Nightmare

It was a sunny day, the sunlight danced upon the water of Takoba beach, the rubbish pile still stood tall but slightly smaller than it had at the start of Izuku's efforts which had been ongoing for about 4 months. However, this day Depth Charge had begun Izuku on a new training regime, the fact was Depth Charge knew that just throwing Izuku into the body of some random animal that could change into a robot after working out for 2 years, wouldn't be the end of the story, the reality remained Izuku had no combat experience and the chances were his robot mode would carry weapons. However, unlike Maximals forged on Cybertron the knowledge how to fight wouldn't be second nature to him, most maximals were programmed with the knowledge how to fight, experience made them more refined but Izuku could not be programmed, even if Depth Charge found a way it wouldn't be right. Thus, Depth Charge had used his abilities to acquire Izuku an advanced airsoft gun and they'd set up a simple firing range with cans at one end. Izuku's pellet gun was chosen because Depth Charge wanted to give him a challenge, it was based on a WW2 British Browning Light Machine Gun. The pellet gun was accurate to size and while it didn't fire at the same rate, the top loading clip was what made the gun a challenge but his concerns were proven accurate as Izuku took aim. Depth Charge was watching from Izuku's phone which was propped up on a rusted car. Depth Charge said in a cautious tone "Okay, you have ten pellets loaded and ten cans... let's set our baseline" however twenty seconds later Depth Charge screamed "Are you aiming with your eyes closed! How did you miss them all!?"

"Uhhh like that?" Izuku asked shrugging as Depth Charge's icon facepalmed "It's not that bad"

"I suppose we just have a lot of work to do" Depth Charge admitted as he added "And I suppose your robot form could have other weapons" an hour later, Depth Charge's mood was improving as Izuku's aim was improving with every attempt and while he was no master, it was an improvement "Not bad 6 out of ten... we'll need to keep practising and you'll need to train with some melee weapons"

"Won't he need a partner for that?" came a feminine voice from behind Izuku who instantly paled, Depth Charge also looked horrified as they turned to see Kallen who smiled at Izuku and pointed at his phone "That's some AI you got"

"Huh? Oh yeah...it helps me train" Izuku said as he put his phone in his pocket and gaped at Kallen who walked closer "What are you doing here?"

"Oh? Are you disappointed to see me?" Kallen asked, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief but she snorted and laughed "Nah I just went round to yours and well your mum told me you were out here" she then added "But hey why tell your girlfriend where you're going?" Izuku's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, gaping like a goldfish as he tried and failed to comprehend what Kallen had just said. However, Kallen burst out laughing harder than before "Oh Izuku! I'm only teasing. I ain't your keeper, you need to chill out and learn when a girl is joking... because I promise when I am your girlfriend that blush will be permeant" she however didn't give Izuku time to react as she added "But if you're wanting to train with melee weapons, I'd be happy to be your sparring partner"

Izuku wanted to ask Depth Charge but the idea was a good one so he sighed and said "I guess that'd be okay but what weapon?" Kallen tilted her head as she shrugged "You know how to use any?"

"Uh yeah, Zero is kind of a hard ass when it comes to teaching me how to look after myself" Kallen admitted as she added "He's a friend of... well, I don't want to get into it but he's had his sidekicks teach me how to use guns, swords but my preferred weapon is this..." she held out a gauntlet with five clawed fingers on it "I don't know why but it feels better to use this. Don't worry the fingers are made of foam"

"Oh right" Izuku said as he thought over what kind of weapon he'd want to use, Depth Charge wanted him to use a gun but also learn how to use a melee weapon. However something felt wrong with both ideas, they just weren't the kind of weapons he'd want to use, Izuku wanted to save and help people, not kill them. However, as training with Kallen began the thoughts were driven from his head. Later that night as Izuku returned home battered and bruised all he wanted was to get some sleep. As he laid down to sleep his body instantly dropped into a peaceful rest. Suddenly Izuku felt a horrid pain his chest as he gasped in the throes of a nightmare.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off a spider... they tend to be venomous!" a figure said before him, however Izuku's vision was blurred as if he was staring through warped glass but then he heard a voice but it was muffled as though Izuku had cotton buds in his ears. However, a moment later the figure was crushed by a rock dropped on it by a green beam. In a valley far below where he seemed to be standing, what was unfolding appeared to be grim, Izuku didn't know why but he felt he was witnessing an event that if it worked out badly could spell his own end.

"Optimus here, what is it...?" a voice said but the last word seemed to be cut off and the response was muffled again but a few moments later the voice said "We'll be there as soon as we can. Until then fall back and wait for us" As the conversation went on the valley was filled with flames as six figures began to attack strange apes within the valley, the screams of the apes filled the air and Izuku gulped as he began to sweat.

More muffled words came but suddenly they cleared up and Izuku could hear the gruff words "And yet how ironic? For I now find I have no choice at all!" Izuku felt his heart beating rapidly, the name of the voice, he knew it but it was like his mind was clouded so badly he couldn't remember a name that should have been obvious. Yet the words that followed filled his heart with awed respect "I am a warrior, let the battle be joined"

What followed felt to Izuku like he was both witnessing the end of an era but also like he was fighting alongside the figure whose name still eluded him, however each blow struck against the figure caused Izuku to feel a moment of pain, from multiple pricks of pain as a figure with eight legs on their arms fired at him like a machine gun, to a massive explosion that caused his back to hurt. Izuku gasped in his sleep, he was squirming around in a mad panic and Depth Charge had noticed "Izuku! IZUKU!" he yelled as Izuku screamed in pain.

Inko sleeping in her own room bolted up when she heard her son scream and also the screams of a voice she didn't know. She charged into Izuku's room and gasped in horror at the sight of her son writhing in his sleep, the unknown voice screaming from his phone, Inko grabbed a glass of water she'd placed by Izuku's bedside and splashed it over him "Izuku! Sweetheart!" she begged but the water didn't seem to make a difference as Izuku thrashed about "Oh no what's happening?!" The voice on the phone had gone silent but Inko grabbed the phone and yelled "Who is this! What have you done!"

"I...I don't know" Depth charge said as his icon appeared "He was sleeping well after training but then suddenly he began trembling, I was just looking up some data on his progress and now... he's screaming and...I don't know what to do. By Primus I wish I knew!"

Inko paused as she heard the icon's distress for whatever reason she trusted him but then she said in a deadly whisper "We'll be talking about this later!" Depth Charge nodded while Izuku seemed to pause in his writhing.

In his nightmare the figure had just been struck by a terrible blow and Izuku was gasping in pain from the blow "Well howdy! Don't bother getting up! I'll just kicks ya while your down!" came the loud cowboy sort of voice of a strange yellowish green figure drawing closer to him, however the gruff voiced figure launched another green beam that Izuku still couldn't work out where it was coming from but a second attempt at the green beam attack seemed to fail.

A voice from within the gruff sounding figure sounding automated and somehow concerned "Warning systems failing"

The yellowish green figure then asked "So what's a warrior without weapons? Aye?"

Izuku was now feeling a great amount of pain through his whole being but he grunted as he heard the gruff voiced figure's response "A warrior still!" the gruff figure then punched and knocked out the other before throwing him over his shoulder into the ground head first.

However, a moment later the automated voiced sounded again and this time it sounded far more alarmed "Warning! Power Reserves 96% depleted, Staus Lock commencing"

"Override" the gruff voice said as it sounded determined yet it also sounded desperate. The automated voice seemed to grow fainter in Izuku's mind but he heard the gruff sounding voice snap one more word "Override!" a moment later he awoke and gasped to see his room's lights on and his mother gazing down at him.

"IZUKU!" she screamed and wrapped her arms around him as tears fell from her eyes "Oh my baby!" You were having a horrible nightmare! Depth Charge and I were so worried!"

Izuku gulped as he turned to his phone, the icon of Depth Charge trying to look away as Izuku sighed and said "I'm okay mum...it was just a nightmare and..."

"Don't lie!" Depth Charge snapped as he interrupted Izuku's attempt to down play it and Inko nodded in agreement "No nightmare has you bleeding from cuts that appear from nowhere!" Izuku looked down and it was true, everywhere he'd felt an injury in the nightmare was either bleeding or badly bruised "I had to tell your mother everything! What the hell was going on?"

Izuku looked down as his mother let him go "Dinobot" he said as the name suddenly came to him.

"What did you say?" Depth Charge asked quietly but also quite coldly, his eyes widening as he glared at Izuku, his expression one of clear disbelief and he muttered "That's impossible! Dinobot...died 4 million years ago! Both versions! The first version was a maximal alley and the second died after I did... it's impossible for either version to..." he saw Izuku's expression and sighed "Noted..." the facts were Depth Charge shouldn't have been able to come back and yet he'd managed to but he then realised "Both versions of Dinobot...their bodies were completely destroyed. The Maximals did a traditional hero funeral for the first Dinobot, meaning his body was atomised and the second was destroyed when the Nemesis' cockpit was rammed by..."

"Wait! How do you know any of this?" Inko asked as she folded her arms glaring at Depth Charge.

Depth Charge paused as he sighed "I guess I don't know how I know about the second dinobot's death but the first, I was informed of the key events of the beast wars by Optimus" he explained as he then added "However I don't suppose it matters maybe Izuku interacting with me has allowed him to see visions from the Beast wars... it's my best guess"

"Does that mean... I might see other visions?" Izuku asked slowly as Depth Charge's icon nodded "Oh lovely... just what I always wanted"

Inko sighed "Regardless we'll need to go to the hospital for your injuries, Izuku" and so the small family left by car for the hospital.

However, as they left a figure stood atop a building, Zero crossed his arms as his curiosity was increased as a green haired woman approached "We'll need to be careful progressing" Zero said as the green haired woman nodded. Zero removed his helmet revealing a boy with shortish brown hair that came down the back of his neck as he sighed "If we're going to find our enemy, I sense we'll need Mr Midoriya and Kallen...our duty is to ensure that nothing bad happens to either of them before they can complete their time at UA"

"How do you expect Mr Midoriya to even get into UA without a power?" the green haired woman asked as the boy placed the helmet back on his head "Surely without a power..."

"Remember, the human spirit is a force not to be underestimated and I sense a boy with Mr Midoriya's heart and spirit plus his intelligence should be capable of achieving much" Zero said as the two separated. Yet a few miles away Zero's one of enemies was on the attack.

In an abandoned factory district of the city a pro hero was struggling to stop the fearsome predacon, Rampage who was cackling evilly as he finally managed to close his claw around the pro but his claw seemed to jam "So, your power is shield?" Rampage taunted as the Pro Hero Crust was struggling to stop the claw from crushing him, yet the pro couldn't get out of the position he now found himself and Rampage laughed evilly "I haven't yet tasted a pro hero... you should be a delicious feast"

"You dare! Dastardly villain! Your power maybe great but I shall ensure your evil is brought to an end! And that justice is done for your victims!" Crust declared but as the claw crushed down, his shields were beginning to crumble but then he saw a figure out the corner of his eye "Ahh I see you have come to my aid, Eraser head!"

Atop a nearby building the underground hero, Eraser head had just arrived but even with his quirk already active the effect seemed to be ineffective against Rampage "Damn it! Must be a mutation type!" Eraser head cursed as he looked to Crust "Just hold out a little longer! Other Pros are on the way!"

"Fear not for so long as the...ahhh!" Crust began but suddenly his shields crumbled and Rampage's claw crushed down "No...No...this can't be happening" Crust's arms were broken due to the pressure he was subjected to "Noooo please help!" Crust begged but even as Eraser head tried to use his capture scarf to lower the pressure on Crust, the claw seemed to close down with even more force.

"Your pain is lovely" Rampage taunted as Crust screamed all the more "Your fear is soaking through your being... I'm nearly read to feed!" Eraser Head's eyes widened in horror as he tried but Rampage's second claw tried to grab him and he was forced to dodge "Now Rampage Terrorize!" Rampage suddenly changed into his robot form as he stretched "Hmm much better" his claw finished breaking Crust's body, Crust now had blood leaking from his mouth as Rampage grabbed him in one hand and smirked as he laughed "ahh your fear has finished preparing you"

"no...No please no" Crust begged as Rampage opened his mouth wide raising the pro hero up to meet his end but then a fist connected with Rampage's stomach forcing rampage to drop the pro who fell in a broken heap "You're timing is good as ever...Fatgum"

The BMI hero stood as he glared at Rampage who laughed at the presence of the pro who now was ready for battle "Man Crust you're supposed to be the Number 7 pro...You look a bit the worse for wares"

"Huh" Crust coughed as he said from his place on the floor "We all know you deserve a better rank than you have" he added "Be careful this thing isn't like any villain..."

Rampage laughed as he pulled out his blaster aiming it at Fatgum "I'll teach you to interfere with my fun" a moment later Rampage fired a missile at him, the resulting explosion was huge and Fatgum was send flying into a wall two blocks away "Now then to my meal" Rampage reached down and picked up the fallen Crust who could only tremble as he was lifted up to Rampage's mouth "Yum!"

Eraser head tried to use his capture weapon to stop him but Rampage grabbed the weapon with his other hand, before he threw Aizawa into the same wall as Fatgum "Cru...Crust no!" Eraser head coughed as he watched Rampage bite the head off Crust "YOU MONSTER!"

"Yummy...his fear was delicious and now it's your turn to meet AHHH!" Rampage yelled as a figure dropped down and kicked him in the head "Another dares to interfere with my fun!"

Pro hero Mirko stood in her white leotard with the yellow crescent moon design on her chest and her rabbit ears atop her head as she glared at Rampage before shorting and saying "Man when it comes to ugly, I bet you wrote the book" she then noticed the remains of Crust and her joking tone gave way to anger "You'll pay for that!"

"Not tonight I won't" Rampage said as he noticed three more pro heroes arriving as he laughed evilly and lifted up his blaster to fire a single rocket in front of him at the floor, the resulting explosion and smoke clouded him from sight but after it cleared, he was gone.

The news of Crust's death spread across Japan, the news made all the more tragic by the later reveal that Rampage had attacked two more people that night and they too had died. Izuku sat in front of his computer in numb shock as he saw the news, Crust was a pro hero he greatly respected and he shook as he said "Depth Charge...we need to hurry up and find a way to..." they'd returned from the hospital and a nurse's healing quirk had assisted in getting Deku right as rain though her quirk had used his body's fat reserves to heal him so he was feeling very weakened by the experience.

"No" Depth Charge said coldly as he too was horrified and he knew all too well the signs of Rampage's terror so he then added "Rampage is beyond what even your maximal body will be capable of... As before, he's my mission not yours... and I won't stand for seeing you throw your life away just because I couldn't get the job done first or second time. Am I being clear?"

"Yes" Izuku said sadly but then he asked "But how are you going to stop him without a body?"

"I'll find a way" Depth Charge said as he sighed "Look Izuku I need to be firm with this. I promised your mother to help keep you safe and Rampage is far too dangerous for a newbie Maximal no matter which beast mode you choose... you haven't even chosen an animal for that... Rampage would still be too much of a threat" there was a long pause as neither knew what to say next till Depth Charge said "Look I need some time to myself so maybe you should go out for a little bit?"

"Sure" Izuku said sadly, it was the first time since they'd met that it felt like they'd had an argument so Izuku was a little stunned as he headed out, he kept his hands in his pockets as he walked down to the city centre hoping to find something to distract himself but the city seemed oddly quiet as he reached the Natural History Museum, Izuku couldn't have explained it a million years but he felt oddly drawn to it. The Mustutafu Natural History Museum was nothing spectacular, most natural history museums had moved their displays of fossilised animals into storage when quirks came about because the damage done in that age had been horrific, more research specimens had been lost than in all wars prior to the dawn of quirks, put together and now Museums used basic holograms to bring up any animal in the data base so all they had to do was have rooms large enough to show them. Izuku sighed as he approached the control console and his eyes boggled at the displayed categories "Oh my..."

"It's impressive, isn't it?" a female voice said from behind him, Izuku wheeled round gasping as he saw a girl about the same age with seaweed green hair, a cocky grin and dusky green eyes. She was wearing a pair of torn jeans and a loose-fitting white shirt "Hey! I'm Setsuna Tokage. What's your name?" she asked as she walked up with her hands in her pockets.

"Uh Izuku Midoriya" Izuku blurted out as the girl giggled at his reaction "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! You just..."

"Took you by surprise?" Setsuna guessed as she laughed "Yeah that was obvious. I'm sorry I don't usual see many people here... I was just here to bring my dad his lunch" she then added "Plus I like to see which animal guests bring up first. Most people want to see T-rex...so boring"

Izuku not sensing the danger asked "So what animal would you recommend?" there was a pregnant pause and Setsuna's grin grew huge but before he could back out, Setsuna pushed a button on the console, labelled "Animate? Does that mean...!?"

"Yep, it's really cool!" Setsuna said as she also enabled sound a moment later a huge two-legged dinosaur appeared, it's mouth opened wide but it let loose a horrible hiss as Izuku covered his ears and the animal snapped its jaws towards them "Man your lucky! Albertosaurus! Still a Tyrannosaur! But this beauty is a bit smaller and slimmer!"

"It looks mean" Izuku said as he backed away but Setsuna smiled at him and nodded but a moment later a hand grabbed Izuku's shoulder yet there was no one there, just the hand pushing against his shoulder and Izuku guessed "Uh your quirk?"

"Yep! Come on your not leaving yet? Besides it's just a hologram! Come on, Izuku...you don't mind me using your first name, right?" Setsuna asked as Izuku shook his head "Cool! Hey let's check out something more... obscure like a veggie dinosaur!"

"How about not a dinosaur?" Izuku suggested but then he saw Setsuna's mad grin only grow winder "Oh no!"

"Hehe too late! How's the Entelodont for you!" Setsuna said with glee as she hit the button, a moment later something near the height of an adult appeared, it had short brown fur that covered a very muscular body but it was the large head full of teeth that Izuku was staring at as the animal's simulation half roared half squealed as its jaws opened wide at Izuku who couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by it "Man this is cool! You know some call this the hog from hell!"

"I can see why" Izuku said as he backed up further but the hand kept pushing him forward.

"Oh, come on what's the issue?" Setsuna teased

"Could you show something cool that isn't a meat eater!" Setsuna rubbed her chin and nodded as she pushed a few buttons, only for the Entelodont to be replaced by an animal almost twice the height, its head was green on top and brown underneath, its body seemed to match this with its body covered in armour and the tail finished with what looked like a mutated cannon ball "Anklyosaurus"

Izuku's eyes widened as he mumbled "That's it"

"That's what?" Setsuna asked for the first time sounding concerned, as Izuku shook his head but he smiled as the animal showed off its impressive defences, while waving its tail in a defensive manner and Izuku loved it all the more. It was like the ultimate defender but still had a way to attack "A bit slow moving but even T-rex rarely messed with a full-grown healthy one... I'd love to see a living one but that's what dreams are made of... can you imagine this thing moving about the landscape soooo cool"

Izuku paused as he saw in Setsuna's passion, the kind he'd only ever seen in himself when it came to heroes but it felt oddly comforting "Yeah" Izuku said as he sat on the museum floor while he was barely interested in prehistoric life, Setsuna made the whole thing very engaging with her love for animals as strange as Anomalicaris to animals cuter than a puppy like Diictodon. Hours passed as Setsuna showed him more and more animals, some that really took his breath away but her energy truly was infectious "Man that's cool... A Liopleurodon...hey isn't this the thing they say is in Scotland?"

"You mean the Loch ness monster?" Setsuna laughed as she then noticed the time "Oh flip!" she stood up and said "Sorry, Izuku, the museum is about to close but I'd love to hang out with you some more!" she hurried Izuku out and they exchanged numbers "See ya!" she closed the door behind him and Izuku gaped as he then felt someone staring at him.

"Well, your popular" Kallen said as she stared at him, her arms folded as she laughed and added "You aiming for a harem?" Izuku shook his head vigorously but Kallen had a grin on her face that Izuku feared as she said "I wonder what your mother will think?", she turned to run towards Izuku's home and Izuku chased after her in a mad attempt to stop her.

It was as Izuku turned the corner onto his home's road, he felt like he was being watched and looked around but as he looked around, he couldn't see anyone "Huh?"

"Hey Izuku! I'm going to ring the doorbell!" Kallen called out, Izuku turned back to try and stop her.

However, if Izuku had kept looking he would have seen a white and crimson figure step out from the shadows, his figure standing little over 10 feet in height. However, the figure turned and disappeared down a back alley.

Author's Note:

Honestly not a lot to say on this chapter, I'm may not be 100% happy with it but a lot of important work had to be done. Ankylosaurus will likely be Izuku's beast mode, I made a list of animals including suggested ones and tried to envision the transformer Izuku will become... Ankylosaurus came with not just a body plan but a scene I can work with in a later chapter. The suggestions were good but a spoiler for later is this is Beast wars Plus Ultra...as you can probably guess that means more predacons and Maximals will be in it so the suggestions can still be used.

Again, I'd like to thank everyone, the name of Izuku's maximal form has been short listed to two...so once I get that worked out Chapter 4 can begin. Finally killing off Crust, originally, I planned for it to be Mirko or fatgum but Crust worked better.

As for the shipping parts of this story, honestly, they're just jokes, I don't feel right shipping any character (except for Akiza and Yuesi in yugioh 5ds) so aside from small jokes, it's likely I won't include any plot line that explores such things. If however, I feel I've earned it within the context of the story (which is unlikely) I might be inclined. So, no neither Kallen or Setsuna are actually being shipped with Izuku, I'm just trying to make a jokey kind of friendship circle of possible future maximals(Which isn't a certainty yet)

Hope you all have a nice day!