Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

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

72. Family Ties

A/N: How's it going, everybody? Another week, another chapter of Transformers MHA. And to start out, I feel as though I should apologize for how slow things have been lately with the story. Admittedly, I've been a bit more invested with Ben 10 RWBY at the moment, namely because there's a ton of things ramping up in that story that I'm REALLY excited about. That and, after coming off the M.E.C.H./Swindle story arc, I wanted to take it easy for a few chapters, so that's why things have felt a bit more casual as of late. That said, starting next week, that should change, because lemme tell ya… it's about to get real. With all that said, let's begin, shall we? This is…

Chapter 72: Family Ties

…..

"Eeeeee-hee-hee! It's almost time!"

This afternoon was going to be a VERY fun one for Mina Ashido, she knew that for a fact. Not only was she presented with an opportunity to snag a ticket to a theme park thanks to her Class Rep, but also, the time had come for the biggest undertaking she had ever been met with; granting names to a bunch of new recruits! …Granted, she had to do a bunch of research the night before for this, which was less than stellar, but well worth it for the cavalcade of names she had collected from the internet! Steve was the only English name she knew off the bat, so she had to acquaint herself with not just more names, but how to both spell AND say them, too.

'Normally I hate learning English, but in this case, WORTH!' she thought proudly to herself.

Observing the pink girl dancing in place in her excitement, the rest of her friends smiled, amused by her antics. "Man, Ashido, you're totally stoked for this, aren't ya?" Eijiro piped up.

"Well, she'd better be." Denki said with a smirk. "She's lucky she just narrowly avoided getting in trouble with the bots after the stunt she pulled, after all." That made the Acid user abruptly stop and puff out her cheeks at the blond. "Hey, I'm just saying, maybe it's time ya gave that a rest!"

"Indeed." Tenya concurred, furrowing his brow at Mina. "Your continued hiding in Bulkhead is getting rather old, Ashido. I have since discussed it with Optimus a while ago, and we've agreed; do it a third time and you WILL be reprimanded accordingly."

Slumping forward with a loud groan, Mina lamented her Class Rep's stickler mentality. "Uuuugh, you're seriously no fun, Iida."

"Say that to me when you pull that trick again and you're in the middle of a warzone."

The girl rolled her golden eyes. "Psh, please, I was in a warzone almost a week ago, remember?"

"With adult supervision! AND military reinforcement!" Tenya argued. "Every time we've been allowed into battle proper between the Autobots and Decepticons, it has always been with adults, be they heroes or otherwise. The other times were all accidental."

"He's got a point, Mina." Ochako nodded worriedly. "Maybe we should stay out of Bot-Con conflict for the time being, at least until we're more experienced."

Behind the 1-A students, Tetsutetsu let out an audible grunt, placing his hands behind his head. "Rugh, whatever! Just how long are we gonna have to wait for these mooks to show up?!"

Setsuna and Ibara stared deadpan at their classmate. "Wow, you're impatient." said the Lizard Tail Splitter user.

Itsuka sighed and shook her head. "Relax. I'm sure that it won't be for much longer."

"And longer it shall not be!" Everyone shot their heads up when they heard Mei call out to them from the base's entrance, and with her strolled out Optimus Prime, Red Alert… and Signal Flare. "They have arrived~!" the inventor sang, which caught the other Autobots' attention as well, prompting them to all gather up with their human companions.

"OOH! Signal Flare!" Mina rushed up, waving the new Autobot down. "Hiya! How're ya doing?!"

Peering down to her, Signal Flare gave a chuckle seeing her enthusiasm. "Haha, well if it isn't the Acid Spitter" He knelt down to greet her, quickly taking notice of her friends as well. "Ah, and these must be the other menaces."

That brought everyone to a screeching halt. "M-Menaces?!" Ochako exclaimed.

"Good sir!" Tenya raised a stiff arm in retribution. "I can assure you right now that we are NOT menaces, delinquents, or anything of the sort! We are upstanding students of U.A. High School who intend on becoming heroes, after all! It would be an insult to our curriculum if we were anything otherwise!"

"Heh, you say that, but you kids have earned a bit of a reputation on the Darksyde for what you did to that trooper." At Signal Flare's explanation, the 1-A students were left completely stunned, aside from Mina who wore a sheepish smile and scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Let's see, we've got… The Electricutioner, The Shredster, the Blowpipe and… the Float-Terror."

The four teens were absolutely dumbstruck… though only half of them were actually horrified by what they were called. "Nooooo!" Ochako cried, putting her hands over her mouth. "Not "Float-Terror"! I don't wanna be called that! What did I do to deserve this?!"

"I am INCENSED and OFFENDED at such a name for myself!" Tenya exclaimed, thrusting his arms in the air and waving his hands dramatically. "I mean, "Blowpipe"?! It makes me sound like I'm being compared to exhaust fumes!"

Eijiro and Denki, on the other hand, were far more into their Darksyde nicknames. "I dunno… "Shredster" sounds kinda bad-ass!" the spikey redhead grinned.

"And I'm SO digging "Electrocutioner"!" Denki gave a thumbs up. "Of course, shame I can't use it since it sounds like a villain name, but damn if it ain't creative!"

Red Alert gave a sarcastic hum. "Hm, yes, very creative. In any event, though, I think it's time we get this undertaking started."

Optimus nodded. "Agreed." The Autobot leader's optics shifted down to the pink girl below. "Mina, are you ready?"

"Sure am, Boss Bot!" Mina saluted before giving Signal Flare the go-ahead. "Bring 'em in, Signal Flare! Let's see how they look!"

"Hehe, alright then." Signal Flare stepped in front of the base's entrance and announced; "Ahem, in light of our defection from the Decepticons, we former Vehicons have taken a new title amongst ourselves. We debated for many hours over what to call ourselves, but after much deliberation, we've decided to dub ourselves something that is both new and yet familiar, bringing ourselves into a new era while also remembering where we came from." Raising his hand, the new Autobot presented his crew as they came rolling through the doorway. "Everyone, allow me to present to you… the Omnicons!"

Rolling out of the base came several sleek cars, all of them completely identical in everyway but paint. Just as Mina had asked, all of the Vehicons—or rather, Omnicons—had donned individual color schemes to tell them apart better. From left to right there was;

A green one with two thick, black stripes down the hood.

A blue one with neon yellow streaks across the side.

A mustard yellow one with grey pinstriping.

A white one with red flames across the doors and hood.

An orange one with teal waves all over.

A black one with cyan bolts going from front to back on the doors and hood.

A magenta one with several emerald green lines across the hood, roof and trunk.

And finally, a brown one that had tan details that resembled mud stains on the hood and near the tires.

The students were left in awe at all of the diverse color schemes, breaking out into a chorus of oohs and "ahs". They were all incredibly vibrant, even the darker or duller ones, thanks to all of the unique patterns that they had chosen. However, there was still one left, as Signal Flare so apathetically introduced. "Oh yeah, and Steve."

"Oh, SURE!" Everyone perked their heads up to see the eponymous "Steve" come skulking around the corner and out of the base, still rocking his black, purple and silver color scheme with slashed Decepticon symbol on his chest. He was followed out by Bulkhead, who was keeping a sharp optic on him. "Label ME the afterthought! I know what your game is, Signal Flare. Try making me look bad just because I didn't wanna be seen in all of these dumb colors."

"Hey, you're the one who doesn't wanna be a team player." Signal Flare shrugged. "You could always change your mind."

"Heh, no thanks." Steve jerked a thumb to himself. "I'll proudly still be labeled as a Vehicon, thank you very much."

Despite his nasty attitude, Mina simply beamed up at him. "Okay, if that's what you want! Honestly, "Steve the Vehicon" has a nice ring to it, anyway."

Whirling around, Steve pointed at the girl angrily. "And YOU…" But he didn't get the chance to say any more as he felt a certain pair of optics boring into him. He could tell that it was Bulkhead without even glancing back, and he let out a frustrated sigh. "…Hah, just know that I STILL don't like the name "Steve"."

"Too bad! You're stuck with it!" Mina cheerily replied, much to Steve's chagrin.

The others hurriedly approached the rest of the Omnicons, though, still marveling at the eclectic color choices they'd all made. "Wow, you guys look so cool!" Tetsu grinned. "Where the heck did you come up with these patterns?!"

"We just studied up on Earth vehicles to see what was popular." said the green and black Omnicon. "And after our research we all agreed on something; humans enjoy bright, vibrant colors and interesting patterns."

"And after discovering this primitive mindset, we decided that was the way to go!" the yellow and grey Omnicon followed up.

"Heh, yeah, that IS kinda common." Setsuna admitted… only to realize what was just said. "…Hold on! Whaddya mean by "primitive minds"?"

In one fell swoop, the Omnicons were left taken aback, all of them stumbling over their words to try and correct their mistake. "E-Er, w-what he MEANT to say was "interesting"!" the white and red one stammered. "Y-Yeah, and cool, as you humans would say." As if to emphasize his point, he pulled away from the group and performed a spin-out in the base's front yard, his tires skidding across the ground while kicking up dust. "And lemme tell ya, my flames are so cool that they're RED HOT!"

"A contradictory statement, to be sure…" Ibara deadpanned as she waved the dust away from her face.

"But somethin' ya just can't deny." Denki added, earning a small grin and eye-roll from the Vine user.

The blonde's Autobot partner, though, was less enthused as he stepped away from the cloud of dust. "Agh, whatever, could we PLEASE just pick these guys' names before my paint gets smudged?"

Sideswipe groaned at his brother's tidy tendencies. "Ugh, dude, ya need to get a grip."

"Okay, okay, let's settle down." Strongarm urged before smiling down to the Acid user and her list. "Mina, now's your time to take the floor. Please, share the names you've picked out."

"Thank you, Strongarm!" Mina held her head up proudly, strolling forth toward the Omnicons with her list held in front of her face. "Ahem, now… I'll just preface this by saying I'm not the best when it comes to research and stuff like that. Before last night, I only knew one English name…" She pointed up to Steve. "And obviously, that one's been taken, whether he likes it or not." That earned her an irritated hum from the Vehicon, but she kept going never the less. "But an after extensive investigation, I've come up with SEVERAL names for you Omnicons today!" The eight former Decepticons all cheered on that note. "That said, I'm gonna be dishing them out depending on the type of vibe your vehicle mode colors give me, so everyone line up and once your name's been given, feel free to transform!"

Itsuka and the others all sat down with their partners, the redhead resting on Flare-Up's knee. "Hm, this oughta be interesting." she chuckled.

"Yeah. Wonder what Mina cooked up for the lot of 'em?" Flare wondered herself.

Starting from the left, Mina approached the green Omnicon with the two black stripes, humming to herself thoughtfully as she scanned her eyes over it. "Hmm…" Glancing between the car and her list, one name actually stuck out to her, though she had no idea why. "I think… you come off as a "Kevin" to me."

"Why's that?" asked the bot.

"Dunno. Something about your paintjob just screams "Kevin"." Mina scratched her head. "And I for the life of me have no idea why."

"Huh. Well, alright then." *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt* The newly-named Omnicon transformed and saluted to her. "Kevin it is!"

Mina gave him a thumbs up. "Great! Congratulations, Kevin! Now, moving on…" Side-stepping to the magenta car with the thin, emerald green stripes going over top, the pink-haired girl immediately smirked. "Ooh, going for a shade of pink, eh? Trying to appeal to me and get a nice name out of it?"

The Omnicon wasn't sure what to make of that. "E-Erm, well, that wasn't my intention, no."

"Ah, good, because my favorite color is—ironically—purple!" That made the Omnicons all chuckle awkwardly, all while Steve facepalmed in the background. "Now, as for your name… I'm thinking Charlie! A fun name for a fun color scheme."

Transforming into robot mode, Charlie nodded down to her. "Sounds like a deal."

From there, Mina went on a naming spree. She immediately knew that the orange and teal Omnicon was destined to be named "Dave" since it sounded like the word "wave", which was the pattern he had. The mustard yellow and grey one was dubbed "Hank" since he had a somewhat duller color scheme. And the blue Omnicon with neon yellow streaks was named "Gary". "Just because I think it sounds neat!" she had reasoned.

Dave, Hank and Gary stood side by side and all affirmed her thoughts. "Works for us!" they echoed with a salute.

"Now, what about you…" Mina pondered as she approached the black car with the cyan bolts. "You need a name that stands out as much as your colors…" After scanning her entire list, she finally came across one that seemed all too fitting. "Oh! I know! How about "Tyler"?"

"Tyler, huh…" *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt* "I guess that DOES sound pretty cool, actually." Tyler said with a shrug.

Mina clapped her hands in anticipation. "Eee-heehee! Almost done! This has gone SUPER well!" She approached the final two, going for the brown and tan one first. "Ooh… a very dirty color layout. Didja go for the muddy look intentionally?"

"Yeah." the Omnicon affirmed. "Thought it was a neat aesthetic."

"I see…" Going over her list once again, Mina noticed a name that stuck out within seconds. "Ooh! Now THIS one's good! How about "Dan"? Ya know, then you'd be "Dirty Dan"?"

Assuming robot mode, Dan let out a laugh and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Haha, now that's a fun nickname! I like it!"

Before anyone could say anything else, the final Omnicon—the white one with red flames on his hood and doors—let out a loud whoop. "WOO! YES! Now it's MY turn!" He started revving back and forth on his wheels in eager anticipation, taking his brethren and the others by surprise. "I am SO pumped for this, you wouldn't believe! C'mon, lemme here it! I want the best one you got, Acid Spitter!"

Attempting to calm him down, Mina waved her hands nervously. "W-Woah, woah! Don't fly off the handle there, bud! Gimme a sec…" Her golden eyes scanned the paper she held intently, hoping that her new impatient friend could hold out a little longer. "Um… ooh… ah-ha!"

"What? What'd you find?!" the bot asked in excitement.

"Your new name, my friend…" Mina thrust a finger at him. "IS KYLE!"

Not waiting a moment more, Kyle transformed into robot mode, pumping his fists into the air. "HAHA! YES! I love it!" He began punching the air in a form of celebration, much to the others' chagrin. "KYLE! KYLE! KYLE! I'm SO gonna rock this name!"

Signal Flare scratched his helm, noting just how exuberant Kyle was being. 'Not one day off the Darksyde and they're already expressing themselves as individuals. This was definitely a good idea.' He cleared out his vocal processor and spoke up to his crew. "Alright, men, line up!" That managed to shake Kyle out of his celebration and get him to form up with the others, standing at attention. "Well, now that you all have names, there's one last thing that you all have to do, isn't there?"

The Omnicons all looked to one another, nodded, and then bowed their heads toward their small, pink christener. "Thank you, Acid Spitter!" they said in unison.

"BOYS!" Signal Flare barked. "Real. Names."

"O-Oh, sorry." Kevin apologized before all of them bowed their heads again. "We mean Mina!"

The pink girl wore a shaky smile and gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Oh, it's okay… gonna have to get you guys used to the whole "Earth names" thing, I guess." Nevertheless, she clapped her hands and spun back around to her friends. "So! Now that I've sorted their names out, let's try and settle this whole ticket situation, shall we?"

All of the Autobots were left curious by her words. "Tickets?" Airazor flew down from her nest and landed near the group, tilting her head. "What's this about tickets?"

Tenya cleared his throat and explained. "Ah, yes, well… I received these in the mail from Native just a day ago." He fished the tickets out of his pocket to show the bots. "They're for an amusement park, and I received four of them. I initially asked Midoriya and Todoroki to accompany me, but the only free day we have is Sunday, and they're both busy."

"And we can't go either since we've got stuff to do that day, too." Itsuka explained, gesturing between herself and Ochako.

"Hm, I see your problem there." Springer noted, folding his arms over his chest with a smirk. "Well, here's how you should choose, kid; ya gotta have your pals here earn 'em in some way." The suggestion made everyone do a doubletake as Springer explained. "When it comes down to it, choosing at random just ain't fair. It leaves the others disappointed because either they got an unlucky draw or you express personal preference for someone. But… if ya make 'em earn it, then they've got nothing to be disappointed by."

Denki's face scrunched at his reasoning. "And why's that?"

"'Cause then, you'll be too focused on bettering yourself for the next time an opportunity like this pops up." Springer winked. "So you gotta give it your all now, or be left in the dust."

Itsuka scratched her cheek with a wary smile. "That… kinda makes sense… I think."

"So, what, we just have a competition to see who gets the tickets?" Eijiro put on a big, toothy grin at the prospect. "Works for me!"

"Yeah! Same here!" Tetsutetsu raised a metal fist. "Let's go one-on-one!"

But before things could get too heated, Tenya brought everything to a screeching halt. "Now hold on just a moment! Remember, I am the one with the tickets, so what I say goes in this situation… and to be fair to Springer, I admire his forward thinking in this situation." The compliment made the Triple Changer puff his chest out proudly. "However, I believe there is a way to make it even more interesting." Pocketing one ticket for himself, Tenya plucked one of the three remaining tickets out of his other hand, presenting the group with the remaining two. "ONLY these two tickets will be on the line for you!"

A collective "HUUUUH?!" echoed throughout before Mina asked; "B-But why?! There's six of us who want to go and you're only going to be picking two?!"

"Precisely. The last one I will be reserving for one of our classmates in 1-A should they wish to go." Tenya explained. "I believe it is only fair to invite someone outside of this group to avoid complete favoritism. But, should they not and any of you fail here, you will be given another chance before Sunday to earn the last ticket!"

That made everyone brighten up a bit. "Ooh, adding some EXTRA stakes!" Ochako clapped her hands together. "I like it! So, how're we gonna decide this whole thing?"

"I… do not know." Tenya admitted. "On that, I'm rather stuck…"

"Oh! Oh!" All of a sudden, Highwire jumped up and raised his hands, getting everyone's attention. "I've got an idea! Setsuna, remember how you guys mentioned that whole sports thing you were in?"

The Lizard Tail Splitter user blinked at her partner's point. "Uh, the Sports Festival, yeah. But I'm not sure what—OH." All at once, her confusion gave way to realization as a sharp-toothed grin took its place upon her features. "Ooh-ho-ho, I think I'm getting what you're tryin' to say, Highwire. Let's have our own mini-tournament!"

The reaction was pretty much immediate as both Eijiro and Tetsutetsu echoed their sentiments; "HELL YEAH! That sounds awesome!"

"Ha! Now that'd be a bodacious idea, dudes!" Grindor agreed. "Seein' you guys duke it out for those tickets would be totally righteous!"

However, Sureshock felt the need to remind them of something. "One problem, though… doesn't a tournament usually consist of one-on-one brackets? In that regard, we would need eight competitors for a traditional tournament." She raised her hand to Ibara and the others. "But counting all of you up, there are only six."

"Huh… well, that's a good point." Tetsu and Eijiro both grumbled thoughtfully, searching for a solution to this problem.

That's when, of all bots, it was Strongarm who had an idea. She snapped her fingers as it came to her, bringing everyone's focus to her. "Hey, who ever said it had to be a "traditional" tournament? We only have one afternoon to decide this, don't we? So instead, why don't we pit you all against one another in two three-way battles?" Using her hand, she ushered the teens into two groups. "The ladies and guys will all face off, and whoever comes out on top in whatever competition you decide will be the winner!"

For his part, Sideswipe was impressed. "Huh! That honestly sounds like a pretty fair fight. You actually had a pretty decent idea for once, Strongarm! Nice!"

The cadet grimaced to the red Autobot over her shoulder. "Watch what you say, punk. I'll take the compliment, but be careful how you word it next time."

"No promises." Sideswipe cheekily put his hands behind his head, shifting his optics away as Strongarm growled at him.

"Ahem, unwarranted comments aside, I believe this would be the best course of action as well." Optimus agreed, kneeling down to the teens. "The best things in life are often earned, so to that end, are you all up to the task?" He received a collective "YES" from the kids, which was all he needed to get this underway. "Then I say let's get this tournament underway. Tenya, name the competition."

Before the spectacled student could name anything, though, Mina raised her hand. "Ooh! Can we use our Quirks? Is that fair game?"

"Well… I don't see why not, so long as you are careful with them." Tenya asserted. "No serious harm to anyone in this competition, understand?"

"Yessir, Class Rep!" Denki and the others saluted. "Now, what're we gonna do here?"

Continuing his thought process, Tenya scanned his eyes across the entire group, thinking back to the Sports Festival and what would be most appropriate for their competition. "Let's see… a relay race wouldn't be practical we don't have time to set up an obstacle course. And unfortunately, neither is the horse race since you need four people on a team for that. So, that leaves…"

"A good old-fashioned slugfest!" Eijiro hardened his fists and SLAMMED them together, creating sparks in the process.

Tetsutetsu did the same move, only by clapping his metal hands together. "Haha! YES! I was hoping we'd get to do this! Kaminari! Better hope your mettle is as good as mine!"

The Electrification user wore a nervous smile at that. "U-Uh… I dunno, isn't there some other kinda Sports Festival event that we could do? O-Or maybe even a regular Sports Day thing that normal schools have?" Denki was practically scrambling for a reconsideration, knowing that he didn't do so well in the Festival Tournament last time. 'I mean, I'm not fighting Shiozaki here, but going up against BOTH Tetsu and Kirishima? I'm done for!'

"Nah, that'd be boring!" Mina dismissed, much to Denki's chagrin. "Besides, what better way to decide who gets the tickets than through mortal combat?!"

There was a brief pause as… something strange happened. Ibara let out a small gasp and perked her head up, as if Mina's words had just woken her up. "Did you say… Mortal Kombat?"

"Yeah, when you put it like that, it sounds awesome!" Ochako punched a fist into the palm of her hand. "Mortal combat it is, then!"

By that point, Ibara's attitude had completely changed, which became immediately apparent to her classmates. Rather than her angelic glow, she seemed surrounded in a red aura of determination and fire, her eyes lit up and brow furrowed. "I accept! Before the Almighty here today, I shall deliver all of my foes to providence!"

"Er… Ibara?" Itsuka asked. "Are you okay?"

Sureshock seemed equally concerned. "Yes, my lady, you seem… much more impassioned than normal."

Ibara responded by clenching a fist, her lips turning up into a resolute smile. "I have never felt better! Now come, Kombatants! Let us get this kompetition underway!"

"…Is anyone else noticing how much emphasis she's putting on those hard "c's"?" Sunstreaker asked as the teens took their places, with Ochako and Itsuka staying on the sidelines.

"Yes, it's a bit odd." Airazor admitted while preening her wings. "But I'm certain it's nothing. Perhaps Ibara simply just wants to win those tickets that badly…"

Tenya stood between the two groups of three, with the boys and girls all standing in a Y formation across from one another. "Alright, now that everyone's taken their places, we can begin the matches! Remember; no serious injuries through the use of your Quirks, otherwise, you will be disqualified. Ready…" Raising his arm up, Tenya prepared himself to give the word. Denki seemed extremely nervous in the face of his hard-hitting opponents while Ibara was… intensely focused, which put Mina and Setsuna off a little. "…GO!"

Without wasting a second, both Tetsu and Eijiro charged one another, almost as if they were resuming their fistfight from the Sports Festival. "I'M GONNA GET YA THIS TIME, KIRISHIMA!" the metal man proclaimed.

"Aw, nah, I'm goin' two-for-two, dude!" Eijiro denied.

…All while Denki watched from afar. '…How the heck am I even supposed to get in the MIDDLE of that?!' he thought to himself.

By contrast, Ibara had immediately let her hair down and her vines practically shot through the ground and toward her opponents, driving both of them off in opposite directions. Mina let out a shout and jumped away from a bunch of vines that went to lash at her, sending out a wave of acid that burned through them… only for the vegetation to grow back only in seconds. Setsuna, meanwhile, was forced to separate her body parts as multiple vines whipped up around her limbs, much to her shock. "Woah, woah! Slow down, girl!" she implored. "I didn't even get the chance to enact my plan yet!"

"There is no time for thinking when in Kombat!" Ibara chastised. "You must not hesitate on your moves. Just fight!"

Mina and Setsuna scrambled away, but found that to be quite difficult with all of the vines following them. "WAH! Jeez! What has gotten into her?!" the former exclaimed while spraying more acid on the vines. Even so, they didn't let up.

"I dunno!" Setsuna kept floating around the thorns that her friend was sending out, popping more of her parts off until she was just a floating head. "I don't think I've ever seen her like this before!"

Ibara was undeterred by their screams of fear, though, only pursuing them with even more ferocity. "No one should underestimate me, Setsuna. You saw me at the Sports Festival, after all. If Iida hadn't out sped me, I'm certain I would have been victorious!" On that note, even MORE vines came bursting out of the ground, leaving Mina and Setsuna stunned and afraid as they took the form of giant, thorny fists. All the while, the vines also wrapped around Ibara herself, containing her within a suit that left only her eyes exposed. "Now… are you prepared to test your might against me… IN MORTAL KOMBAT?!"

The sight of Mina hugging Setsuna's head and both girls crying was all the answer she needed.

…..

Meanwhile, in a less frightful situation back in Musutafu, Izuku and Inko were busy setting the table in their apartment, with Bumblebee giving a helping hand in his holoform. There were more than just three places, however, as Izuku had successfully pitched the idea of making up for the whole debacle from the other day with a proper dinner between the Midoriya and Jiro families. Of course, this time, it would be held at the Midoriya household, as the Jiros were still cleaning up after the MECH incident. There was a bit of frantic pace to it all, though… as this was all very last minute.

"Izuku, I appreciate the sentiment of wanting to make up for what happened, but could you maybe give us more than a single afternoon to get ready next time?" Inko implored, not exactly impressed with how hastily this was put together.

"S-Sorry, mom." Izuku bowed his head. "I-It's just… there's something that we have to talk to you guys about, a-and it can't wait." he explained sheepishly.

That made Inko's eyes widen. 'Something… important?' Her mind began racing with possibilities, though chief among them was the idea that her baby boy and Kyoka had FINALLY expressed their feelings for one another and they wanted to break the news to their parents. 'My little Izuku might actually have a girlfriend!' The excitement was clear on her face as her lips curled up into a bright, happy smile. "Oh, okay then! If it's really that important, then I supposed I can let this slide."

"Thanks, mom!" Izuku went up and pecked his mother on the cheek affectionately in gratitude. "I promise, you won't regret setting this up last minute. Besides, I'm sure you'd like to speak with the Jiros over… less stressful circumstances."

Inko nodded and beamed widely at her son's point. "Yes, that sounds lovely. Though I have been speaking over the phone with Mika for a couple days."

Izuku blinked in surprise. "W-Wait, really?"

"Oh, yes, we've had quite a few in-depth conversations." Inko touched her hand to her cheek. "I don't think I've had this much girl talk in a while. Not since…" Her cheerful demeanor hit a slight bump when a certain memory cropped up. "…Hm, not since Mitsuki and I stopped talking a while back."

Just by looking at her, Izuku could see a hint of sadness in his mother's eyes. She and Mitsuki Bakugo had been very close friends for a long time, ever since he and Katsuki had become friends in kindergarten. …But then, after his and Bakugo's falling out, the duo didn't interact as much, no doubt because of their sons often being at odds. "…You should call Aunt Mitsuki at some point." Izuku suggested.

That seemed to jar Inko out of her slump. "H-Huh? Oh, I couldn't… she's probably dealing with a lot since… well, you know how Katsuki is."

"Yeah, but you'd be surprised how much Kacchan's… well, maybe not calmed down, but his flames have been tempered." That managed to get a small chuckle out of the woman, which made Izuku smile. "I mean, heck, you could even introduce Mrs. Jiro to her if you want. Maybe have a Ladies Day at some point?"

The more her son spoke, the more confidence seemed to be bubbling up inside of Inko, to the point where she puffed up and said; "You know what? That might not be a bad idea! I'll remember that, honey. Now, let's finish setting things up." Izuku nodded and returned to the table, while Inko spun toward the kitchen. "How's the salad coming along Bri—um, I mean Bumblebee?"

In the kitchen, Bumblebee's holoform—donned in an apron—was chopping away at several veggies so fast that Inko could barely see his hand. Heck, she couldn't even make out what the vegetables looked like. Only when he stopped did she see that they all seemed very well cut, and with a swipe of his hand, Bumblebee tossed them into the nearest bowl, using two wooden spoons to toss the salad with aplomb.

He stopped for a second and gave Inko a thumbs up, letting her know the Salad was coming along well. "Excellent!" Inko returned the gestured as she went straight to the oven. "Now, time to finish up the katsudon…"

Bumblebee was just about to fetch some ranch dressing from the fridge… but paused when his hand reached the door. Outside, his sensors indicated that a certain compatriot of his was approaching, and no doubt he had the Jiros with him.

…..

Sure enough, just outside the apartment, Jazz had pulled into the parking lot, quickly finding the yellow bug and parking next to him. "And here we are!" the Autobot lieutenant peeked into his rearview, eyeing Kyoka and Mika in the backseat. "Ya'll have arrived at your destination! Thank you for ridin' Chauffer Autobot."

Kyoka couldn't help but cringe at the bad French accent her partner tried to pull off. "Heh… thanks, Jazz." she chuckled awkwardly as his doors popped open, allowing them to disembark.

Stepping out of the front passenger seat, Kyotoku stretched, his muscles popping in several places before giving a satisfied; "Ah… that's the stuff." He spotted Bee and gave him a pat on the roof. "Heya, Bee, how's it going?" He didn't get a response, though, not even a radio acknowledgement. "…Bee?" He glanced back to Jazz in concern. "He okay?"

"Ah, he's probably focused on somethin' inside." Jazz waved off. "We'll see him when we get in."

On that note, the quartet started trekking up the steps to the Midoriya's apartment, all while Mika eyed her daughter with a sly grin. "So… sweetie. Indulge your mother. What exactly is it that you wanted to bring us all together so last minute for?"

The younger purple-haired girl decidedly shifted her eyes away. "Mom, I told you, you'll have to wait until we're all ready for dinner before we can explain."

"There it is again!" Mika pointed, taking Kyoka off guard. "Using the word "we" a lot lately, aren't you, dear? Don't think I haven't noticed. Just admit it…" Her smile widened considerably as she uttered a set of words that left Kyoka with goosebumps; "You two are an item!"

In front of them, Kyotoku nearly choked on his own spit, and Kyoka's jacks started freaking out to the point where she needed to physically grab them and yank them down. "M-MOM! I swear to god, we re NOT a thing! Izuku and I are just FRIENDS, that's ALL!"

"Friends… for now, anyway." Mika said knowingly, pushing her glasses up so that the sun reflected off of them. "But believe me, dear, give it a little while longer and you won't be singing that "just friends" tune."

"Sweetheart, please STOP trying to convince our daughter to give up her sanctity!" Kyotoku implored, only to receive a jack in the arm via his daughter.

"Would you shut up, old man?! People live here!" the Earphone Jack user snapped before whirling around toward her mom. "And as for you, mother, I don't want you OR dad to embarrass the hell out of me during this dinner! PLEASE, just keep everything normal. That's all I ask."

Her words gave Mika pause, but ultimately, she responded with a shrug. "Alright."

Kyoka blinked, unconvinced. "…That's it? You're gonna accept my demands?"

"Well, the fact that you demanded your mother to do something is a conversation we're going to have another day" Mika said, which quickly made Kyoka shrink back sheepishly. "But, it's quite obvious that you're taking this dinner pretty seriously, so if that's what you want me to do, then I'll do it, too."

Taking a deep breath, Kyoka collected herself and bowed her head to her mom. "Hah… thanks, mom. …And sorry about snapping like that. It's just… this is important, ya know?"

Mika smiled and nodded sincerely. "I know, dear. Now, would you like to knock on the door, or are we just going to stand out here all night?"

With widened eyes, Kyoka whirled around again, only now realizing that they had made it to the Midoriya's apartment. "…Oh. Y-Yeah, sure." Clearing her throat, Kyoka reached out and rang the doorbell, followed by a small rapping on the door itself.

"Oh, coming!" came the familiar voice from the other side, making her grin return. Within moments, Izuku came and opened the door, his gaze meeting the family of musicians. "H-Hey!"

"Hey yourself." Kyoka nudged her chin at him.

"How's it goin', kid?" Kyotoku saluted.

Mika bowed her head in respect. "Thank you so much for inviting us over to your home, Izuku. You're looking well."

"Same to you, and it's my pleasure." Izuku bowed back before allowing them inside. "Please, come in. Dinner should be ready shortly."

It didn't take long for the Jiros to take note of the… rather compact living conditions, especially given how the dining table took up a pretty good chunk of the floor space. Even the kitchen was tiny, only big enough to hold two, maybe three people, as seen with Inko and Bumblebee both toiling away inside. "O-Oh! You're all here!" Inko smiled, tossing her oven mitts aside to greet the family. "Mr. Jiro, Mika, Kyoka, it's so nice to see you all here. Welcome to our home."

The family all bowed, thanking Inko for the hospitality. "Thank you for inviting us." the blonde patriarch reciprocated. "And please, feel free to call me Kyotoku if you wish."

Humming in affirmation, Inko then set her sights on the other Autobot who would be joining them. "And Jazz, good to see you as well."

"Same here, Mrs. M." Jazz lowered his shades, flashing his vibrant blue eyes to her. "And gotta say, you're lookin' fly tonight!"

"O-Oh, um… thank you." Inko said bashfully. "Though I don't think an apron is the most ideal thing I could be wearing right now."

Peering into the kitchen, Kyoka couldn't help but smirk as she saw Bumblebee round the corner holding two bowls and also wearing an apron. "Well, at least you're not the only one. Haha, nice get up there, Bee!" The mute Autobot deadpanned at her little jab, only to stick his head up proudly and march to the table with the food. "…Wow. What a diva."

From there, things settled down and everyone sat down to enjoy their dinner, making idle conversation as they ate. However, something that astonished the Jiros right off the bat… was just how good Inko's katsudon was. "H-Holy crap…" Kyotoku whispered.

"Inko, oh my goodness, this katsudon is delicious!" Mika complimented. "I don't think I've ever had any like it."

"Oh, stop!" Inko waved off, still very shy about the whole thing. "It's just an old family recipe. Nothing you can't find at a grocery store…" Her eyes trailed to the two teenagers as they practically scarfed down the dish, a drop of sweat trailing down the woman's forehead at the sight. "Although… it does do a heart good to see how many people enjoy it."

Briefly pausing their frenzied eating, the duo both shouted; "It's so good, thanks mom/Inko!"

"Man, humans have some big appetites." Jazz said as he simply observed… while occasionally glancing to Bumblebee, who was actively shoveling the katsudon into his mouth as well. "…An' maybe some Autobots, too."

"You aren't gonna eat, Jazz?" Kyoka offered. "There's enough for everyone."

The lieutenant politely abstained. "Ah, I'm good. My holoform can break the food down, but I don't really get anything from it aside from taste."

Kyotoku raised a single finger. "Ah, c'mon, ya gotta take at least one bite of this! It's fantastic."

Jazz was still reluctant, but at the same time, it wasn't in his nature to disappoint or bring the mood down any. "Ah… well, alright, I'll give it a shot." He grabbed a plate of katsudon and a set of chopsticks, breaking a piece off to bring up into his mouth. …The moment he bit down, he was met with an explosion of flavor unlike any energon-styled dish he had ever tasted. He swallowed without much fanfare, but nevertheless was blown away. "…By Trion's Beard."

"Hm! Another satisfied customer." Inko puffed up, her confidence being boosted by the fact that even Autobots liked her cooking. As the meal went on, though, the topic shifted to the reason why they were all brought here in the first place. "So, Kyoka, Izuku… what exactly is it that you have to tell all of us?" Inko asked eagerly.

"Yes, please, we're all ears." Mika insisted with a smirk toward her daughter, earning her a brief grimace.

"…While I'd be more disappointed by that pun, we DO have something important to tell you." Kyoka shifted her eyes toward her green-haired best friend. "Right, Celery Stick?"

"A-Ahem, yeah, we do." Izuku cleared his throat as both he and Kyoka reached down into their pockets, producing the folded-up handouts they had received in class earlier that day. Their parents' interests were clearly piqued as they were handed the papers. "We received these from Mr. Aizawa today…"

As they read the sheets, the three adults grew wide-eyed. "Oh! You're having a Parents' Day at school?" Kyotoku asked. "That's… actually quite surprising."

Mika was also a little perplexed. "Yes… I didn't think a hero school would do such a thing." She raised a brow to her daughter. "Wouldn't this be, I don't know, a security risk or something?"

"Apparently Mr. Aizawa thinks it's a good experience in staying humble." Kyoka mumbled. "…He said that we all had to write letters of appreciation for you guys, too, and we'd have to read them out loud to the entire class."

That made Kyotoku smile eagerly. "Ah, some good ol' fashioned teenage embarrassment. I think I'd get along with this Aizawa guy."

"PLEASE no."

Mika's eyes shifted from the paper over to Jazz and Bumblebee, raising a questioning brow. "Did you two know about this already?"

"Well… Kyo and Izuku did mention it on the way home, but we thought it'd be best if you heard it from them." Jazz explained, with Bumblebee nodding in solidarity.

"Hm… well, I don't know if I can make it that day." Kyotoku scratched his head regrettably. "I've gotta be in the studio to do some sound mixing for a client…"

Clicking her tongue, Mika recalled that engagement as well. "Tch, ah, yeah… I mean, I could probably attend… provided you don't need my help."

Kyotoku sent her a reassuring grin. "Oh, sure! I'll be fine. Kyoka needs at least one of us to be there, after all." Hearing this, Kyoka let out a heavy sigh of relief, which didn't go unnoticed by her father. "Oh, is THAT what the reaction's gonna be? Want me and your mother to switch places?"

"N-NO! No, it's fine, sorry!" Kyoka bowed, profusely apologizing.

Inko couldn't help but giggle a little at the scene before going back to her own son. "Well, fortunately, I will also be able to attend. Being a stay-at-home mom definitely has its advantages."

"Hehe, yeah, I had a feeling you'd be able to." Izuku chuckled, anxiously twiddling his thumbs.

This earned him a skeptical stare from his mother. "What? Honey, is there something else you wanted to tell me? You don't have bad news, do you?"

"N-No! Nothing bad, I promise." the boy asserted. "Just… well, there IS something else that I wanted to ask, a-and I'm a big nervous about what your answer's gonna be."

"Well, no need to drag it out, honey." Inko encouraged. "Let's hear it before all of our dinners get cold."

Izuku cleared his throat, getting on with his request. "R-Right, so… I-I know we're still grounded until at least next week…" he trailed off a little when he received questioning looks from ALL of the adults now, though Kyoka's encouraging smile and thumbs up kept him going. "B-But… on Sunday, there's a hero exhibition going on at the cultural center. A-And I was wondering… um…"

"Is there any way we could possibly attend?" Kyoka picked up the slack, shooting Izuku a supportive gaze before going back to their parents. "Yeah, we know, we're grounded, but this is something that Izuku's been waiting for weeks to go to. It'd suck if he suddenly couldn't go."

Hearing Kyoka voice her support for the green-haired kid, her parents were both left quite stunned, yet impressed. "Oh my… sweetheart, I have to say, I'm quite surprised." Mika admitted with a soft smile. "To think, a year ago in middle school, you hardly interacted with kids your age and now you're sticking up for this one."

Kyotoku nodded as well. "Hm, even I'll admit, I'm very proud of you, honey… but still, you two ARE grounded." He and his wife went to Inko for consultation. "What do you think, Inko?"

The question made Inko purse her lips in thought. True, it would be cruel to force her son to miss out on something that he'd been waiting weeks for… but at the same time, there'd have to be SOME form of authority to enforce. "Well… oh." Right at that second, an idea re-entered her mind; the one her son had proposed only a little while ago. "…You know, I think I might have a solution. Mika, Kyotoku, are you both free on Sunday?"

"Hm? We are, why?" Mika perked up, with Kyotoku scrunching his nose.

"Well, Izuku actually pitched an idea to me that I think would be quite wonderful." Inko clapped her hands together as she explained. "You see, I have a friend, her name is Mitsuki, and we haven't talked in a while. So, Izuku suggested that we go have a little Ladies Day on the town at some point." She tilted her head slightly to her new friend. "Would you perhaps like to go if I can set it up?"

"Um… sure. But what does this have to do with the exhibition?" Mika was caught off guard when Inko gestured for her and Kyotoku to come closer, the two leaning their heads across the table. Inko then leaned forward herself, raising a hand over her mouth as she whispered her plat to them. As she explained it, the married couple both slowly began smiling again, and Mika was quick to approve. "Ooh, I like that plan! Let's do that!"

Kyotoku couldn't agree more. "Oh yeah! Couldn't have worked it out better!" The man faced the two teenagers, their eyes full of hope. "Well kids, congrats! You'll get to go to the exhibition!"

"YES!" Izuku pumped his fists into the air.

"Alright!" Kyoka cheered. "Victory is—"

"With me!" …And just like that, Kyotoku's proclamation cut the celebration short, both teens finding their faces frozen in smiling horror. They shakily turned their heads back to the blonde man, who kept up his sly smile. "Pretty sure I don't gotta repeat myself on that one. You both heard me."

Kyoka's eye started twitching, her smile beginning to grow shaky. "J-Just… just humor me, old man. WHAT did you say?!"

Mika and Inko both grew quite serious at that moment. "You heard him, young lady." the Jiro matriarch asserted. "If you wish to go to the exhibition, then your father is going to be acting as chaperone. You wanted a compromise? This is what we feel is fair."

"Ah, don't worry, it'll be fun!" Kyotoku stood up and brought his arms over his daughter and Izuku's shoulders, smiling cheerily even as the teens' smiles diminished, Kyoka more so. "It's been a while since I've gone to somewhere fun, and this hero exhibition sounds kinda interesting. Izuku, I'm guessing you've got a thing for heroism, eh?"

"U-Uh, yeah…" Izuku replied sheepishly. "I-I'm pretty much the biggest All Might fan you'll ever find, after all."

The older man chuckled and pat Izuku on the back. "Hehe, yeah, that's no surprise. Still, I'm betting this'll be a hell of a good time! We'll meet up Sunday morning, how's nine o'clock sound?"

"P-Pretty good, actually. The exhibit doesn't open until ten, so we'd make good time."

Hearing that, Kyoka's jaw dropped. "Green Bean… you're actually okay with this?"

All Izuku could offer was a shrug. "Well, I mean… is there any better deal?"

"…No, I guess not." Kyoka slumped forward, feeling utterly defeated even in victory. 'Good god, there's NOTHING that could be more awkward…'

From across the table, Jazz piped up. "Well, glad all that was sorted out! I'd be happy to give ya a ride if ya need it on Sunday…" He peered across the table and pointed at a small dish of butter. "Now, uh, could someone please pass the lard cube?"

Almost everyone stared at him incredulously at that. "…Never mind, I stand corrected." Kyoka muttered.

…..

Across the city of Musutafu, meanwhile, a certain Sauro-Parts user was having her own familial discussion… though it wasn't going nearly as smoothly. She was currently trying to convince her brother to do an impossible task. One that was so vile, so terrifying, and so insurmountable, that very few people could do it. And he… was no exception. "For the last time, sis, it's a "NO"!" Kentaro Kiryu vehemently refused as he marched away from his sister. "I am NOT doing it!"

"Oh come ON, Aniki!" Kaida implored as she followed him through the living room, the duo marching past their little sister as she gazed up at them. "It's literally ONLY gonna be for half a day! You mean to tell me you're THAT much of a chicken?!"

"Kaida, I had to motivate myself to go to the Sports Festival! And that was AFTER I convinced myself that there was no way I'd run into Aizawa since I knew he'd probably be busy." Kentaro's expression twisted into one of fear. "And guess what?! I ran into him anyway!"

Rolling her eyes, Kaida let out a groan. "UGH! Okay, yeah, I get it, Aizawa can be a bit jerkish—"

"A BIT?!"

"But you gotta realize that I'm in a bind here! Do you have any idea of how likely the chances are that mom and dad will just drop everything from that dig to come to Parents' Day?" Kaida put her hand into a circle shape and shouted; "ZERO!"

Kentaro didn't get the chance to retort as their little sister, Kiki, beat them to the punch. "Sissy, did you try to call them first?" the little girl wondered, walking up to her older siblings with her stuffed dimetrodon in hand. "Maybe if you ask nicely, mama or papa might find the time to come?"

There was a short pause before Kaida smiled down to her sister, a short sigh passing her lips as she knelt down to her. "Kiki, sis, you know how important mama and papa's job is, right?"

"Mm-hm." Kiki nodded.

"So we can't exactly expect them to just pause it and come home."

"…But aren't you important, too, sissy?" Kiki's eyes shimmered as she gazed up at her older sister. "I'm sure they'd do the same for Aniki if he were still in school…"

Kentaro glanced away with a shrug. "Well, I dunno about that, but—oof!" He got an elbow in the gut from Kaida for his remark. "I-I mean, yeah, I'm sure they would, Kiki! Kaida, you should really try calling them. Who knows? Maybe they've hit a lull?"

With a frustrated sigh, Kaida relented and began making her way to the family computer. "Hah… alright, fine. Let's give 'em a call… but if they say you gotta go for them, you officially CAN'T get out of it."

"I… ugh, I can't argue with that, darn it."

In contrast with her brother, Kiki was overjoyed. "Hooray! We're calling mama and papa!"

Despite the weird situation, Kaida couldn't help but smile as her eight-year-old sister practically danced in front of the computer, eagerly waiting for her sister to turn it on. "Haha, okay, okay, lemme get the call going, kid." After a few clicks, Kaida got the video phone pulled up and dialed up her parents, the two elder Kiryu children waiting patiently as Kiki bounced up and down in Kaida's lap.

Eventually, the call was picked up and a woman with long, black hair appeared on screen. She was in her early forties, though no one would be able to tell that considering her youthful appearance. She was also mixed race, with both Japanese and Caucasian features, and she wore a nametag on her pocketed brown shirt that clearly said "Krista". At first, though, Kaida noticed her mother seemed a bit on edge, wearing a very brief yet serious expression. But the moment she registered that it was her children on screen, Krista Kiryu brightened up immensely.

"Mama!" Kiki raised her arms.

"Hi, mom!" Kaida and Kentaro echoed.

"Oh, my babies!" Krista placed a hand over her chest, almost as if she were trying to calm down. "Oh, it's just you…"

Kaida raised a brow at the wording. "Just us? Were you expecting a different call?"

Her eyes widening, Krista quickly reassured her daughter. "O-Oh, it's nothing, honey. Just trying to keep myself mentally prepared for a call from our site operator." She put on a smile, though once again, Kaida could tell that there was something wrong. It was genuine, yes, but just from the way her mother's features seemed strained, it was very telling. "B-But let's not worry about that now. I honestly wasn't expecting a call from you three today. What's up?"

"Heh, mom, you will NOT believe the news that Kady has to tell you." Kentaro nudged Kaida in the shoulder, urging her on much to her annoyance. "C'mon, sis, time to rip the band-aid off."

"I'm GETTING to it, Ice Head!" Kaida rolled her eyes and focused back on her mother. "Mom, I… well, it's about school."

Hearing this, Krista grew concerned. "Oh, sweetie, is everything going okay?" But then, she did a one-eighty and furrowed her brow. "Is that Bakugo child egging you on again? I WILL call his parents if this gets out of hand—"

"No! No, it's not about Bakugo." Kaida vehemently said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "…Though I kinda wish it was, since that'd be an easier problem to deal with."

Krista grew from worried to confused. "I… don't believe I follow."

Taking a deep breath, Kaida finally broke the news. "Well, mom… you see, next Monday at U.A… there's gonna be a Parents' Day."

Hearing that, Krista quickly put two and two together, realizing the problem. "Oh… oh, sweetheart, I—"

"I know, I know, you're busy." Kaida rubbed her neck. "I just thought… maybe taking a shot in the dark and seeing if you could come would be worth it. B-But really, I get it, you guys are busy with the dig, so—"

"No! No, Kaida, that's not it at all." Krista denied, much to her daughter's surprise. "I'd be back in Japan in a heartbeat to see you in U.A. and attend Parents' Day. Your father would say the exact same thing, too, I know it… but…"

Furrowing her brows, Kaida saw her mother's features grow more worried again, and the mention of her father piqued her curiosity. "Mom… is there something wrong? A-And where IS dad, anyway?" There was a few seconds pause, Krista visibly hesitating which only made the pit forming in Kaida's stomach grow.

Kentaro and Kiki were also growing more worried by the second. "…Mama?" Kiki hugged her stuffed toy close. "What's the matter?"

"Oh… sweetie, everything is fine… for right now, at least." Krista swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure. "Your papa is at the dig site right now with the rest of the crew. They're… they're working hard to keep what we found from being discovered by our overseers."

Kaida's eyes widened, knowing exactly what that must've meant. "Th-The new Tyrannosaur, right?" Her mind began racing, trying to figure out why they were keeping their higher-ups from seeing it. "M-Mom, did something happen to it? Oh god, don't tell me the skeleton's unsalvageable…"

After another moment's pause, Krista gave her children a serious look. "Kids… what I'm about to show you is something that can never be seen by anyone else." She took out her phone and brought up her Messager. "Kaida, I'm sending you the picture. I don't want to risk this getting out to anyone, understood?"

"Um… sure." Kaida muttered, noting the sudden tone shift as she took out her phone. Sure enough, within seconds, she got a message from her mother's phone, containing a photograph. And once she opened it up… her jaw hit the floor. "W-W-WHAT?!"

Peering at the phone themselves, Kentaro and Kiki were beholden to the image as well, having similar reactions. "HOLY CRAP!" the hero Ice Age exclaimed.

"WOOOAAAHH!" Kiki marveled. "What is it?!"

"We don't know." Kristal continued with a grimace. "But if something like this were to get out to the public, it'd rock the very foundations of our world. Something so futuristic yet ancient is sure to be the main talking point… and I'm certain that people would be thrown into mass hysteria." Her eyes narrowed at her kids. "You three need to stay tight-lipped about this. Not a peep to anyone, understood?"

"W-Well, obviously, but… mom, what're you gonna do?" Kaida asked.

A sigh escaped Kristal's lips, a few tears escaping her eyes. "I… I really don't know. My sweethearts, I wish I had the answers for you, but right now, the most we can do is hope that this all turns out for the best. …We WILL be back home, though. I promise."

As much as Kaida wanted to believe that promise, the pit in her stomach and the image on her phone told her otherwise. She set her eyes back down to the picture, making sure she wasn't just seeing things. But sure enough, after blinking many times, it was still the same as it was when she first opened it. "…What are you?"

There, practically embedded in the Earth's surface… was a giant, humanoid robot. It was mostly metallic grey in coloration, mainly in the arms, lower legs and the wing-like structures that stuck out on its back. Highlights of gold peeked out ALL throughout the bot, though, namely in the form of spikes along the sides of its legs, the backs of its hands and knuckles, the tips of its feet, and below its upper arms near the elbows, as well as some larger spikes sticking out from its wrists… that kind of resembled claws. Also, its rounded shoulders seemed to have built-in rocket pods, indicating that this robot was likely built for war. Its entire chest was gold as well, with its pelvic region being mainly red. Its upper legs and hands were black, as was the very blocky helmet on its head. The sides jutted out and went up slightly like a pair of angular horns, though it lacked any facial features, instead having a black mouth plate and a dark visor that lacked any sort of color. But the main detail that caught Kaida's eye… was the red, face-like insignia beneath a clear, smokey black panel in the center of the robot's chest.

'Have I… seen that somewhere before?'

…..

A/N: He's here! And about time, too, eh? I'll admit, I've been sitting on Grimlock for a LONG time now, and I know that many of you have been eager to see him, but I felt like I needed to wait for an opportune time to introduce him. I always planned on doing it through Kaida's paleontologist parents, that was a given, but given that I'm now adapting the first School Briefs novel that centers around Parents' Day, I figure that now is as good a time as any. I mean, considering it fits with how more parents are getting involved with the Autobots' secret, what better time than now, right? Next week; The Grimlock Arc begins!

But before that, let's talk Omnicons, shall we? Because indeed, what better name to give to a faction of defecting Vehicons than something that references their past while also looking to their future? And with Signal Flare as their leader, it only makes sense. Hope you enjoyed the color layouts and the names that I gave them (and yes, the green one with black stripes IS a Ben 10 reference). Oh, and don't worry, these guys won't ALL be part of the main cast. Signal Flare and Steve are definitely the main stars of this gaggle of bots.

But hoo boy, what a way to decide who gets the tickets, huh? Mortal combat… or as a certain vine-haired girl has interpreted it; "Mortal Kombat". Who would've thought Shiozaki would be into that, huh? Here's hoping she doesn't perform any of the more brutal moves on the gang. We'll see the results of that contest next time, though.

As for Izuku and Kyoka's situation, though… well, it definitely could've wound up worse. At least they WILL get to go to the Hero Exhibition, despite Kyotoku acting as a tag-along. And hey, at least they all got to have a PROPER dinner now that the craziness has passed. That said… the thought of Inko, Mika and Mistuki having a Ladies Day Out is both entertaining AND kinda terrifying… for those who know Mistuki's character, you know exactly why.

And now, the Preview! Friday proves quite tumultuous for our heroes as Kaida's fidgety demeanor doesn't go unnoticed, raising concerns from Shoto and the rest. However, it isn't until after school that things start ramping up… as Kaida notices the familiar insigia hidden on one of the Autobots. Needless to say, she's got LOTS of questions. Next Time; Prehistoric Panic, Part 1. Thanks for reading, everyone, and I'll see you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!