hehe…

But yeah, lots of stuff going on in this chapter aside from the Joes' introduction! Most prominently; we got two new Mini-Cons! One on each side of the conflict! On the Autobots' side, we've got Longarm, someone who Red Alert encountered in the past and seems to gel well with, fortunately! Hope you guys enjoyed that little dive into Red's past, by the way, that was fun to write. But on the Decepticons' side, we got a Mini who pretty much fits perfectly with them; Drill Bit of the Destruction Mini-Con Team! And trust me, we'll be seeing the others as well. And of course, with that…

Longarm – Voiced by Bumper Robinson

Drill Bit – Voiced by Fred Tatasciore

…And Fred's probably not gonna be JUST voicing Drill Bit either. I can think of a few bots that he can voice, honestly, given how versatile he is. But in the case of Bumper, picture his Animated Bumblebee voice and you've got what I'm going for with Longarm… which is VERY ironic if you're at all familiar with Animated.

As for Sky-Byte, though, it seems that he's been welcomed into the Decepticon ranks rather smoothly, thanks in no small part to Unicronus. However… it seems he's keeping a secret. That mysterious Autobot that he intended to blow up in the supernova… is still alive, and he's been chasing him ever since. And this Autobot just so happens to have a past friendship with STARSCREAM of all bots? Interesting… wonder how long THIS secret can be kept, though.

Oh, and of course, we got a bit of history surrounding Snake Eyes, Edgeshot, Jinx… and the infamous Storm Shadow. Jealousy can make one do ruthless things, it seems, and this version of Storm Shadow is no different. But speaking of grudges… it seems that Marissa doesn't seem too fond of G.I. Joe… or at least a certain member of its roster. I wonder who THAT could be? But, with all that said…

And now, THE PREVIEW! The team at Autobot HQ get to know the Joes a bit better, along with some history regarding their conflict with Cobra. Meanwhile, Sky-Byte gets a chance to speak with Megatron, who's incredibly happy to see his friend still alive. But things start to take a turn when, later in the week, the Decepticons pick up on TWO MORE Mini-Con signals… and they're in the same location as a MASSIVE Energon deposit. How'll THIS end up going once the Autobots learn what's going on? Find out next time… during TRANSFORMERS MHA MONTH! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, I hope you all have a great holiday, and of course…

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!