A/N: (Important, Please Read) Hello, everybody! And welcome to the start of Transformers MHA Month! This chapter's the first in what will be a four-part arc that'll last over the entirety of January, and trust me, it's gonna be pretty big. But before we get down to business… it's time I make due on a promise that I made in the last chapter; Voice Actors for the Joes! Now, as I implied last time, these voices are going to be… pretty unique. There's a bit of a theme going on with the casting choices here, because while they ARE all pretty famous, they aren't known for their REAL names, but instead by completely different ones entirely.

…And that's what I'm gonna leave YOU guys to figure out! Here they are in no particular order;

Duke – voiced by Colby Lopez

Scarlett – voiced by Rebecca Quin

Roadblock – voiced by Franklin Lashley

Wild Bill – voiced by Shaun Ricker

And finally…

General Hawk – voiced by Paul Levesque

If you guys know, then you know, but for those who don't, have fun finding out who all of these people are and figuring out the theme of this casting! So, with that, I say we should get started! This is…

Chapter 58: Yo Joe!

…..

"…They've been out there for a while, haven't they?"

Peering through the window facing the beach, Izuku stared out at the group of soldiers as they spoke with Optimus and Fowler, taking mental notes about each of them and wondering what their Quirks could be. All the while, he muttered under his breath, shaking his knee up and down in anticipation. "I-I mean, it feels like they've been talking for ages, right?" he said, convincing himself of that while everyone else watched his antsy behavior on full display. "M-Maybe we should—"

"Izuku." Kyoka gave him a deadpan look. "It's been five minutes."

The Quirk Inheritor paused hearing this. "…It has?"

Momo affirmed this as well. "Yes, closing on six."

Off to the side, Gran Torino gave a sigh, rubbing his head in slight frustration. "Hah, you kids these days. Always so impatient." He furrowed his brow up to his intern, raised his walking stick up… and then KONKED Izuku on the head, causing the greenette cry out and his hands to fly up to the newly formed welt. "What've I been tryin' to teach you, boy?! Exhibit some self-restraint, fer cripes sake!"

"Y-Yes, sir…" Izuku winced, sparing a brief glance up to All Might. "I-I can see now why you were so intimidated by him."

"Right?" the Number One Hero sent his protégé a sympathetic grin. "You never know when Gran Torino will just drill one of those damned lessons into y—" *KONK* "G-GYAOUCH!"

"What was that about my lessons?" Torino grumbled.

"NOTHING, SIR!"

Away from the group, Mirko simply rolled her eyes at the shenanigans going on, turning toward the door and waving her hand back to the group. "Oy, you guys keep hitting yourselves if ya want. I'm gonna go head out an' meet the new guys…" However, before she could even make it to the exit, Edgeshot appeared before her, standing defiantly with his arms crossed. "…Excuse me." Mirko said through gritted teeth.

The Ninja Hero, however, did not move. "You are not excused. We were told specifically to wait here until Fowler gave the word, and wait we shall." he shook his head. "I do not wish to disrespect my friends' guests in such a crude manner."

If anything, this just made Mirko put on a bloodlusting smirk, widening her stance and stretching her toned leg muscles as if preparing for a fight. "Oh-ho, I see! We got a strait-laced once here, eh? You wanna go, then, Mr. Paper Thin?" Standing at her full height, the Rabbit Hero slammed her fist into her palm eagerly. "I've actually been itchin' to see how I stack up with some a' the Top Ten! C'mon, let's go a couple rounds!"

"Um, OR—and here me out here—we DON'T do that." Marissa encouraged, getting between the two and shoving them away from one another with a narrowed gaze. "At least not in here. Not while there are others who could get hurt." She and the two heroes eyed the others briefly, the teens, Torino and All Might staring at them seriously. "Besides, this isn't the time to be squabbling."

"…Hah, yeah, yeah, I get it." Mirko's shoulders slumped, but still pointed an irate finger at the Fold-a-Body user. "But I promise, we're gonna tussle one day, Origami Man!"

Edgeshot merely bowed his head. "I anticipate the encounter, truly."

Up on Red Alert's shoulder, Longarm couldn't help but purse his lips at the… strange interaction. He tilted his head toward his partner and asked; "I'm sorry for being the new guy, but… are ALL humans this chaotic?"

"No. Just a select few." Red Alert assured, eyeing Mei in the process. "I believe the phrase to describe them is… "not being cold"."

Kyoka slapped her forehead at that, all while Izuku and the others held back fits of laughter. "…That's "having no chill", Red Alert."

The medic rebutted by focusing back to Longarm and gesturing toward their teenaged allies. "See? Even their vernacular makes no sense. It's all about adapting when it comes to them." The group collectively face-faulted while Longarm nodded in understanding.

Mei snapped back up to her feet, shouting and shaking her fist. "Would you stop feeding him LIES, Red?!"

"Yeah, Red, c'mon." Sideswipe shrugged before putting hand to his brother's shoulder. "Sure, humans can be hard to understand, but I personally think we've come a long way to cracking the surface." *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-ckt* All at once, the brothers transformed into their Lamborghini modes, activated their holoforms… and were dressed in probably the most garish outfits any of them had ever seen.

Sideswipe himself was in a black and red pinstripe jacket… with plaid red and white pants and big, red rainboots, all while wearing a black bowler hat that smushed down his fauxhawk. Sunsteaker, meanwhile, was donned in a tall, black top hat with a bright yellow tuxedo… and black flip-flops. He also held a cane in his hands… upon which were a pair of fingerless black and yellow gloves. "Well?" the yellow bot asked. "Are we "lit" or what?"

There was nothing but silence for several moments… and then the entire room roared into uncontrollable laughter. Students, Heroes, Autobots and Mini-Cons alike were all bursting with hilarity at the sight. Izuku had fallen to the floor while Momo fell to her back on the couch, which Mei and Mirko were doubled over the back of. Gran Torino, Edgeshot and even Marissa tried to keep some composure, but they still succumbed to it eventually as well. Even All Might had to take a knee, he was laughing so hard… and slamming his fist into the ground even harder. "BAHAHAHAHA! Y-You two… w-where in the HELL did you even GET the idea for those outfits?!"

Clutching at her stomach as her eyes welled up with tears of joy, Kyoka pointed at the bothers. "HAHA! D-Did Kaminari and Kirishima sell you on those outfits?! PFFT—AHAHAHA!"

The Lambo Twins were justifiably confused. "Uh, yeah, why—" But Sideswipe stopped himself midsentence and his holoform's expression fell into a grimace, realizing why they were all making fun of them. "…This was a prank, wasn't it?"

"HAHAHA! You realize that NOW?!" Strongarm guffawed as her optics briefly flashed. "Oh, I am SO saving this for later. This was too rich!"

"Those CHARLATANS!" Sunstreaker threw his top hat off his head in anger, though instead of hitting the ground, it disappeared into the ether. "I had a FEELING that something was up! I TOLD you this would backfire!"

Sideswipe immediately tried defending himself. "W-Well how was I supposed to know?! We listen to them all the time and they've never steered us wrong!"

In between her fits of laughter, Kyoka added; "Yeah! And when your guard's down, they'll do something like THIS! HAHA!"

The two brothers frowned in unison, thoroughly ticked off at their partners. "Oh, when I see them next, they are gonna get SUCH a PINCH!" Sunstreaker declared.

"Yeah, and maybe we'll ramp up the intensity of their training for good measure!" Sideswipe raised his fists into the air in retribution. "That'll teach 'em not to mess around with—"

"Ahem." All at once, all laughter stopped and everyone's attention was brought to the entrance, where Optimus Prime now stood. "I apologize for interrupting… whatever is happening here, but the Joes are ready to see you all now." He saw the students' faces light up and they all immediately moved toward the entry way with the Autobots in tow, prompting Optimus to raise his hands. "Ah-ah, not all at once, if you would, please. I do not wish to overwhelm our guests. I believe introducing the humans first would be a good place to start."

Jazz and the other bots gave an understanding nod. "Word up, Prime, we get the picture. We'll hang back just a bit longer." With a sly smirk, he jerked his thumb over to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. "'Sides, it'll give those two the time they need to… er, clean up their act a bit."

The brothers' holoforms narrowed their eyes at Jazz. "Oh, har-har, very funny." Sideswipe remarked, voice dripping in sarcasm. "You wouldn't be so smug about it if Kyoka tricked you into something like this!"

"Naw, I wouldn't, but here's the diff; I know Kyoka wouldn't trick me into that." the First Lieutenant nudged his chin down to his partner. "Would ya, Kyo?"

"Heh, 'course not." Kyoka gave a thumbs up. "…Besides, you'd probably wear it with confidence given that "Generation Hue" paintjob you showed me a while ago."

Jazz put a hand to his chest in mock pain. "Ooh! Right in the pride! Nah, but seriously, go meet the Joes. We'll catch up soon." However, as the others went out, there was one notable exception who remained behind. "…Not gonna go with 'em, Marissa?"

"I'd… rather not." Marissa craned her head down. "Let's just say I'm a bit… anxious about what they'd say to me. Especially after the last time I saw them."

Bulkhead furrowed his metal brows in confusion. "You said before that you wanted to keep Jinx honest… or rather, ALL Joes honest. You have somethin' against 'em?"

Marissa shook her head. "N-No, not all of them. Just… one in particular." Her gaze traveled back to the window and the collection of Joes outside. "He's not here, but… if he were, I definitely wouldn't be going out there." She turned back to Red Alert, nodding up at him. "If it's all the same, though, I'd like to get back to Sector Seven. I was in the middle of something important when I got the call and I really should be getting back."

"…If that is what you wish." Red Alert granted, activating the GroundBridge. Before the brunette went through, however, he made sure to add; "Just remember, you owe the children an explanation about that."

Marissa gave a single, solemn nod before stepping through… all while one thought went through her mind; 'So… couldn't make it AGAIN, eh, dad?'

…..

Back outside, the humans followed Optimus back down toward the beach, where all of the Joes were still gathered. Waiting for them at the head of the group was an older man who seemed to be in his fifties, and was speaking to Agent Fowler in a hushed whisper. "So, any sign of you-know-who around these parts?"

"Not that we've seen." Fowler murmured back. "Trust me, I've had my men keepin' a lookout ALL over Japan, an' we haven't seen anything."

"Hmph… I see." the man shook his head as the group drew nearer, prompting him to cut the conversation short. "We can discuss more later." Putting on a smile, the man chuckled and set his sights out over the crowd of humans. "Well, well, what do we have here? A cavalcade of heroes and students who've gotten themselves into one crazy set of circumstances, if what Optimus has told us is anything to go by."

Taking to the front of the group, All Might gave a laugh of his own. "Hahaha! You could say that, yes. And believe me, it's no exaggeration." He met who he assumed to be the leader with an outstretched hand. "I know I probably don't need to introduce myself, but I'll do it anyway! The name's All Might, and to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

The man returned the handshake without hesitation. "General Clayton Abernathy. But I go by Hawk in most circles, so just call me that. It's an honor to finally meet you, All Might."

"Please, the honor is mine!" All Might insisted. "Thank you for your service, general. Not just in protecting your country, but for protecting the entire WORLD in ways that I cannot."

Hawk simply shook his head. "Ah, don't sell yourself short, All Might. Without you, the public wouldn't have a Symbol of Peace to look to. …It's gonna be one hell of a day when you retire."

Resisting the urge to cough, All Might stammered; "E-Er, um, yes. I can agree with you there, sir." He quickly brought the topic back on track and gestured back to the other heroes and students. "But we can worry about that later. Right now, how about we get you and your men all introduced to my students and associates? Of course, I'm sure you're familiar with the likes of Mirko and Edgeshot from the news, but we also have my old mentor, Gran Torino, along with some of my first-year students from UA!" He pointed to the kids one-by-one. "This is Young Izuku Midoriya, Kyoka Jiro and Momo Yaoyorozu of Class A, and Young Mei Hatsume from Support Course H."

The four students all bowed to the general in respect… or rather, three of them did. Kyoka, however, went against the grind and instead stood at attention, saluting Hawk with a straight face. "Sir!" she exclaimed, taking the others off guard. "It's an honor to meet you, sir! Jinx and the others have told me a lot about your accomplishments, sir!"

Seeing this got a laugh out of the older man, who reciprocated the gesture. "Haha! I see! At ease, kid." Kyoka did so and Hawk walked up to her, his arms folded across his chest. "Truth be told, Jinx has kept me informed about you as well over the past couple days. Tells me you're a hot shot with a chip on your shoulder and a sharp tongue."

"…R-Really?" Kyoka's cheeks flushed red as her eyes darted over to Jinx and Snake Eyes. "You told him about me?!"

"Yep, sure did." Jinx affirmed, with Snake Eyes giving a thumbs up. "We wanted to make sure that everyone was prepared to meet you when they arrived on the island. Of course, though, those plans have been altered considerably."

This time, it was Izuku's turn to give his purple-haired friend a nudge to the arm. "Hey, that's awesome! You've got notoriety among the Joes already, Kyoka."

"Hm, that IS quite impressive." Momo complimented as well. "Especially given you've only spent a short time with them."

Gripping her jacks and tapping them sheepishly, Kyoka diverted her gaze from the group in embarrassment. "Oh… jeez. Stop it, I'm nothing special—huh?" But instead of looking at no one, her sights were greeted with yet another Joe in front of her. The redheaded one with emerald green eyes.

"Ach, I beg to differ, lass." the Irish woman dismissed. "Your reputation for causin' mischief's already spread like wildfire through the ranks. T' think, a young girl like yourself very nearly managed to pull off an infiltration mission into an official Joe outpost. If ya hadn't decided to do so with probably one a' the most well-protected of all of 'em, ya might a' even gone a bit further than ya did."

"U-Um, thank you." Kyoka managed to stammer out. "A-And who're you?"

"Hah, right, 'pologies fer not gettin' to the point sooner." the woman extended her hand with a kind smile. "You can call me Scarlett, lass. G.I. Joe's Second Lieutenant." As she shook Kyoka's hand, she used her free one to gesture back toward her comrades. "An' these are my teammates." Scarlett took a moment to whisper; "Just a bit a' warning, these boys are a bit of a handful."

The blonde man with the dog ears deadpanned at her, the ears themselves perking up. "I heard that, Scar. What're you, trying to make us look bad?"

Scarlett simply shook her head. "Perish the thought, Duke. Just thought I'd give the kids some heads up."

Duke hummed before walking over to the kids himself, stopping in front of Izuku to give him a smile. "Hah, well, like Scarlett oh so kindly said, the name's Duke. Pleasure to meet you kids."

"Same here!" Izuku nodded back up to him, spotting the canid ears as his curiosity piqued. "So, you have a mutation Quirk, huh?"

"Very perceptive, kid." Duke reached up and fiddled with the tips of his ears a little. "Though I guess they're not that hard to miss. But yes, my Quirk is "Wolf Ears". I'm able to hear things that normally go unnoticed to the human ear, even high-pitched frequencies that escape normal hearing." He gave a nudge over to Kyoka. "Though I've gotta admit, compared to my Quirk, your friend there kind of has a better version of it, if I'm being honest. Enhanced hearing AND sonic attacks? Very cool."

Kyoka rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, okay, if we keep up the butt-kissing, we're gonna be here all day. And besides, Duke, there's one thing that your Quirk has over mine that can't be beat."

Duke raised an eyebrow to her. "Really? And what's that?"

"It makes you look SUPER adorable." All at once, Duke's features fell into a grimace as his fellow Joes all started laughing and chortling at his expense. Kyoka simply shrugged once more. "What? It's true!"

"Hehehe! Ya cannae blame her for bein' honest, Duke!" Scarlett chuckled.

The Joe dressed as a cowboy was MUCH more bombastic with his laugh, though. "BAHAHA! She's got ya dead to rights, Duke! Can't get much more honest than that!" He gave a two-fingered salute down to the purplette. "Lots a' respect to ya for speakin' what a lotta Joes're thinkin', missy. Name's Wild Bill, chopper pilot extraordinaire!"

"OOH! You fly that beauty?!" Mei exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she pointed to the Osprey. "That must be amazing to be able to pilot one of them."

Wild Bill tipped his hat to the young inventor. "Heh, well thank you kindly, little lady. Though truth be told, I don't fly the big ones ALL the time. I'm more at home in a smaller whirligig than the massive, two-propellered ones." All the same, though, he took off his sunglasses to give the kids a wink. "But thanks to my Quirk, "Copter Cruiser", I can learn the in's an' out's of any bird I fly just grabbin' the controls."

Izuku's eyes lit up at that. "Oh! So you have an intelligence-boosting Quirk! They may not be as notable as the flashier Quirks out there, but they're still REALLY cool! How'd you learn that you had it, though?"

"Much obliged, son." Wild Bill put his sunglasses back on. "As for how I discovered it, though… let's just say I was a pro with RC choppers as a kid, an' when I was twelve, my pa took me on a tour of a military base to see the real deals!" He scratched his cheek with a chuckle. "Heh, ended up takin' off in one of 'em an' then brought it back down as gentle as a leaf. I got a good earful after that, but after that, my callin' was pretty clear."

From there, the large African-American man came up from behind and gave Bill a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Haha! Well, 'least it wasn't as bad as how I discovered my Quirk. My mama just about had my head after THAT mess…" He craned his head down toward the children… and the other heroes aside from All Might, all of whom were staring up at him with wide eyes and slack jaws. "…Cat got your tongue?"

"O-Oh, um, sorry." Momo apologized, bowing profusely. "It's just quite rare to see someone rivaling All Might in sheer stature."

"At least when it comes to someone who appears "normal"." Edgeshot clarified with massive air quotes. "I suppose what my intern is trying to say is—"

"Bro, you're freakin' HUGE!" Mirko shouted bluntly, making everyone facefault yet again. "Seriously, I think I could fit in your thigh!" The Rabbit Hero put a hand to her shoulder and flexed her muscles, grinning up to the man eagerly. "How much do ya bench? I can lift about 650 myself!"

The giant of a man let out a laugh and flexed his own bicep. "Try 700. Even."

Mirko stomped her foot in frustration. "DAMMIT! I need to get on your level! What's your name, man?!"

"The name's Roadblock, Miss Mirko." Putting his hands to his hips, Roadblock leaned over, lowering his head down to the woman's eye level with a challenging smile. "I suggest you remember it well, 'cause otherwise, we're gonna be here for a spell."

"Ooh, a rhyme." Mirko rebuffed, puffing her chest out defiantly while raising a fist. "Well, your wordsmithing ways won't work on ME, big man. I'll take ya on anytime, anywhere!"

Edgeshot cleared his throat, hoping to reel the enthusiastic woman back in. "Ahem, while I'm sure that would be… entertaining to watch, I once again don't think that here is anyplace to do so." He got in between the two and shot them each a glare. "Especially since we are all guests at this place, correct?"

Surprisingly, Roadblock was quick to agree. "Sure thing. Last thing I want is to disrespect someone else's place." All the same, he still shot a smirk down to the Rabbit Hero. "We'll pick this up later, your bunny-eared grace."

Mirko puffed out her cheeks, pouting with her fists clenched to her sides. "Dammit, you're good." she grumbled.

"Uh, so Roadblock!" Izuku piped up, hoping to move away from the last topic as quickly as possible. "What IS your Quirk, anyway?"

"Ah, probably not best to get into it here." The man raised his large hand, which was about the size of Izuku's head, wearing an apologetic smile. "It's really a more… destructive Quirk, to put it lightly. Besides, the only place you're likely to see it is the battlefield anyway, so why spoil somethin' like that?" Roadblock gave Izuku a knowing wink. "Wait till we inevitably get into a battle, kid, then I'll show ALL of ya'll what I can do."

Izuku was quick to respect Roadblock's wishes, though Kyoka couldn't help but feel that his reasoning was… a bit weak. "Is your friend… deflecting?" Kyoka whispered to Scarlett.

The redhead sighed and confirmed her though. "Yeah, a little bit, but please, respect his wishes." she murmured back. "Marvin's a beast of a man, but he's a complete darlin' at heart. It's just that his Quirk makes him even MORE destructive than he already is, so he prefers to keep that topic in the heat a' battle." However, Scarlett pulled her hand up, bringing everyone's attention to her. "That said, I haven't shown any of ya MY Quirk yet."

"Ooh! Right!" Izuku stepped up next to Kyoka in anticipation. "What kind of Quirk do YOU have, Miss Scarlett?"

"Ah… nothin' special…" Suddenly, much to the shock of the students, Scarlett's arm separated at the elbow and swung back, revealing a cavity inside her bicep where a bone should've been. Instead, though… there was something else, something that came straight out of the hole to take her arm's place. And it was… an entire crossbow, the actual bow of which thrust out to either side after ejection. The weapon just… hung there off her arm, moving naturally like a normal elbow while her actual arm swung back around on an armature made of keratin and grabbed the handle of the weapon. "Well, kids? Whaddya think a' "Crossbow"? Pretty neat, dontcha think?"

The others could only stare wide-eyed at the Quirk on display for them all to see, with Optimus speaking up first. "I must admit, do not believe I've ever seen a Quirk as… unique as yours, Scarlett. Does that not hurt?"

The redhead simply scoffed. "Pfft! Nah, it's practically a part a' my body. Almost like flexin' a muscle."

"It's a transformation Quirk." Izuku explained further. "One that only affects a certain part of her body." However, he was also a bit trepidatious in what he said next. "…And it's also similar to another Quirk I'm familiar with."

Kyoka pursed her lips at that. "Yeah… one that a former hero from Japan had."

"Hm, yes…" Scarlett affirmed. "I know the one. Lady Nagant. The infamous hero-turned-murderer." She shook her head in disappointment. "Such a shame, really. She an' I had a bit of a rivalry back in our heyday."

That made the teens gape at her even more. "Are… are you serious?" Momo uttered.

Mei practically shot to the front of the group, shouting; "You had a RIVALRY with Lady Nagant?!"

"Yep… an' it ended pretty decisively, too." Scarlett reached back to her pony tail and twisted a lock of her own hair around her finger, which quickly caused it to petrify into a long, sharp shape and allowed her to take it off, leaving her with a red arrow in her grasp. "Dunno if it was fate or coincidence that our Quirks were so similar, but what started as a friendly rivalry changed on a dime into a game of cat an' mouse. The HSPC called me in personally to track 'er down, an' in the end…" She knocked her arrow into the crossbow and reached down to the ground, picking up a rock that fit neatly in her palm. Throwing the rock into the air, Scarlett, in a motion that was almost too fast to catch, whipped her arm up and shot her arrow through the rock, carrying it across the yard until it SLAMMED directly into the trunk of a tree. "…I proved the better shot."

"Did… did you kill her?" Mirko asked hesitantly.

"Oh! No, no, no, lass. Nothin' like that." Scarlett insisted, her crossbow folding back up into her upper arm as her elbow reconnected. "I just shot her enough times until she couldn't stand no more. Keepin' her knees exposed proved to be a pretty bad choice on her part."

There was a short pause after she explained that… and as much as he tried to resist asking, Izuku followed up with; "So, what you're saying is… she took an arrow to the—"

"Green Bean, you finish that sentence, we're gonna have problems." Kyoka threatened, raising a finger up to his face.

Izuku immediately rescinded his statement. "Sorry, ma'am! Won't happen again, ma'am!"

The group had another short laugh at that before Hawk took center stage once again. "Haha, well, all of that aside, it's great to finally meet the ones behind the scenes here." He gave the children a sympathetic gaze. "Granted, I kind of wish you kids hadn't been dragged into something like this. You're already incredibly brave for wanting to become heroes… but to get dragged into an alien war… speaking from experience, it can be arduous, demanding, and can take an incredible toll on the mind and body. I'm surprised that you kids are still in high spirits, even after everything that Optimus has told us."

Eyeing one another, the teens all wore confused looks before going back to Hawk. "Well… that's very nice of you to say, general. Though to be completely honest, we haven't really been feeling the kind of things you're describing." Momo explained.

"…Really?" Duke tilted his head, the other Joes seeming just as skeptical.

"Well, I mean, when you're battling a bunch of push-overs like Starscream and his lot, it kind of loses the sense of weight, you know?" Kyoka continued. "Don't get me wrong, we know that they CAN be dangerous, and because of that, we and our friends have mostly only been fighting against Vehicons." She jerked her thumb up toward Optimus. "But Prime and the others? They've been able to handle pretty much anything that ol' Screamer's been able to throw at us."

Izuku nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Even after Starscream kidnapped our teacher and my Autobot friend, Bumblebee, that only strengthened our resolve." He balled his hand into a fist, wearing a determined smile. "We went to their ship with our teachers, freed them, and all got away safely."

"WHAT?!" Gran Torino shouted, finally speaking up out of shock. "You kids actively stormed an enemy base?!"

All Might raised his hand to his mentor. "A-Again, Gran Torino, they had US by their sides, so in case things got too intense, we could get them out at any time."

"…God damn, I missed a LOT." Mirko grumbled, though she wore a proud grin toward her protégé. "Still, kid, I'm proud of ya! Now I'm gonna have to catch up here!"

For their part, the Joes were also rather impressed. "Woo, gotta admit, wasn't expectin' to hear THAT." Wild Bill scratched the side of his head. "An' here we thought we were gonna be seeing a bunch a' kids carrying trauma with 'em before they hit sixteen!"

Roadblock huffed a bit and went on. "Yeah… though I guess if this "Starscream" is as inept as they say he is, maybe this whole fight on Earth can be won without much hassle, eh?"

"…I am afraid it cannot be so simple, Roadblock." Optimus denied, shaking his head. "You see, even if we managed to fend off Starscream's group successfully, I have little doubt in my mind that they've already informed Megatron of our presence here. The possibility of him coming to this planet as a result is… all too great. And when he does, I fear that this conflict will take a very sharp turn." His optics went down to the teens at his feet, who were all now visibly worried. "Megatron is a FAR different adversary than Starscream could ever be. There is a reason why the war has lasted eons, and it is because of his tenacious ambitions fueling his bloodlust for ceaseless conflict. Even so, things have already become considerably more worrisome now that Sky-Byte has arrived. We must remain vigilant."

Duke nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I had a feeling that'd be the case. We've chased Cobra off so many times, but they always end up coming back…" His and the Joes wore furrowed brows at the mention of their enemies. "…Even if some of their silences are longer than others."

Momo put a hand over her chest in concern. "And I take it that you're currently witnessing one of those?"

Hawk took a deep breath and gave a heavy sigh. "That'd be correct, miss. Unfortunately, the Commander's saw fit to lay low for a while, and we have no idea what he could be working on."

"Uh, okay, so BIG question here." Mirko interjected. "What even IS "Cobra"? I mean, I get that they've gotta be some kinda villain organization, but it feels like you're leavin' something out."

Kyoka coughed into her hand at that. "Ah, well… it's actually a lot more complicated than that."

"Yes, Cobra aren't JUST a buncha supervillains." Scarlett reinforced. "They're a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. They'll go to extreme lengths to get what they want. From pillagin' resources, to destroying infrastructures, to disposing of those who'd get in their way. Most times, they get their arses handed to 'em on a silver platter."

Mackenzie, who had stayed silent up to this point, had finally spoken up. "…But then, sometimes, that doesn't happen. At least not until it's too late." The Joes' expressions immediately softened with sympathy toward the teenager, who shook her head sadly. "My dad ended up being one of those unlucky few who've been killed by Cobra, even though he went down stopping one of their plans."

"And your father was a true hero, Kenzie." Hawk asserted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We all make sure to honor his sacrifice every day by keeping the fight going."

"So, how long have these "Cobra" people been quiet, anyway?" Torino questioned.

"Almost eight months now." Roadblock replied, placing his fists to his hips. "Time was, those snakes couldn't go a month without hatchin' up some crazy scheme. The Commander's last plan was—get this—to try and harness the sun's energy in order to create a super weapon that'd be capable of wipin' out the whole state of Florida."

Izuku and the others were confused at that. "Uh… why Florida specifically?"

"Did he hate theme parks or something?" Kyoka furthered.

Roadblock couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Ah, hehe… well, let's just say he ain't exactly a fan of the state's locals an' how they make headline news every week for doin' insane crap."

Duke couldn't help but smirk a little. "Honestly? While I DON'T condone that lunatic's actions, I can also kind of agree with his opinion. I wouldn't be opposed to getting rid of Florida—just without the mass genocide." He motioned his arm back and forth as if he was slicing through something. "Just saw that baby off at the border like the old Bugs Bunny cartoon, haha!"

"HAHA! I love that one!" All Might said before shouting out; "South America, TAKE IT AWAY!"

As both blonds laughed, Jinx rolled her eyes while Snake Eyes facepalmed. "Oh, Duke… I have not missed your sense of humor." Duke sent her a mock pout, but the kunoichi paid it no mind. "I swear, though, the Commander's plans get more and more cracked every time." Once she collected herself after that round of stupidity, Jinx smiled back to her comrades and suggested they move on. "Well, now that you all have gotten to know the Autobots' human companions, why don't we get to know more about the bots themselves, hm?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Hawk concurred, craning his head back up to Optimus. "Prime, feel free to bring your men out here."

"I agree completely, general. One moment…" Optimus turned around and called toward the base's entrance, raising his arm to usher the others out. "Autobots… Transform and Roll Out!"

*WHRR-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-CHKT*

The collective sound of conversion graced everyone's ears, astonishing them by the sheer volume of every Autobot transforming at the same time. From there, though, the Autobots all came rolling out of the base and down toward the beach, with Bumblebee leading the pack followed by Jazz, Bulkhead, Strongarm, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Red Alert, Arcee and Flare Up. Flying through the entryway was also Windblade, Springer and Airazor, the latter's presence taking ALL of the Joes aback. "Uh, I'm sorry, but… IS THAT A GIANT BIRD?!" Wild Bill hollered.

The humans wore knowing smiles, with Kyoka giving a snicker. "Hehe, yep. That was pretty much how WE reacted to that, too. These Cybertronians can change into pretty much anything they please… but here comes the BEST part."

One again, once the Autobots were all gathered together, they simultaneously transformed into their robot modes, towering over the group of humans. It was only then that the Joes finally took in just how many bots there were, and Duke let out an apprehensive chortle. "Ah, hah… we might be here a while."

And it very much was, the massive conversation between bots and humans lasting for hours on end. New friends were made, war stories and information were exchanged, all while going so far into the night that they nearly lost track of time. Once the sky began to darken, however, the meeting was brought to a end when Gran Torino pointed something out; "Ahem, pardon me if I'm bein' stingy, but did everyone just FORGET that we still have HALF A WEEK LEFT TO GO ON INTERNSHIPS?!"

The old man's words wrapped things up rather quickly, with Momo and Edgeshot promptly leaving through the GroundBridge first. However, before they had to part ways again, Kyoka and Izuku make sure to get in one last talk. "Well, guess it's back to the grind for us, huh?" Izuku nudged his head toward the Osprey helicopter. "Kinda jealous that you get to fly back in that, though."

"Hah, yeah, pretty awesome." Kyoka agreed, giving her best friend a nudge. "But hey, do me a favor and get some rest, huh? After taking on the Hero Killer, you deserve it."

"I appreciate the thought." Izuku rubbed his head, feeling his eyes getting heavier and heavier. "I'm definitely gonna crash when I get back, hehe… b-but good luck with the rest of your training, too. I can't wait to see what the end result of your training's gonna be!"

Kyoka could only give a shrug. "That makes two of us." She brought her fist up to him. "Catch ya later, Green Bean."

"Will do." Izuku reciprocated the fist bump before going over to Mirko and Gran Torino, the three of them making their way into the base to bridge out themselves.

As Kyoka watched him leave, however… Scarlett came waltzing up next to her, propping her elbow against the Earphone Jack user's shoulder with a knowing smirk. "Well, ain't that interestin'? Gotta admit, your beau's quite the charmer for his age." The purplette was mortified as her cheeks heated up, all while Scarlett asked; "So, you been datin' long?"

"WE ARE NOT—" Kyoka slapped her hand over her mouth before she could blurt out the rest, seeing Izuku pause just before the entryway. She hastily waved him off, hoping he'd buy her poor attempt to appear casual before going back to glaring at Scarlett. "We… are not in a relationship."

The Irish woman didn't stop grinning for a second. "Maybe not… but you're horrendously down bad for him, lassie."

"GAAAAAAUUUGGH!"

…..

~Darksyde, 3 Days Later~

This was it. Today was the day. The day that Sky-Byte had been anticipating ever since he got here. He had been informed that the Darksyde crew would make an annual report to Cybertron about every Earth week or so, and while he initially thought to insist on calling Megatron right when he arrived… he second-guessed himself and reassessed the situation. He wanted this to be a MONUMENTAL surprise, after all, and having Starscream and Unicronus contact Megatron early would raise the Decepticon leader's suspicions. He didn't want that… for several reasons… but the main point was that he was going to leave his old friend dumbfounded.

"Well boys, it's time." Sky-Byte told Dragonus and Sandsting, the two Mini-Cons keeping up with him as he walked through the ship's halls. "Are you ready to meet your new leader?" The duo growled and chattered a positive response before transforming into their torpedo modes, attaching to his back afterward. "Hmhm, excellent! Let's go."

Entering the bridge, the Predacon was met with all of the other Decepticons, their attention diverting straight to him. "Hah, Sky-Byte." Skywarp smirked, nudging his chin to him. "Great timing. We're just about to get started."

"Is that so?" Scanning his optics across the group, however, Sky-Byte noticed one individual missing. "…Where is Swift, though?"

"She is out with her new little friend." Shadow Striker replied, rolling her optic with a sneer. "As if this meeting weren't anymore pointless."

Nightra attempted to reel her teammate back in, however. "Hey, hey, c'mon Shadow, no need to get all upset. Swift's just in a REAL good mood."

But the sniper simply gave a deadpan response. "I cannot relate."

"Well, I know you can't, but just let her have her fun, comprende?"

"Enough!" Starscream ordered with a swipe of his hand. "We are about to get underway…" The Decepticons all fell into silence as he continued to type in commands into the console, before launching the communication to Cybertron. It didn't take long for the other end to intercept, and the very next second, Megatron's visage was on the holo-screen before them, with Shockwave standing in the background as usual. Sky-Byte made sure to stay just out of view as Starscream, Unicronus and the others all saluted. "Lord Megatron. We come with our report."

Megatron grumbled and nodded. "Speak, Starscream. As you know, I am very busy here."

The Seeker commander narrowed his optics slightly. 'Yeah, I'll bet…' Despite that thought, he continued on. "Ahem, today has been an… interesting week here. Very little Autobot activity has been detected, however, as we have recently learned, they have not been entirely without action." Typing into the console again, Starscream pulled up several news stories pertaining to the incident in Hosu. The Nomus, the Hero Killer, the aid of M.A.S.K., all of it had been covered. Most importantly, though, the Autobots could be seen pictured in their vehicle modes, aiding the efforts with their holoforms. "As you can see, they have been VERY busy."

"Hmph… typical Prime." Megatron grumbled, downloading the information into his databanks through his optics as he glared a hole into the picture of Optimus' alt mode. "Whenever any living being needs aid, be it Cybertronian or organic, he will not hesitate to help, even when disguised. Such heroic nonsense." However, he also took note of something interesting. "Hm… though I will say that this Hero Killer and the League of Villains ARE rather intriguing. Perhaps the latter could be useful in my future endeavors."

Unicronus bowed his head. "My liege, you still intend on us recruiting villains to aid in our war? I realize it would make for a distinct advantage against the Autobot's allies, but should we expose our secret to the wrong people—"

"I realize that, Unicronus." the Decepticon leader continued, raising a hand to his general. "Which is why we must also be cautious… and eliminate the head of this League so that we do not face any opposition. We do away with their leader… and the followers will have no choice but to kneel before me instead."

Throwing his hands into the air, Starscream lauded his leader's idea… in the most sarcastic way possible. "Oh, how grand your plan is, Lord Megatron! I'm certain that the villains will be completely subservient to your every whim after that, hehehe…" He could tell that Megatron wasn't amused, however, so decided to quickly change the subject. "A-Ahem, anyway… our efforts to mine energon have also been very fruitful. We have discovered enough of the substance in this land known as "Canada" to power a sizeable fleet of warships, I'd wager."

"Care to bet on that wager?" Megatron challenged, leaning against his hand in boredom. "Forgive me for my skepticism, but I've learned over the eons to not take your word at face value, Starscream."

"M-My lord, please!" Starscream bowed his head. "This day, I speak the truth!"

Surprisingly for the Seeker, Unicronus actually came to his aid. "He does, my lord. The energon that we've mined so far is quite the bounty. And Starscream's assessment is actually quite accurate."

Starscream briefly glanced over to the shadowy Decepticon in astonishment as Megatron hummed. "Hmph… well, if that is the case, then I commend your work, Decepticons." He clenched his fists determinately. "Once you return to Cybertron with the bounty and with Optimus Prime in chains, THEN we will finally cement our rule over the planet and move beyond even further into the cosmos."

"Of course, Lord Megatron." Starscream agreed, all while thinking; 'Pompous slag-eater…' Despite his curses unto his leader, though, he shifted his optics over to Sky-Byte, who gave him an approving nod. "That being said, however, there WAS something of major significance that happened over the course of this week as well, which I believe you will be quite interested in."

Megatron raised an eyeridge down at him. "Oh? And what is that?"

"Oh, just an old friend stopping by." Sky-Byte exclaimed from off screen, making Megatron's optics widen before he strolled into frame. "I just so happened to be passing through this solar system when I detected these Cons along the way. And when I sensed the Autobot activity here as well, I knew that THIS was my opportunity to finally come out of hiding." He raised his chin up to his old friend with a gnarled grin. "Megatron! How are you, ya old fogie?"

The revelation had to sit with Megatron for a few moments before the reality finally settled in, and before long, a genuine smile appeared on his face and a jubilant laugh escaped his throat. "BAHAHA! Sky-Byte?! Is that really you?"

Sky-Byte stretched his arms out. "In the Cybertonium alloy, my liege."

"HAHA! What a joyous day!" Megatron exclaimed, leaning toward the screen in his enthusiasm. "I had thought that you'd perished in the collapsing sun with that turncoat."

At that point, Shockwave had finally piped up, his curiosity piqued. "How in Cybertron's name did you ever escape the supernova? Doing something such as that should be nearly impossible."

"Oh, it was not easy, Shockwave, I assure you." Sky-Byte said with a wave of his hand. "I was blown practically half-way across Cybertron's solar system before I finally landed on Charr. The native Cybertronians there aided me, though they were unaware that a war had broken out on the main planet."

Megatron hummed and gave a nod. "That makes sense. The SpaceBridge systems were cut off to the colony worlds long ago. Prime saw to that himself, much to my irritation." It was at that point that the Decepticon leader became slightly wary. "Still… why did you not come back to Cybertron when you were repaired, old friend? We erected a statue in your honor, you know. Your return would've been welcomed with open arms."

Sky-Byte lowered his head apologetically, making sure to keep a straight, solemn face. "I apologize, my old friend… but unfortunately, I was unable to. In fact, I was restricted from it. By the time I was fully repaired, the Aerialbots had found where I was... and they sought revenge for their former commander's death." He narrowed his optics in faux anger. "And ever since that day, they have hounded me so! Barring me from making my way back to Cybertron or even joining with any other Decepticons throughout the cosmos. It was only recently that I managed to FINALLY get them off my tail in the last solar system I was in." He raised his arms out to his sides, putting on a proud smile. "Lo and behold, one hop to the next system over and it leads me to this planet! And let me just say, it feels SO good to be back."

There was a short pause as Megatron took in the Predacon's story, before finally giving a single nod. "I see. Well, I am certainly glad to see that you managed to survive, Sky-Byte, truly." His sinister grin returned as he clenched a fist. "And it is fortunate that you have arrived on Earth. Now, this group TRULY has a clear advantage over the Autobots."

"I couldn't agree more, sir." Unicronus concurred. "In fact, Sky-Byte has already proven his worth by finding a Mini-Con and bringing it to us."

"Hah, is that so?"

With a theatrical bow, Sky-Byte affirmed it. "Indeed, Megatron! And I have also a couple of my own…" On cue, Dragonus and Sandsting launched themselves off of the shark bot's back and transformed, the former staying airborne while the latter scuttled along the floor. "A gift from the Charrians in their gratitude for leading the Aerialbots away from their planet. I made sure to spread the good word among them about your cause, by the way. Should you find your way to Charr, expect to be greeted with reverence and bots who would volunteer to join the Decepticon cause."

This made Megatron's smile widen. "Ah, excellent, Sky-Byte. You always were a valuable hype-mech." His expression became serious again as he looked back to his second-in-command. "Now, is that all you have to report, Starscream?"

"No, there is one more thing." the Seeker clarified. "Currently, Swift is out aiding the Mini-Con that we acquired—"

"The one that SKY-BYTE acquired, you mean."

Starscream soured at the condescending interruption from his leader, but pressed on nonetheless. "…Yes. The one that Sky-Byte acquired. In any case, she is helping him locate the rest of his team; the two other Destruction Mini-Cons."

Megatron let out a dark chuckle. "Hmhmhm, I see. They will all be perfect additions to the Decepticon ranks, to be sure." The Decepticon leader set his gaze out to the rest of his troops, who all stood at attention. "Well, if that is the case, then it would seem that things are going rather well. I anticipate your next report. Megatron out."

…..

With that, Megatron brought the transmission to an end, taking a deep intake, a contemplative hum passing his lips soon after. "Hmm… he lies."

Shockwave wasn't expecting that, leaving him perplexed. "Pardon me, my lord?"

"Sky-Byte. He lies about the Aerialbots." Megatron stood up from his throne and walked toward the door, ready to get back to business. "I received a report from Flamewar not two solar cycles ago saying that she encountered Aerialbots on Tantalus V. Her and the Scavengers saw them aiding in the planet's retaliation efforts against them in their last incursion."

"I see…" Shockwave muttered. "And that planet is on the complete opposite side of the galaxy where Earth is. But… if the Aerialbots weren't the reason he couldn't return to Cybertron…"

"Then it stands to reason that Sky-Byte's reason for staying away from Cybertron is something that he his ashamed of." Megatron deduced, placing his hands behind his back as the two walked out the door. "I have a suspicion that, if he survived the supernova, then that traitorous Autobot may have ALSO lived through it."

Shockwave abruptly stopped and saluted. "My liege, would you like me to contact your away team, then? I'm certain that they would be of great help if the Autobot were to arrive on Earth."

To the scientist's intrigue, however, Megatron shook his head. "No, no, that won't be necessary… yet." He waved for Shockwave to join him, all while dismissing the suggestion. "Should that turncoat manage to track Sky-Byte down and completely trounce him, then that shall serve as a lesson to him. He lies to me again… and it may not end well for him."

"You would destroy your oldest companions?" Shockwave questioned. "And one of your most loyal followers?"

Megatron shook his head. "No. I would give him a good thrashing him myself and then lock him up in the Incarcecon Prison for a decacycle or two. Just to make certain he knows his place."

Shockwave bowed to his leader. "Once again, your wisdom proves immeasurable, my lord."

"Hm, of course. Now come, Shockwave, we are close to annihilating that band of Autobot rebels operating out of Anteros City."

…..

Back in the Darksyde, every Decepticon gave a sigh of relief once Megatron ended the call. "Hah, phew, zat vent fairly vell, all things considered." Flatline said before ushering for Blastwave to follow him him. "Come, mein freund. Our experiment continues! We must finish this project before ze next mission!"

Blastwave let out a groaning grumble and stood up, rolling his optics as he trudged behind. "Auuuggh, da, understood."

Watching the duo leave, Sky-Byte raised a curious eyeridge. "Huh? What sorta project are they talking about?"

"Ah, the doc's planin' on makin' some sorta "artifact detector" of some kind." Nightra answered with air-quotes. "Apparently, this planet we're on has got a LOTTA Cybertronian tech and artifacts hidden around, an' the Autobots have been collectin' 'em pretty frequently." Her optics shifted over to Starscream and his brothers. "We've tried gettin' some before, buuuut—"

"NOT. Another. Word." Skywarp threatened, glaring at his subordinate.

"Hey, hey, I'm not blamin' you, Warp." Nightra raised her hands defensively. "I'm just sayin', maybe next time a stealthier approach would work better." She pointed to him with a smirk. "Ya know, put that whole teleportation ability of yours to good use." The hacker only received a growl from Skywarp before he teleported straight out the door, leaving the others behind. "Hah, sheesh… ya try to give a teammate some good advice and they just growl at you like a little Earth perro."

Thundercracker, breaking his silence, folded his arms over his chest. "Uh… what's a "perro"?"

Nightra brightened up and activated her holo-screen, showing him and everyone else an image of a furry, four-legged animal with floppy ears, a fluffy tail, and a long muzzle. "Oh, this is one! In Earth English, they call it a "dog"."

The blue Seeker's expression softened at the sight of the creature. "Ah… cute."

"Eugh, how can you call anything organic "cute"?" Starscream sneered, going back to the console to try and contact Swift. "I mean, I would understand if it were a pet or something, but—"

"These things literally ARE kept as pets by humans." Nightra deadpanned.

"…Humans have poor taste, then."

The group of Decepticons collectively groaned, with Shadow Striker starting toward the door. "Zat is it, I do not have ze patience for zis ANY longer. If you need me, I will be at ze target range." However, before she left, the sniper narrowed her optic at them one last time. "…Do not need me, please." With that, she left and the door closed behind her, leaving everyone else to their devices.

Barricade leaned back in his seat, resting his hands behind his helm. "Hah, yep. Another typical day working on the Darksyde with a bunch of aft-shafts." The cop bot nudged his chin to Sky-Byte. "I think you're gonna fit in pretty well here, my friend."

"Mmm, yes." Sky-Byte muttered.

Right at that moment, the main console began beeping, taking Starscream by surprise. "Swift to Darksyde, Swift to Darksyde, you readin' me?"

Starscream was not prepared for this. It was very rare for Swift to contact him first. That was usually the other way around. This MUST have been an important case. Pressing his finger to the button, he spoke to his right-hand bot. "Swift, this is Starscream. come in. What is your status?"

"Oh-ho, Screamer, have I got some NEWS for you! …Er, is Lord Megatron still on the line?"

"No, you missed the meeting." the Seeker commander answered. "Why? What have you to report?"

"Hehe… so… remember how I said I'd help Drill Bit track down his pals?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, we might've just stumbled upon where they are. It's someplace called the "Rocky Mountains" down in the States. And… hoo boy, there's a LOT more hiding here than JUST Mini-Cons. Sending you a visual now." The holo-screen in front of the Decepticons suddenly flashed again… and they were greeted by quite the astonishing sight. The visual from Swift's optics showed an absolutely MASSIVE Energon deposit, one that was practically just sticking out of the mountainside just above a deep ravine where massive hunks of stone had fallen into. "Recent geological activity seems to have unearthed this beauty! So, whaddya think?"

For the first time in a long time, Starscream and Unicronus both eyed one another… and shared an ominous smirk in agreement. A sentiment shared amongst the other Decepticons as well. "I think… that this is the perfect opportunity for a little away mission."

…..

Over in Japan, meanwhile, the morning had just settled in for Kyoka as she began the usual routine she'd been doing for the past week. Get up, put herself together, have breakfast bento with Snake Eyes, and finally get started on her training. However… things felt quite different this time, and she knew exactly why. Today was her last full day on the island. Internships would end tomorrow and she'd go home first thing in the morning. In a way, it was bittersweet for her, since she had gotten used to the ways that the "Arashikage Ninja School", as she liked to call it, did things. That and it only felt like she was scratching the surface when it came to her training.

These were the thoughts plaguing her mind as she tried to go through the motions of her Taiichi class, led by Jinx. But something must've been noticeably different, because both the kunoichi and Mackenzie pause in mid-motion to look at her. "Um… Kyoka?"

"U-Uh, yeah?" she muttered.

"I… don't think that's anything close to what we're doing."

Kyoka briefly glanced down at her form… and only now did she notice that she was bent in the completely wrong direction. Her back was arched downward instead of up, and rather than her arms performing a wave motion, they were straightened out and touching her toes. The Earphone Jack user gasped in embarrassment and corrected herself immediately. "S-Sorry, Jinx! I-I was just… I'm kinda—"

"Hm, I understand." Jinx reassured, falling out of her stance to come over to the girl instead. Mackenzie did the same as Jinx set a hand on Kyoka's shoulder. "This is your last day, after all. I'm sure that you're not feeling too excited about it…"

"…Not really." Kyoka admitted. "It feels like… I'm only just getting started, you know? Like there's still so much more I have yet to learn. Hell, I'm pretty sure I've only gotten ONE of your seven techniques down."

Jinx nodded with a sympathetic smile. "Yes. I was hoping to get to at least the second before the week got out, but it wasn't meant to be, it seems." She reached down and squeezed Kyoka's shoulder reassuringly. "But don't worry. I'm sure that this won't be the last we see of one another, especially given our budding alliance with the Autobots."

Mackenzie placed a hand to her hip, rubbing her neck with the other. "But that said, it is gonna feel a bit less exciting without you here." She gave Kyoka a nudge to the arm. "I was just starting to get used to you."

"Hah, yeah, same." Kyoka winked.

"Perhaps some meditation will clear your mind. Let's change things up a little." Jinx suggested, leading the girls back toward the castle. Once inside, however, they noticed something was… quite off. There was absolutely no one around, the entire place still with silence. The three ladies were immediately suspicious, their eyes darting around as they proceeded. "Strange… I would have guessed that we'd be greeted by someone at the door…"

But they didn't have to walk in very far before Kyoka's keen hearing picked something up. The uproarious sounds of cheering and hollering coming from below their feet. "Hold on." Plugging her jack into the floor to make sure, the purplette let out an amused scoff. "Heh, they're all downstairs. And from the sounds of it, there's some sparring going on."

A short groan passed Jinx's lips and she rolled her eyes. "Of course. Come, girls, let's go see what the fuss is about…" Going down the nearest staircase, the trio found themselves in an underground room with a large, circular arena in the middle; made of wooden floorboard and bordered by a white boundary. Lo and behold, all of the Joes were there, most of them watching and cheering eagerly for not one, but TWO fights happening in the ring.

The main one was Duke and Snake Eyes going at it in hand-to-hand combat, the two matching one another with every block and hit. Whenever one of them would get them closer to the edge, the other would quickly find a way out of it, and as the three girls entered, Snake Eyes had just done so, avoiding elimination before going in straight to Duke. The blonde, wolf-eared man immediately raised his arms, grappling with his commando comrade.

"Hah, not bad, Snake. Top form as always!" Duke commended before going in for a leg sweep. "But I've gotten bett—AH!" However, Snake Eyes managed to leap over the attack, instead flipping over Duke's head and landing a swift kick to his back.

Not far from them—in the direct center of the ring, no less—a small table had been set up. And sitting there were none other than Roadblock and Tiger Claw… and they were having an arm-wrestling match. How Snake and Duke were avoiding the two, the girls had no clue, but it was still an impressive sight. The tiger man flashed his sharp teeth at the equally large man, both of them determined to win. "Marvin, we're three for three when it comes to these encounters! This one decides it all, and I will NOT go down so easily!"

"The feelin's mutual, Chad, but I ain't 'bout to give up, either! GRAAAH!" With a grunt of exertion, Roadblock put on the muscle and pushed with all his strength, causing several veins to visibly appear under his skin. But it was instantly matched by Tiger Claw letting out a massive roar right in the machine gunner's face, showing his own strength as well.

All in all, it was a sight that left Kyoka utterly gob smacked. "…What in the HELL is going on down here?!"

Jinx shook her head and sighed. "Hah, I should've guessed. The boys always get competitive whenever we get together."

"WOOO-WEEE! C'mon Marv, ya got this! YEAH!" Wild Bill whooped from the sidelines.

Next to the cowboy, Kamakura was clapping encouragingly as well. "Let's go, Chadwick, let's go! There's a lot on the line here!"

The three ladies all deadpanned. "…And the competitive spirit never seems to fade." Jinx concluded.

"Hah, well, can ya blame 'em?" The trio all turned to see Hawk and Scarlett approaching them, the two briefly looking back to the ring. "After all, they so rarely get to see one another these days. At least, outside of Cobra attacks."

"Aye, it's true." Scarlett stated, nudging Jinx's shoulder. "Ya've gotta give 'em credit, lass, they know how to spice up a get-together, huh?"

The kunoichi gave a simple shrug. "I suppose… though it doesn't exactly help when one wants to get some peace and quiet for meditation."

Kyoka raised a hand. "I-It's okay, Jinx. I'll be fine." She smirked as she watched the four men continue to literally and figuratively beat the hell out of one another. "Besides, watching this is insanely entertaining."

The general, however, raised a brow down to her. "Everything going alright, Kyoka? You seem a bit… put off by something."

"I mean… not exactly "put off". More like… dissatisfied." Kyoka's arms slumped at her sides, pursing her lips in frustration. "Don't get me wrong, I DID learn a lot from this internship, but… it feels like I can learn so much more if I stick around longer, ya know? It's just too bad that this internship only lasted a week."

Hawk's lips tightened, giving an understanding nod. "I see… so you want to learn more, eh?" He gave it some thought before an idea struck him. "Actually… there might be a way." His words immediately caught Kyoka's interest before he asked further; "Are you familiar with work-study programs? Most hero schools I know of do those."

"Y-Yeah, I know a little about those." Kyoka affirmed. "They're where the school allows kids to go out on certain days and learn directly under pro heroes at their office. Some are even able to get straight into the action and are treated like normal sidekicks at the agencies." Still, the Earphone Jack user furrowed her brow. "Although… those are usually reserved for second and third-year students, aren't they?"

"Usually, yes." But the general winked down to her, touching his finger to his nose. "That said, I've heard that U.A. DOES make exceptions for certain first year students… if they do well, at least. And I just so happen to have connections with Nezu. I'll put in a good word for you, and, if you keep your grades up, you might just get the chance to come back and continue your training."

Her eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree, Kyoka was thoroughly ecstatic to hear that. "R-Really?! Sir, I can't thank you enou—"

Just then, Hawk gasped and pressed his hand down on Kyoka's shoulder, shouting; "DUCK!" The group followed his order and, from out of nowhere, Duke came hurdling over all of their heads, the blonde man slamming back-first into the opposing wall. At the edge of the arena, Snake Eyes stood, breathing heavily yet still silently after his victory.

Scarlett gasped and rushed over to her fellow lieutenant without wasting a moment. "Duke! Oh dear god, I TOLD you boys not ta go overboard!" While scolding him, the redhead checked over his head, searching for any wounds. "Anythin' hurt bad?"

"Gah… just my pride." Duke shifted himself up to a seated position and winced, sucking in a sharp breath. "Sss! …And my ass."

"Ah, ya dunce." Scarlet said with an eyeroll and an amused grin, shaking her head before eyeing her old friend. "An' Snake, ya really gotta tone it down yerself, ya know?" Snake Eyes rubbed his neck sheepishly, acknowledging her words with a nod of his own.

*CRACK*

"GRRROOOAAAARR!" The team were all startled when, from the center of the ring, Roadblock gave one final push, using all of his might to finally SMASH Tiger Claw's paw through the table, breaking it in half and making him roar in pain.

As the striped martial artist fell to the floor, Roadblock let out a thunderous laugh, lifting his arms up high viciously. "AHAHAHA! That's RIGHT! Who's the best?!" He thrust his finger down to Tiger Claw with a good-natured smile. "And you, my friend, are the next to buy drinks."

Tiger Claw, despite his aching hand, smiled back at the man who beat him. "Haha, yes, I suppose fair is fair." Roadblock helped his fellow Joe up and they shook hands. "Good match, Marv. It was incredibly close."

On the sidelines, Budo and the other Joes all clapped at the show of sportsmanship. "Haha, excellent, both of you. Now, with all of that done, I think next we should—" Before he could suggest anything, however, Budo finally caught sight of his wife… and she didn't appear to be too impressive with him. "…clean up everything here and relax for a little bit, haha! Who's up for some late morning tea?" No one was able to take him up on the offer, however… because not two second after suggesting it…

*CHYOOM*

In the direct center of the room, a certain swirling vortex appeared, taking everyone off guard. The Joes all immediately went to pull out their weapons, but Kyoka stopped them. "Wait! Guys, don't shoot!" Sure enough, just as she suspected, it didn't take long for their Autobot visitor to come revving through the portal, a certain Porsche screeching to a stop along the floorboards.

"Yo, Joes!" Jazz greeted. "An' hey there, Kyo! What's happenin'?"

"Jazz! What the hell are you doing in here?" Kyoka approached him with her arms raised. "And how'd you even bridge into the freaking basement?"

"You'd be surprised what coordinates Red can calibrate into the thing." Jazz explained quickly. "But never mind that now. I've been sent 'ere to pick you cats up. We've got a situation an' it's all hands on deck!"

This took Kyoka and the Joes by surprise, with Hawk stepping forward for answers. "What do you mean "all hands"? What's going on?"

"We've picked up on a HUGE deposit of energon over in the States." Jazz elaborated. "Right in what's called the Rocky Mountain range. Problem is, we've got LOADS of Cons on the move an' they're headed straight for it."

Hawk's expression hardened and he nodded to the Autobot. "Say no more. We're in. If the Decepticons wanna start a fight on American soil, then that's their mistake to make." He turned back to his fellow Joes, who at this point had all lined up and stood at attention, Kyoka included. "Alright, troops, you heard it hear first. It's time to play the game, and we all know how it goes. We'll receive the mission debriefing from Prime and then head out to our destination. That clear?" He received a collective salute and a; "SIR, YES SIR!", prompting Hawk to raise a fist. "Good! Then say it with me now!"

All at once, every member raised their fists into the air, exclaiming in unison; "YOOO JOE!"

…..

A/N: And there you have it! Transformers MHA month starts out with establishing our new allies from G.I. Joe, as well as setting up the main conflict of this month's storyline; an absolutely HUGE battle over a massive energon deposit in the Rocky Mountains. It's gonna be one heck of a ride, that's for sure, and I hope you all stick around to see it happen!

But going back to the Joes themselves, we've learned quite a bit about them, haven't we? In particular, I think it's important that we highlight Scarlett here. Because yes, her Quirk, "Crossbow" IS pretty much identical to Lady Nagant's Rifle Quirk, and that IS intentional. As is the fact that, in this version of events, SHE was the one to bring Nagant in. That's gonna come into play later down the line when Nagant comes into play… which may be sooner than when she was brought into the MHA story proper. Let's just say we won't have to wait like 4 more arcs before she appears… and when she does, she and Scarlet are gonna be going AT it.

Also, Duke and Snake Eyes have a friendly rivalry going on. Hm… wonder what could be the cause of that? Well, so long as they're not at each other's throats 24/7, it's probably alright. But hm, wonder why Roadblock doesn't like to use his Quirk outside of battle? Well, we'll likely see it soon, so we'll have that question answered eventually. But there IS also another question that needs an answer; what IS Marissa's deal with G.I. Joe? Curious, indeed…

Well, at least one thing's consistent; Cobra might be a bit more competent than their 80's counterparts, but their plans can still be kinda dumb. Would we expect anything less from the Commander than wanting to wipe out an entire state just because it annoys him? Oh, and I know that the Joe/Autobot interactions were glossed over a bit here, but I wanted to make sure this got out on time, so something had to give. But don't worry! We'll be seeing plenty of Bot/Joe repartee in the chapters to come!

On the Decepticon side of things, though, Megatron certainly seems overjoyed to see his old friend alive and well… at least before he figures out that Sky-Byte's not being truthful to him. This'll definitely come back to bite the Predacon later, ironically enough. Also, hope you guys enjoyed that mention of Flamewar. She'll be appearing in a later arc, hehe. All the same, though, Megatron definitely seems intent on a hostile takeover when it comes to Earth's villains. Could his plans possibly come to fruition in the future? Well, that's a question that'll have to be saved for later. Because…

And now, THE PREVIEW! With everyone gathered up at Autobot HQ, the team goes over their strategy to counter the Decepticon forces, all while Hawk calls in some aerial back-up to meet them at their destination. From there, the conflict starts, and it's something that has to be seen to be believed. Next Time; Rocky Mountain Fight. Don't get too close to the energon! Any stray fire could be dangerous! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time. Stay safe out there, and remember…

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!