A/N: Phew, well… hiya guys! Welcome back to Transformers MHA! Gotta say, this was a pretty close call. Not in terms of finishing the chapter on time but once again, another stupidly powerful storm knocked out my power and I was on the edge of my seat to see if it'd come back in time. Ugh, I'm so glad the winter season is almost over. But, onto the topic at hand, we're going back to Earth with this chapter, and consequently, back to U.A.! So, let's see how our heroes are doing, huh? This is…
Chapter 66: Internship Conclusion: Return to U.A.
…..
The day had finally come. It was something that Izuku was preparing himself mentally for over the past… twelve hours or so. Granted, the fact that he had quite the day yesterday had attributed to his lack of prep time, but all the same, it was something that he had to come to grips with. This would be the day that he would be leaving Gran Torino's place. His internship was over, and that meant it was back to U.A. High. It was a bittersweet feeling… or at least, it WOULD be if Mirko hadn't been pestering him all morning about it. Even as they were all gathered outside for the final goodbye, she was still poking and prodding him about it. …And the funny part about it was that she did it all while on crutches.
"You're gonna miss the hell outta me, I just know it." The Rabbit Hero said as she poked Izuku's cheek with her finger, giving him a cheeky smile. "C'mon, admit it, you're gonna be an emotional wreck without me around."
Izuku did nothing but deadpan the entire time it was happening. …Even then, though, he couldn't deny her words… at least mostly. "Well, I wouldn't go THAT far." the greenette mumbled as his cheek was pushed in. "…But in a crazy way, I will miss you, Mirko."
Pumping her fist, Mirko accepted that. "Haha! I'll take it!"
That managed to get a little laugh out of Izuku before he set his sights on Gran Torino, who still seemed rather sleepy. "I know I wasn't here long, but… thanks for everything."
A yawn escaped Gran Torino's throat before opening a single eye to Izuku. "Gah… I don't think there's any reason for you to thank me. I wasn't around when the really big stuff happened…" He gave a slight glare at Mirko as he wacked one of her crutches with his cane. "Unlike you, you reckless idiot!"
"Appreciate the compliment, gramps!" Mirko gave a thumbs up, which only made Torino even more irritated.
"W-Well, sure." Izuku continued with a smile. "But the only reason I was able to stand up against Stain at all was because of our sparring and your wise instructions—" *WHACK* "Gah! Ow! Ouch!"
Gran Torino had smacked Izuku in the ankle with his cane, giving him a stern gaze. "You survived, yes, but only because the Hero Killer let you." Despite this, however, he let out a calming sigh. "Well, if anything, at least you've figured out your own fighting style instead of copying All Might's. Even though you DID manage to get a stress fracture in your leg." He lifted his cane and pointed it at Midoriya. "I know what happened! You went well over your limit. I thought we agreed that fifteen percent at the most is all you can handle right now. You're growing fast, but you're too impatient, and when you lose focus, you lose control, too! Always be calm and alert."
"Oy, sheesh!" Mirko rolled her eyes. "Calm down, gramps. Let the kid be. He still did good and you know it."
The old man grumbled, but seemed to mutter some sort of commendation under his breath. "That aside, I'm sure you know this, but if you're aiming to be the greatest hero like All Might, then you've still got a heck of a lot to learn. So keep at it, understand?"
Izuku stood at attention and bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir!"
"Hm… see you around."
Just as he was about to go into his house, however, Izuku stopped Gran Torino with a shout. "W-Wait! I've… got a question. Please, just one more?" He glanced down bashfully. "I-It was something that I never got a good opportunity to ask, and while now's not exactly the best time either, I guess it's now or never—"
"Spit it out, kid!" Torino yelled. "I've got pastries to eat!"
Izuku flinched, but went through with his question. "W-Well, it's just… even though you're really strong, and you trained the Number One Hero in the world yourself, nobody knows about you." He sent Gran Torino a curious gaze. "You should be super famous, but you're… not. Is there any specific reason for that?"
The old hero's gaze went off into the distance, though it didn't take long for him to answer the question at all. "Oh, that's an easy one. I was just never that interested in working as a pro hero." That earned Gran Torino an incredulous stare from both Izuku and Mirko, urging him to go on. "There was a point in my past where I needed to use my Quirk freely, without limits. That's the whole reason I got my license." His attention went back to Izuku. "It might be better to hear this from Toshi… All Might, I mean. He can explain it better than me."
"Er… yeah, okay." Izuku accepted.
"That's it, kid." Gran Torino dismissed. "Keep workin' hard."
"Yes sir!" Izuku bowed once again.
Mirko started hobbling down the street, beckoning Izuku to follow. "C'mon kid. I'll walk with ya to the meet-up spot." Izuku nodded and followed after her, all while Gran Torino watched them leave.
Even then, the old man couldn't help but think to himself; 'So he's the future, huh? He may not look or act like him, but he's still just like Toshinori. The man chose by my friend, who inherited One for All… who became the very best.' For one last time, he spoke up to the kid. "Hey, boy!" Once Izuku turned back to him… Torino wore a clueless expression. "Who are you?"
"Seriously?!" Izuku's face fell at the sight of his mentor seemingly senile state, but still replied. "Oh, well… I'm uh, Izuku Midoriya."
"That's not right…"
"U-Uh… hm." Suddenly getting the idea, Izuku put on a more serious countenance and gave a different answer. "I'm Deku."
Satisfied with that, Torino went back to smiling and waved Izuku off as he went back into his house, leaving the young man to continue on his way. 'Let's you and I watch over him together, Toshinori. Until the day you pass on into history. Until the day that the hero Deku is celebrated around the world… as the new Symbol of Peace.'
After walking down the street a ways, Izuku and Mirko made a sudden turn into a heavily wooded area that was in a more secluded part of town, one where they were certain they wouldn't be seen by anyone. "Sorry if those partin' words weren't what you were expectin' from the old man, kid." Mirko nudged her elbow against Izuku's shoulder with a small grin. "But just know that he DOES care about ya… in his own way."
"Hehe… yeah." Izuku nodded. "I know. …Hah, still, I can't believe this day's finally here."
The Rabbit Hero shot him a knowing smirk. "Not all that psyched to get back to school, huh? I can get that."
"O-Oh, no, I am!" Izuku assured. "I can't wait to get back and show everyone what I learned, but… I meant what I said, you know?" He shot her a sad smile. "I'm… gonna miss training with you, coach."
"…D'oh, shush, kid." Despite her injured state, Mirko dropped her crutches so she could put Izuku in a headlock and give him a noogie. "You're gonna make me all mushy if ya keep it up."
"Gah! O-Okay, okay, I give!" Thankfully, Izuku didn't have to endure much more before Mirko released him, though she made sure to ruffle his hair a little bit.
Just then, though, the *beep-beep* of a car horn alerted them to the presence of a certain yellow bug, who was watching it all go down. "Zrkt—Aw, isn't that just precious?" Bumblebee said as his holoform smirked over to them, only to then strike a dramatic pose. "Zrkt—Parting is such sweet sorrow…"
Izuku and Mirko simply rolled their eyes at his shenanigans, the former going up to greet him. "Hello to you, too, Bee. So, everything all set?"
"Zrkt—Yep! Zrkt—Red's—zrkt—standing by at base." The young scout reached out and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Zrkt—Time to go home, hero."
"And I'm sure you'll be in for a busy time when you get there." Mirko spoke up, having hobbled her way over after only picking up one crutch. She extended a fist out to Bee in greeting. "'Sup, Bee? Still being awesome?"
Bee pounded the fist back with gusto. "Zrkt—You know it! Zrkt—But what about you? How're your—zkrt—legs?"
Mirko wore an irritated grimace at the reminder, snorting out her frustrations. "Snrt, how do you think? Ugh, that Sector Seven doctor friend of yours says I need to stay off of 'em for like, a WEEK at most." She raised her crutch in ire. "But I ain't lettin' that stop me—eee!" She nearly fell over, but quickly slammed her crutch into the dirt, catching herself with an anxious sigh. "…I hate this, if you couldn't tell."
"Yeah, that's pretty obvious." Izuku smirked. "Just… please don't overdo it. Next time we meet, I actually want to see your legs working."
That made Mirko put on a cheeky grin. "Ooh… does that imply you're keeping an eye on my legs? Deku, I'm surprised at you!"
Just like that, Izuku's face became beet red and he immediately tried to salvage what he said. "N-No, wait! I-I didn't mean it like that! N-Not that you don't have some amazing legs because you totally do, but—W-W-WAIT, I messed up again—GAH!"
As the boy had a mental meltdown, Mirko couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh, wiping a tear away from how hard she was going at it. "BAHAHAHAHA! O-Oh god, dude, relax! I'm yanking your chain!" That earned her a troubled glare from her student, but she brushed it off. "Aw, c'mon, it builds character! …But just to get real with you for a minute." Izuku's expression softened, seeing Mirko's gaze become more serious. "I… wanted to say thank you. Before all this, I firmly believed that going solo and not relying on others was the right way to go. And while I still kinda think that, you showed me that teaming up with others from time to time can also be kinda fun!" She bowed her head to him. "So thanks for that, Dek… Izuku."
Izuku's blush returned, but he found it in him to bow back. "You're welcome. And I look forward to when we can work together again."
"Same here." A smile appeared on Mirko's lips as she raised a finger to him. "But hold on, there's a little gift I wanna give you before you head out. Close your eyes, it's a surprise."
"A-A gift?" Izuku repeated as he did what she instructed. "I-I appreciate it, really, but you didn't have to go out of your way to get me any—" He cut himself off when he suddenly felt… something warm on his left cheek. His eyes snapping open, Izuku was met with a sight that he could not believe.
Mirko… had gifted him a smooch on the cheek. The peck only lasted for about two seconds, but nonetheless, it left Izuku with an unexplainable charge throughout his body. When she pulled away, her red-eyed stare sent a surge down his spine, and just like that, Izuku's world was spinning. "Hope ya enjoyed that, kid." Mirko winked. "You just got something only the BIGGEST fanboys could dream about. How was it?"
"I-I-I I just—I-I ju…uuuuhhh…" As his eyes rolled into the back of his head, Izuku fainted right at Bumblebee's holoform feet, leaving both the scout and Rabbit Hero to peer down at him.
"Hehe, figured as much." Mirko nudged her chin to the young Autobot. "Get 'im outta here, Bee. It's time you two got going."
Picking up the unconscious boy, Bee laid him into the back seat and gave Mirko a salute. "Zrkt—See ya later, alligator!" A few seconds later, the GroundBridge appeared and Bee drove through it, leaving Mirko to wave goodbye after them.
A small chuckle passed her lips as she mused to herself. "…Yeah, that kid's gonna be Number One someday, for sure."
…..
Kyoka Jiro didn't consider herself to be much of an overly emotional person. Sure, she cried sometimes, but that was mostly when she was a kid. Nowadays, she hardly shed a tear over anything. She liked to think she inherited her mother's more subdued demeanor instead of her father's… more sensitive tendencies. However, here and now, in this moment… she was actually starting to get a little welled up. She knew this day was coming, the internships were only a week after all. But what Kyoka didn't expect… was just how attached she became to this place and those who called it home.
Granted, she didn't cry when Duke, Scarlett and the others left the day before, but still, it was sad to see them go. Before departing, though, Hawk made sure to remind her of something important. "Remember what I said about your work-studies, Kyoka. If they offer them to you, you're always welcome back." the general had said with a thumbs up. "We'd be happy to have you as a Joe-in-training."
Recalling that made her smile… and did nothing to halt the emotions she was feeling. Because now came the truly hard part; saying goodbye to the ones who taught her this past week. She stood opposite Tiger Claw, Kamakura, Budo, Quick Kick, Jinx and of course, Snake Eyes near the docks, awaiting the arrival of her way back home. And that didn't take long at all as a GroundBridge came bursting into existence, leading Kyoka to let out a sigh. "Well… guess this is it, huh?"
"Yeah, guess so." Kenzie said as Jazz came rolling through. "Not gonna lie… it's gonna feel weird not having you around."
"It's strange." Tiger Claw mused. "It's only been a week, and yet it feels as if you've just… become a natural part of our daily lives."
Kamakura rubbed his neck sheepishly. "It'll be weird going back to "normal"… but I'm sure we'll see ya again."
"Ah, guys, stop." Kyoka pleaded, a hand going up to her eyes just in case any tears were showing. "I'm trying to hold it together as is."
Jinx, however, shook her head and approached the girl, arguing her own case. "Kyoka, it's okay to show your emotions whenever they appear. It isn't healthy to keep everything bottled up." The kunoichi set a hand on Kyoka's shoulder, giving her a bright smile. "We will all miss you, and we look forward to whenever you can return. Whether that be this year, or even if we have to wait another year."
"You are always welcome here, Kyoka." Budo supported with a strong nod. "Remember that."
By this point, Kyoka was only just barely holding it together, her lips on the verge of quivering while her eyes began welling up. …And then Snake Eyes came up to her. Jinx moved aside as her master stood before the punk rocker… only to then pull off the lower part of his mask up so that his mouth was visible. With a smile on his scarred lips, he mouthed the words; "You have been a wonderful student. Thank you for coming here, Kyoka."
The most that came out of his mouth were breathy wheezes… but as someone who knew sound better than anyone, Kyoka could still understand him perfectly. And that did it. The tears flowed down her cheeks and she choked out a cry, bowing to him in respect. "Th-Thank you… m-master!" Before long, she began sobbing and Snake Eyes put an arm around her, allowing her to let it all out into his chest. Kenzie and Jinx came in and joined the embrace as well, comforting Kyoka as she cried.
Off to the side, though, a sniffle was heard, leading everybody to look at Jazz. His holoform was out and watching everything, seemingly trying to keep it together himself. "Snf… that was… beautiful, man…"
"Hah… Jazz, you dork." Kyoka wiped her tears, her voice groggy after crying so much.
"What? A bot can feel sad, too, ya know?"
"Yeah… I know." Kyoka swallowed hard and she went back to hugging her mentors and her senior, bidding them farewell. "Hah… okay, I… I think I'm good now."
Jinx smiled in approval. "Good to hear. And Kyoka, one more thing." The kunoichi gave her a wink. "Make sure you show them how good you've gotten at those techniques I showed you. They're sure to be amazed."
A laugh escaped Kyoka's throat as she bowed once again. "Of course, I will. Hopefully I can learn the other ones just as well when I come back." Taking a deep breath, Kyoka began turning away from the group, all while giving one final wave goodbye. "Well, I'll see you later!"
However, before she could even get close to Jazz… the sound of a loud horn caught their attention. Right off the shore of the island, a familiar ferry boat came in, and at its helm was a very familiar someone. "Hola, mi amigos!" From up top, Shipwreck waved down his fellow Joes, his eyes finding Kyoka quickly. "And hey, chica! I heard you had quite the week!"
"Shipwreck?!" Kyoka exclaimed. "Holy crap, I didn't think I'd see you before I left!"
"Hey, I said I'd be back, didn't I?" Taking the ferry to a full stop, Shipwreck exited the helm and walked down to the deck. "Like I'd miss out on saying goodbye!"
Kyoka walked along the dock and approached the boat, smiling up to the man who first brought her here. "Heh, well, you were lucky you were on vacation, otherwise you probably would've gotten dragged into that big battle with the Cons, too."
The sailor waved off the suggestion immediately. "Hah, no thank you. Maybe next time, though… when I'm more mentally prepared."
"Sweetie? Is that her?" Just then, a new voice piped up from the other side of the boat, and not long after, Kyoka saw someone new walking up to the railing. She was, quite frankly, a gorgeous young woman in her late twenties, her short brunette hair styled to be slightly tousled. She was in casual clothing, namely a rather comfy-looking sundress, all while sporting a fairly even tan. She took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of stunning blue eyes. "Ooh, she's just like you described!"
"Told ya she was a rebel." Shipwreck placed an arm across the woman's shoulders and introduced her to the teen. "Kyoka, this is my fiancé, Courtney Kreiger. She's also a member of G.I. Joe."
Kyoka bowed her head to the woman, greeting her. "Oh, hi there. My name's Kyoka Jiro. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kreiger."
"Likewise, but please, Miss Kreiger is my mother." Courney flipped her hair and it started flowing naturally in the breeze. "I'd prefer it if you called me by my code name; Cover Girl."
The Earphone Jack user blinked in astonishment. "…I can see HOW you got that code name."
A laugh passed by Cover Girl's lips, knowing full well what she meant. "Hahaha! I appreciate the compliment, but no. That's not the main reason why I'm called Cover Girl." With a flick of her wrist, Courtney suddenly summoned a clear dome around Kyoka's body, taking her aback. "See? I can create invisible forcefields with only my mind. Pretty neat Quirk, isn't it?"
The forcefield disappeared, leaving Kyoka quite impressed. "Woah, yeah, that IS cool!"
"Ahem! Uh, Kyo…" The purplette's head whipped back to Jazz, who tapped his finger to his wrist despite the lack of watch. "We gotta get outta dodge if you're gonna make it to school! It might be a short day, but Aizawa's expectin' us to still get ya there."
"Oh, shoot! You're right, sorry!" Kyoka spun back around and bowed to the couple once more. "Well, I wish I could stick around and get to know you more, Cover Girl, but I've gotta get back on the double!"
Cover Girl sent her an assuring wave. "Oh, it's fine, go on ahead! I'm sure this won't be the last we see of each other, anyways."
"Best of luck back at school, chica!" Shipwreck saluted. "And remember; Knowing is—"
"Yeah, yeah, "half the battle", I get it!" Kyoka quickly dashed over to Jazz, waving to the Joes as she did. "Can't wait to see you guys again! And thanks for everything!" Everyone shouted their own parting words to her as she and Jazz drove through the GroundBridge, and when they emerged on the other side, the girl couldn't help but let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding back.
Jazz's holoform reached out and put a hand to her shoulder. "Hey, you doin' alright, Kyo?"
Kyoka gave a chuckle, slowly nodding her head. "Yeah… yeah, I'll be okay. I'm sure that won't be the last we see of 'em, so all I can do is look forward to when we DO see 'em again, right?"
"Heh, now that's the spirit. Now c'mon, the gang's waitin' outside for us."
…..
Once the duo made it outside, they were greeted by the sight of nearly every Autobot and their friends from both 1-A and 1-B, the whole team mingling with one another before things got started. Kyoka had been told about what they'd be doing before classes started the day before… but she wasn't sure if everyone had been filled in. After all, Ochako, Tenya, Ibara and Itsuka hadn't been there for the big mission, so they probably wouldn't know. Speaking of those four, they were the ones who caught her eye first, having grouped up together with Arcee, Strongarm, Flare-Up and Sureshock. They were also with Highwire and Grindor, as well as Setsuna and Tetsutetsu, which wasn't surprising.
"Ah, Jiro!" Tenya addressed her first as she came out with Jazz. "Good to see you again."
"Yo, prez." the punk rocker nudged her chin to him. "How're your arms doin'?"
Lifting a hand, Tenya smiled, though it wasn't a purely happy one. "They are… doing well, all things considered. I cannot wear my Hero costume right now since they're still healing, but I'll make do."
"Hm, don't worry, Iida." Kyoka assured with a light jab to the shoulder. "You'll be back in that tin can in no time."
That nearly made Tenya do a facefault. "G-Gah! It is NOT a tin can!"
But it got a laugh out of Tetsu and Setsuna, the Metal user holding his gut all the while. "Hahaha! Ah, c'mon, Iida, where's your sense of humor? I mean, I get it, you went through some tough crap, but laughin' a little can be good for ya."
Despite it being at his expense, Tenya hummed in thought. "Hmm… I suppose."
"That's the spirit, dude." Setsuna encouraged. "Times like this, it's important to find the bright side of things."
"Exactly." Kyoka agreed before setting her sights over to Ochako and Itsuka. "So, ladies, how was your week?"
She didn't get an immediate response, though, as both girls seemed to be… "in the zone". They wore rather intense expressions as they breathed steadily and held their hands up, almost as if they were ready for combat even now. "Hah… I'd say it was very enlightening." Ochako said… before sending a hand strike at Itsuka.
The redhead blocked it instantly, though, her concentration seemingly through the roof. "Indeed, incredibly so." Before long, both girls were throwing very precise hits at one another, all while everyone watched in stunned silence.
Arcee glanced down to the humans and whispered; "I think Ochako found her fighting spirit."
"Yeah, an' Itsuka's has only been ramped up!" Flare-Up added. "That Battle Hero's somethin' else, I tell ya."
As Kyoka watched the two girls going at it, though, she couldn't help but notice a certain absence from the group. "Hey, uh… has anyone seen Izuku?"
Highwire was the one to answer, pointing across the field. "Oh, yeah. He and Bumblebee just got back a couple minutes before you did. They're over near the beach."
Thanking the Mini-Con for that information, the punk rocker decided to stroll on over and see how her best friend was doing. …As it turned out, though, she wasn't expecting his current state at all. Instead of excitedly talking to Bumblebee about how his internship went, he was… laid flat on his back on the grass, staring blankly at the sky as Bee stood over him, the yellow Autobot watching him in concern. "…Bee?" Kyoka spoke up.
"Zrkt—We lost 'im, Jim." Bumblebee solemnly put a hand on his chest.
"Oh, please." Kyoka rolled her eyes. "You're being dramatic… still, what the heck happened to him?"
The yellow Autobot winced and waved the question off. "Zrkt—Trust me, kid, you're better off not knowing."
But that only made Kyoka narrow her eyes in suspicion, which led her to start seeking answers from the horse's mouth. "Yo, Broccoli Top!" She leaned over and snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Izuku, wake up!"
"H-Huh?!" It didn't take much to break Izuku out of his trance, but when he was, he immediately noted two things. One; he was back at base. And two; Kyoka was standing over him with a glare that seemed… curious? "O-Oh, hey, Kyoka." he said as he sat up and smiled at her. "Sorry, I-I don't know what came over me."
"Funny, that's actually kinda what I'm wondering myself." Kyoka folded her arms over her chest, raising a single brow to him. "You seemed out of it, as if you were in your own mind for a while. Something the matter?"
Izuku vehemently shook his head. "No, no! Everything's fine, really. It's just…" He had to think of an excuse and fast. 'I CANNOT let her know that Mirko kissed me on the cheek, it'd be a disaster!' Thankfully, Izuku's mind worked fast and without even a single mumble, he came up with his reasoning. "I was… just thinking about how the upcoming dinner's gonna go, that's all."
"Dinner? What're you—" *CRACK* Like glass shattering in her mind, Kyoka suddenly remembered something very, very, VERY important that'd be happening this week. Naturally, she screamed her head off in fear. "GAAAAAAHHH! THE DINNER! How the hell could I forget about that?! Oh god, oh god, this is it. The end! I am so freaking dead, I'm gonna—"
Shooting up from the ground, Izuku grabbed hold of Kyoka's shoulders with a firm pat, breaking her rambling streak. "Kyoka! Calm. Down. Deep breaths, okay?" Doing as he said, Kyoka took in a shaky breath, though that did nothing to stop her nervous jitters. "Listen, I know that this is normally the kind of situation where we'd die of embarrassment, but remember; MY mom will be there, too, so we're gonna be in a controlled environment. You told your mom and dad about that, right?"
Kyoka gave a wobbly nod. "Yeah… they know."
"Great! Then there should be no problem." Izuku gave thumbs up. "Between your mom and my mom, the chances of your dad embarrassing you drastically go down."
"Hah, I hope so." Kyoka ran a hand through her hair. "Just so long as I keep the family photo album well hidden." All the same, she couldn't help but smile back to her best friend. "Gotta say, though, you're a LOT calmer than I expected you'd be about this." But then, her brow furrowed in confusion again. "But wait, why were you spacing out on the ground about it?"
"Oh, I-I was just planning out my own strategy." Izuku reasoned, tapping the side of his head. "Going over potential questions your parents could ask me and making sure I had my answers."
Kyoka pursed her lips, impressed at the forethought. "Huh, that makes a lot of sense, actually." She reached up and ruffled his hair up. "Not bad, Celery Stick!"
"Gah, thanks!" Izuku smiled back, all while Bumblebee played an applause sound effect behind them as he clapped his hands.
"Hey, you guys!" The three of them perked their heads up as Eijiro called them over. "Optimus is about to start the meeting! C'mon!" And so, the duo and their yellow friend went back over to the main group, which gathered up in one big cluster on the main field.
It was then, though, that Kyoka saw that someone ELSE was missing, too… their newest arrival. "Hey, where's Jet—"
"Ssshh-shh!" Jazz whispered. "That's gonna be a surprise for the others."
Understanding completely, Kyoka made a zipping motion over her lips, giving a wink to Jazz before Prime emerged from the base. Behind the Autobot leader was Red Alert, Roller and the Mini-Con council, all of them standing perfectly at attention. "Greetings, everyone." Optimus began, holding his hands up to the crowd to get them to settle. "Allow me to welcome you all back from what I'm certain was quite an eventful week for you all. As you no doubt know, much has happened these past seven days… events which we were certainly not prepared for. However, we have all persevered, and are all here in one piece… despite certain members of our team being somewhat injured." He eyed Tenya in particular, who lowered his head guiltily. "I'm sure you no doubt have heard about what transpired in Hosu."
"How could we not?" Itsuka spoke up, her gaze and several others moving toward Tenya and Izuku. "The two of you were pretty lucky that Mirko was there, otherwise—"
"Erm, actually, about that…" Izuku rubbed his neck, stepping forward with Tenya to clarify the story. "The news might be exaggerating a few things just a bit."
Tenya was silent for a moment before adding further; "The truth is… we fought the Hero Killer WITH Mirko."
Those already in the know weren't surprised in the least, but for Itsuka, Ochako and Ibara, they were left stunned by the revelation. "H-Hold on!" the Gravity user shouted. "You did WHAT?!"
Just then, another voice chimed in from inside the base, signaling the arrival of a certain Half-Cold Half-Hot user. "He said we fought the Hero Killer." Shoto repeated as he stepped out into the light. "…And we won."
By that point, Ochako and the other girls were completely gobsmacked. "T-T-T…Todoroki?! What the FRAG is going on?!"
"Yeah… that's a long story." Nevertheless, Shoto recounted what had happened that night, with himself, Tenya and Izuku describing the fight in full detail. …Right up to the point where Bumblebee came in and finished off the Hero Killer for them. "So, yeah, that's how myself and Mirko found out about the Transformers that night." Shoto concluded.
Ibara deadpanned and facepalmed at the story. "Of course, because apparently this is just going to be the worst kept secret on Earth."
"Zrkt—Sorry—zrkt—this one's on me." Bumblebee apologized.
"No one is blaming you, Bumblebee." Optimus assured, placing a hand on his scout's shoulder. "Your position in wanting to protect your friend was understandable. It was simply a case of poor timing." He craned his head back down to Shoto. "However, if there is anything to be thankful for in this situation, it is that Young Shoto is a trustworthy ally to have."
The red and white-haired boy nodded up to the two. "Right. I swear, I won't tell a soul about you guys. Promise."
"Well, that's reassuring!" Mina exclaimed. "But I know there's WAY more on the docket list that needs to get caught up on, right?"
Prime turned back to the group, affirming Mina's words. "Indeed. With the unanticipated arrival of Sky-Byte to the planet—one of Megatron's top strategists—we were certain that engaging in battle with the Decepticons would become much more difficult. …However, in reality, Sky-Byte coming here has proven to be quite the unexpected boon." He craned his head down to his Mini-Con partner. "Roller, if you would care to take the floor."
"I'd be happy to, my friend!" Roller stepped forward, standing with his fellow Mini-Cons as the Street Action Mini-Con Team took their place with him. "As it happens, Sky-Byte actually uncovered some Mini-Cons. And while we weren't able to save both of them, we did retrieve a key one…" He waved an arm up to Red Alert, who ejected said Mini-Con from his back.
Landing on the ground was a small crane truck, which transformed into its robot mode within moments. Red wasted no time introducing the small bot. "Everyone, allow me to introduce my partner Mini-Con, Longarm."
"Hey, everybody!" Longarm waved to Ochako and the others cheerily. "I know I met most of you the day before, but it's still a pleasure to meet ALL of you!"
"Aw, he's so polite!" Ochako cooed. "And cute!"
Ibara and Itsuka both bowed to the grey and blue Mini-Con. "It's very nice to meet you, as well, Longarm." the Vine user reciprocated. "And we're very happy that you didn't wind up in the Decepticon's clutches."
"Heh, don't I know it?" Longarm chortled. "Definitely wouldn't want to tag along with those scrapheads, that's for sure." However, he wore a scowl briefly when he recalled what happened yesterday. "Still, as of yesterday, the Decepticons now have three more of our number, and it's rather unsettling. Especially since it's the Destruction Mini-Con Team."
At that moment, Itsuka remembered the call they'd received yesterday. "Oh yeah, how DID that battle go? We were worried when we didn't get a call back last night. At least, not for a while."
"Yes, my apologies for the delay." Optimus bowed his head regretfully. "However, there was significant amount of events that happened during that battle that we had to take stock of after the fact. However, I am pleased to report that the battle with the Decepticons was a great success." Instantly, cheers erupted from all across the field, Autobots and humans applauding their victory. "Yes, a cause for celebration indeed. While the Decepticons do have three more Mini-Cons, we were able to secure the energon they so coveted, as well as apprehended a handful of their energon miners thanks to Edgeshot. And we owe much of the success in that battle to our new allies in G.I. Joe."
Kyoka turned to the absentees of the battle and sent them a wink. "You guys'll like them when you meet 'em. Trust me."
"Okay… so what IS G.I. Joe, then?" Ibara inquired.
"A specialized global mission force." the purplette explained. "A secret subdivision of the military that handles threats that normally go unseen. They're great! I interned with one of their top members this week!"
"Woah! Is THAT who Snake Eyes is?!" Ochako exclaimed.
Giving a thumbs up, Kyoka confirmed it. "Yep, and he is badass." She gave a side-eye up toward Optimus. "But… they're not the ONLY ones who we owe a lot to, right, Prime?"
Optimus chuckled, knowing that now was the right time. "Indeed… and I believe I hear him approaching right now." He directed his optics out toward the ocean, prompting everyone to do the same. Many wore eager smiles while Ochako, Itsuka, Ibara and Tenya were left confused again… but the four of them went wide-eyed when they saw a large, while and red jet approaching the base from out over the sea.
"AH! W-What the heck?!" Itsuka hollered.
"The base's location has been compromised!" Tenya shouted as well.
But Izuku waved their panic away, wearing a small smirk. "Guys, guys, relax!" *SHYOOOM* A huge gust of wind was blown across the entire group as the jet flew overhead and went into a steep climb, their heads snapping skyward to follow its path. "…He's a friend."
*WHRR-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-CHKT*
Just like that, the three ladies and Tenya were left slack-jawed as Jetfire transformed and SLAMMED down on the ground, pounding the dirt with one fist as he landed in a crouch. He pulled his hand out, shook the grime out of his fingers, and stood up, giving a hearty laugh as he did. "Hahaha! And he STICKS the landing! Ah, nothin' like a good mornin' flight to really get the energon pumpin'." He turned and saluted toward Optimus Prime. "I didn't miss out on the big event, did I, sir?"
"Haha, no, old friend, you are just in time." Optimus assured as he stepped next to the taller Autobot, introducing him to the astonished quartet. "Ochako, Itsuka, Ibara, Tenya, allow me to introduce our newest addition to Team Prime; my second-in-command, Jetfire. He is an Autobot who we once thought to be long lost to us, but as you can see, that is far from the case."
"That's right." Jetfire rubbed his knuckles against his chest. "Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated. Pleased to meet ya, kids!"
All the four of them could do was stare at the tall Autobot in awe, his towering form leaving them nearly speechless. However, it was Itsuka who finally broke that silence when she pointed up to him and said; "You… y-you… you look like a Macross mecha."
Her statement left most of the Autobot perplexed, Jetfire most of all, while the other teens practically facefaulted at her comment. "Uh… what the heck is "Macross"?" Jetfire asked.
"I-It's a long story." Izuku uttered, knowing that he had the same though when he first saw Jetfire himself. "I'll explain later." He shook his head, trying to get back on track. "But yeah, Jetfire arrived just in time to help send the Cons packing! You should've seen it, it was incredible!"
"Hell yeah!" Denki pumped a fist. "And that final blast that he did that took out Thundercracker? You could see that from a MILE away!"
"I will say, it WAS very impressive." Momo added as well. "Quite the first impression, indeed."
Jetfire reached behind his head, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Aw, stop! I was just doin' what any Autobot worth his T-Cog would do." He brought his fist into his palm, shouting; "And that's kick Con tailpipe!" He peered down to Ochako and the others, placing his hands to his hips. "So, you kids wanna hear my story of how I survived a supernova and chased Sky-Byte all across the galaxy only to wind up here?"
Before either of them could give an answer, Windblade interjected. "While I'm sure they'd love nothing more than to hear your story, Jetfire, I'm afraid we're on a time limit here. These kids gotta get to school soon, after all."
A slew of disappointed moans echoed through the group as Jetfire hummed to himself. "Hm, I see. Well, I suppose it'll have to wait until AFTER that, then." He sent a two-fingered salute down to the group. "We'll catch up soon, kids. Don't worry, I ain't goin' anywhere."
"Oh… okay." Ochako smiled, even though she was a little disappointed. "But it was still great meeting you, Jetfire!"
"Likewise. Now get a move on, else you'll be—"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The sudden shout managed to spook most of the group, Autobots included, bringing their sights back toward the base. There in the entryway stood Mei, and the resident mad inventor seemed to be much angrier than usual, which was quite surprising. Even more shocking was when she lifted her hand… and pointed straight to Tenya. "You!"
Tenya glanced left and right, seeing the rest of his friends all zero in on him. "…M-Me?" he pointed to himself.
Mei stormed right up to him, going right into a tirade against him. "Just what in the WORLD were you thinking?! Going off on your own, getting into a fight with the Hero Killer…" By that point, she was right up in Tenya's face, poking her finger against the tip of his nose. "Do you have ANY idea how idiotic of a decision that was?!"
Swallowing hard, Tenya prepared his best apology. "H-Hatsume, I—"
"WITHOUT THE RIGHT BABIES?!" Mei's shout easily took everyone off guard in that moment, even more so when she started pulling out heavy armor pieces out of nowhere. "I mean, for goodness' sake, I was JUST in the middle of optimizing the best armor FOR something like this when you got yourself into that mess! Now it's all gone out the window with the Hero Killer behind bars!"
"I… I-I'm sorry?" Tenya muttered.
If anything, that only earned him even more ire from the pink-haired inventor. "That was NOT a genuine apology!" She practically shoved the armor in his face and yelled; "You WILL say a proper apology to my babies!"
"A-Alright! I'm sorry! Please forgive my ignorance!" Tenya bowed his head in remorse. "I will not do anything without the proper equipment again!"
Mei huffed and stuck her nose up at the blue-haired boy. "Hmph, that's better." She tucked the armor under her arm and began marching back into the base. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to continue working on my project for finals."
That took the rest of the teenagers by surprise. "W-Wait, what?" Izuku scratched his head. "Hatsume, aren't you coming to school with the rest of us?"
"Nope, Power Loader said that the workshop's undergoing renovations after our last class, so he's instructing us remotely today. Says it'll help us "expand our horizons outside the workshop" or something like that." Mei smirked and peered back to the group over her shoulder. "And Red said that as long as I don't use a face cam for it, I'd be fine to work here. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She reached out and took Longarm by the shoulder, dragging him along behind her. "We've got some work to get started on. Come on, Longarm!"
The Mini-Con did nothing to protest or struggle against her, instead just remaining motionless as he was dragged inside while pondering his lot in life. "Again, what in the WORLD is happening?"
As the two left, the teens were left completely baffled by what just transpired. "Uh… was she worried about you, dude?" Eijiro asked, raising a brow to Tenya.
"I… think?" However, even Tenya himself had no idea what to make of this. "I'm aware that Hatsume's way of expressing emotion is unique, but…"
Right then and there, though, Jetfire actually knelt down next to the spectacled class president and gave some advice. "Kid, as someone who's been with countless femmes over the eons, I can safely say this; …you messed up." The jet Autobot's words made Tenya gob smacked. "Big time."
"Yeah, even I coulda told ya that." Kyoka added, followed by several nods from the rest of the ladies.
Tenya had no idea how to take this. "B…B-But I… it was… ugh." It was too much for his brain. He fell flat on his back, staring straight up at the sky above. "…Can we please go to school now?"
…..
Thankfully, Tenya didn't have to ask twice. One GroundBridge later and the teens were at U.A., with of course the Autobots waiting outside in the parking lot for their charges to finish school. In a way, it was strange to go walking into school again, but at the same time, it also felt like getting back to a sense of familiarity. After the two groups broke off toward their respective classes, the 1-A students walked into their homeroom and were immediately met with most of their classmates. Tsuyu, Sero, Sato, Ojiro, Shoji, Koda, Tokoyami and Hagakure were all present and accounted for, and right off the bat, everyone began talking about their respective internships… with some exceptions.
"Kyoka, how'd your internship go?" Toru asked, the invisible girl leaning forward intently. "I bet it was super cool, right?"
Peeking an eye open, Kyoka sent her a smirk. "It was… but I'm contractually obligated to not say a word about it to anyone, so sorry!"
"WHAT?! Aw, no fair!"
However, there were also two certain students who hadn't arrived yet… though it didn't take long for the first one to arrive. Walking in through the door a few minutes later came Katsuki Bakugo… and it was a sight that no one would forget for a long time. His hair was done up in such a neat and tidy way that no one could believe it. And the fact that he seemed to be seething with rage all the while only made it better. "HAHAHAHA! Holy crap!" both Eijiro and Sero laughed uncontrollably. "What the heck, Bakugo?!"
His fingers clenching and shaking in fury, the Explosion user fought to keep his cool. "Stop laughing." he grumbled. "My hair's gotten used to this and I can't get it back the right way." Still, that didn't stop Sero, Eijiro or Kyoka from laughing their heads off. "Did you not hear me?! I'll kill all of you…"
"Hahaha! I'd like to see ya try, Pretty Boy!" Sero teased.
"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?!" One roar later and Katsuki's hair exploded back into it's usual spikey shape, which only made the boys laugh harder.
"There it goes! HAHAHA!"
As Bakugo raged at the two boys, across the room, a much calmer conversation was being had… by comparison, at least. "WOAH! You actually fought villains?!" Mina exclaimed as she and Kyoka were gathered at Tsuyu's desk, both of them heavily invested in what the Frog user said. "That's so awesome! I'm super jealous!"
In her head, Kyoka commended her pink friend. 'Nice acting, Mina. Way to make it seem like nothing eventful happened on our internships.'
"Well, to be perfectly honest, nothing really BIG happened outside of that." Tsuyu admitted, placing a finger on her chin as she usually did. "I spent basically the whole time training and cleaning the ship deck. The one day where we stopped a bunch of drug smugglers was the only eventful thing that happened."
"Okay, but that's still super cool!" Mina reiterated.
Kyoka, however, couldn't help but notice something as Tsu spoke. The frog girl's eyes seemed to glance off to the side, as if she were avoiding their gaze. Her features also seemed… somewhat nervous? 'That's odd.' she pondered. 'Tsu's usually pretty straight forward. …Is she hiding something?'
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to think on that for very long when suddenly *WHAM* the door to the classroom opened rather forcefully… followed by a rather distinct and very angry scream. "SHOOOTOOOO!"
All at once, Shoto's stomach jumped up into his throat. Usually, only his father angrily shouted at him like that… but this was even worse. His eyes slowly made their way toward the door… and there stood Kaida with a wrathful expression upon her features, her pointed teeth clenched in ire. "…Oh no." he whispered.
"WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?!" Kaida stormed forward, her steps practically shaking the floor before she reached Shoto and took a hold of him by the collar of his shirt. "Do you have ANY freaking idea how worried I was when I heard about what happened?! And you didn't even have the common courtesy to TEXT ME BACK?!"
"K-Kaida, wait, I… h-hold on, I didn't receive any—" Shoto reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone… only to be proven very, VERY wrong. 21 missed messages. All of them from the same person; the young woman who was about to throttle him. "…Oh."
"OH?! What, do you only check your phone when OTHER dumbasses send you distress signals?!" Kaida's eyes found Izuku and Tenya, spooking them with a stern glare. "And don't think I haven't forgotten about YOU two! Just what in the world were you all THINKING?! Fighting the freaking HERO KILLER?! You're lucky as hell that Mirko was there to kick his ass FOR you, and yet you ALL still got hurt!"
Izuku and Tenya both swallowed hard, but lowered their heads in shame. "…Y-You're very much correct, Kiryu." The class president asserted. "It was a foolish decision. One that I have thoroughly learned my lesson on." He pulled up his sleeves, revealing the bandages that were still around his arms. "…The hard way."
Seeing that, Kaida let out a sigh and released Shoto from her grip, rubbing her head to try and calm down. "…I can see that. Still, I'm not exactly impressed." Her sights zeroed in on Midoriya specifically. "But I guess that distress signal WAS the smartest choice in that situation. Sorry for that dumbass remark, Midoriya."
"I-It's alright." Izuku assured. "If anything, I'm just glad my mentor was finally able to put Stain away for good, haha…" However, that's when every single set of eyes in the room went to him intently. Even Bakugo was staring at him in angry astonishment. "Uh, was it something I—"
"MIRKO WAS YOUR MENTOR?!" A huge echo rang through the room, with almost half the class practically bombarding Izuku with questions. "Dude, you are so freaking LUCKY!" Sero said while still trapped in Bakugo's grasp. "What was she like?!"
"Does she jump as high as the news says?" Tsu piped up.
Even Kaida was in on the questions, her anger almost completely forgotten about. "Okay, seriously, if I hadn't already had the best internship ever, I'd be SUPER jealous. Midoriya, you've GOTTA fill us in!"
Izuku was about to do so… but then an unexpected voice popped up. "Deku!" The greenette's eyes snapped right over to Bakugo, who had Sero AND Eijiro slung under each arm for their teasing. "I'll only ask this once; …how much ass did she kick?"
The question wasn't completely unanticipated from the explosive blonde, but nonetheless, Izuku answered it with a confident smile. "…All of it. She kicked ALL of it."
"HA! I knew it!" Katsuki unceremoniously dropped the two boys and balled his hands into fists. "Once I become a pro, she's the FIRST hero I'm goin' after! We'll see who can kick more villain ass and compete for the top spot!"
"…Good god, is violence really all you think about, Baku-Breath?" Kaida deadpanned.
"Ah, shut it, Scale Belly." Bakugo refuted. "I bet your stupid internship was just as boring as the rest of 'em."
If anything, though, Kaida wore a proud smile. "Actually, it was pretty eventful! I helped evacuate some civilians from a hostage situation while Ryukyu handled the rest."
That caught everyone's attention very quick… while Katsuki was left to fume. "Woah, so you saw some action, too, Kaida?" Denki gave a thumbs up. "Sweet! So, did she also teach you how to get a handle on your Dino transformations?"
His question left Kaida wincing a bit, giving a so-so hand gesture. "Eh… a little. She's been teaching me how, but it's still a work in progress. There's a LOT of meditating involved, I can say that much." The grey-skinned girl reached up and put a hand over her chest. "She said that in order to unleash the beast within, I must tame both it and myself without. Only then can I truly say… "I am transformed". …Or something like that."
"Huh, sounds kinda spiritual." Sato mused.
"Kinda, yeah." Kaida nodded, only to turn back to Izuku. "But back on the topic of Mirko, I'll bet she taught you some awesome stuff, huh, Midoriya?"
Izuku chuckled and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Hehe… yeah, actually. She helped give me lots of pointers on things."
"Just what I'd expect from such a prolific butt-kicker like her!" Toru cheered, the invisible girl pumping her fist into the air. "I'm so jealous, Midoriya, you don't even know!"
"Hm, it's especially surprising since she normally works alone, doesn't she?" Shoji asked. "You must've counted yourself lucky to be scouted by her."
Trying to hide his blush, Izuku craned his head toward the nearest window. "Yeah… I couldn't have asked for a better mentor."
It was then that Ojiro spoke up, approaching the trio involved with the fight in Hosu. "Hey, by the way, did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?" This caught the three's attention as he continued. "Everyone's saying he's somehow connected to the League of Villains. Could you imagine how frightening it would've been if that creep had been with them when they attacked the USJ?"
Neither of the three got the chance to answer before Denki spoke up again. "Yeah, he's scary, but did you see him in that weird video? It's all over the internet."
"I didn't know there WAS a video, actually." Ojiro answered.
"Yeah, it's pretty freaky, but it shows him as SUPER tenacious when it comes to his goals." Denki sent a worrying glance over to the trio. "Some people are even saying he's kinda cool for being such an evil villain… w-which I don't agree with, by the way."
Kyoka deadpanned at him across the room. 'Nice save, Jamming Yay.' she thought sarcastically.
Tenya cleared his throat to let his opinion known. "Ahem, well, while I don't necessarily agree with that, it is true that he is quite a tenacious villain. …I understand why some people might think he was cool." He peered down to his hand, softly clenching it into a fist. "But instead of helping the world, his beliefs lead to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned by heroes. To keep everyone else suffering like me…" He brought his other hand up and chopped it through the air, declaring; "I promise, I will strive to be the perfect hero!"
From behind, Izuku cheered him on. "Yeah! Let's do it, Iida!"
"Hm! Time for class to begin!" the class president announced, returning to his stiff chopping. "Everyone please take your seats!"
From there, Tenya went on a full-blown speech, all while the rest of the class lamented their misfortune. "He's back…" Tokoyami grumbled.
"This is your fault for talking about weird stuff, Jamming Yay." Kyoka accused.
"Sorry…" Denki lowered his head. "I'm gonna keep my mouth shut."
…..
Several hours later as lunchtime passed, the 1-A students now found themselves outside at one of the many training fields behind the school. Before them stood a massive industrial complex filled to the brim with buildings, pipes and towers, which was where they would be doing their Hero Training for the day. And of course, there was only one person who would be teaching them in that field; "I AM HERE!" All Might shouted, raising an excited fist. "Hope you're ready to return to your lessons! Today, it's Hero Basic Training." He placed his hands to his hips as he craned his neck around, noting how his students have grown since their internships. "Feels like I haven't seen most of you in a while! Welcome back! Now then, listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race! Take everything you've learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training."
Tenya, the only one not in costume, raised one of his bandaged arms. "Sir, if it's rescue training, then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?"
"Ah, that facility specializes in disasters! As I said earlier, this is a race!" All Might clarified, raising his hand toward the practice field before them. "So prepare yourselves! You're about to step into Field Gamma! Inside is a maze of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around." He pressed a button and a nearby screen on the outer wall of the field lit up, showing the kids how things would go down. "You'll be competing in groups of five. Each person starts at a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I'll send a distress signal and you will do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins!" Slowly but surely, he brought a finger down and pointed to a certain person in the group. "…But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please."
Following his finger, the others saw that he was clearly pointing at Bakugo, the Explosion user receiving some sly smirks as he grimaced over his shoulder. "Why're you pointin' at me for?"
"Oh, no reason." All Might lied through his teeth before lightly clapping his hands together. "Alright, first group, you're up!"
As it turned out, that first group would consist of Tenya, Sero, Mina, Kaida… and Midoriya. The five of them took to their respective places on the map and waited for All Might's signal, while the others remained in a stationary position inside the model city. They had another, but much bigger monitor to observe the race on, and it was there that they started debating on who was going to win. "Gotta say, kinda worried that Iida's taking part in this." Ojiro commented.
Toru expressed her concern as well. "Yeah, he hasn't fully recovered yet. Maybe he should sit this one out."
But Eijiro wasn't too concerned. "Nah, Iida's a strong dude, he'll be fine." He set his sights back to the screen. "Besides, everyone in this group's got great mobility."
"You know…" Momo started, keeping a careful eye on all of the competitors. "If this were at the beginning of the year, I'd probably say that Iida did have the best chance at winning." She glanced over to Kyoka, and just as expected, the purplette's gaze was glued to only one person. "Now, though… Midoriya has quite the advantage as well."
Hearing Momo's words, she glanced up to her best friend… and saw that she was smirking at her. "E-Er, um, yeah, he sure does. Not that I'm counting Mina, Kaida or Sero out, but Izuku's been crushing it with his progress lately." Despite the knowing smile she was getting from the young heiress, Kyoka's thoughts went straight to Izuku. 'C'mon Celery Stick, you've got this.'
If there was one person who wasn't betting on Izuku, though, it was of course, Bakugo. "Dammit, what's with everyone gettin' behind Deku recently?" he grumbled to himself through gritted teeth. "Just 'cause he won the Sports Festival doesn't mean—"
"Everyone ready?!" they heard All Might shout, even all the way across the complex before he shot off a flare gun to signal the start. "BEGIN!"
And just like that, everyone was off. Tenya started sprinting through the streets while Mina went and began surfing her way across the pipework, her acid seeping through her boots to make them nice and slippery. Sero also used the pipes for his advantage, though he instead swung from them with the tape he produced from his elbows. Kaida, however, went for a different approach. "Pterodactyl Wings!" Spreading her arms out, the Sauro-Parts user took to the skies and flew straight for the goal, with absolutely no obstacles in her way.
"Woah, smart!" Sato exclaimed. "Kaida's goin' for the path of least resistance!"
"Yeah, but Sero's keeping good pace, too." Tsuyu noted as well. "It was like this course was made for him."
"Iida and Ashido are gaining ground as well." Tokoyami added. "They certainly aren't about to—wait! What is that?"
Everyone's attention was suddenly glued to the screen as, to their astonishment, a green flash went rushing across the rooftops and over the pipes, bouncing and leaping along as if it was no big deal. And when the camera zoomed in, the students' jaws collectively dropped. It was Midoriya. …At least, they were pretty sure it was him. The helmet threw a few of them off, but there was no mistaking that costume. "WOAH! Midoriya?!" Sato exclaimed.
"Where did he come from?" Shoji wondered out loud.
"More importantly, where'd he get that helmet?" Toru wondered. "And that stylish scarf…"
Something clicked in Ojiro's head when she mentioned that. "H-Hold on… when did Midoriya adopt the whole Kamen Rider aesthetic?"
Kyoka eyed him over her shoulder, dismissing the question for now. "We'll explain later. Right now, look at him go!" She pumped her fist into the air and cheered; "Go get 'em, Green Bean! Blast through to that finish line!"
Tokoyami closed his eyes, a thought coming to his own mind. "I see. So that's how his training with Mirko has benefitted him."
"Heck yeah!" Denki gave a thumbs up. "Mirko's a pro when it comes to rooftop running, so it's only natural she'd pass those sick skills onto Midoriya!"
However, a certain explosive blonde was more stunned than impressed. 'Those moves… DAMMIT! While I was stuck getting pampered at that useless internship, he… look at him!' His lips twitched in frustration. 'Deku… how're you getting like this so fast?!'
Within the course itself, nearly everyone was taken aback by how quick Deku had taken the lead, though he was now neck-and-neck with Kaida. Mina and Sero were nearly left slack-jawed by how fast he was going, but Tenya didn't seem too bothered by it. 'Hmhm, just what I'd expect from you, Midoriya.' he chuckled internally.
From up above, Kaida was rather impressed herself. "Damn, Midoriya, not bad! …But you're not gonna beat me to that rescue!" Tucking in her wings, Kaida went into a steep dive toward the tower that All Might was standing upon, just as Deku closed in on it as well. What came next, though, was something she wasn't expecting. With a mighty leap, Izuku clapped his hands together toward the ground, creating a concussive force that sent him blasting up toward the tower. "W-What the—"
Before any of them knew it, a loud whistle blew, signaling the end of the contest. "We have our winner!" All Might announced after Izuku grabbed the guard railing and flipped up onto the roof, mere seconds before Kaida made her landing. "It was a close call, but the winner is young Midoriya!"
"…Holy crap!" Kaida whipped her head toward Izuku. "Dude, Midoriya, that was amazi—AH!" She gasped when he turned to her, revealing his rather jarring, insect-like helmet with big, red eyes, which seemed to have his regular face guard incorporated into it. "W-Woah… uh…" Her eye also caught the bright red scarf as well, leading her to tilt her head at him. "Um, Midoriya? Since when are you a Kamen Rider?"
"Gah!" Deku fell straight to the floor after she mentioned that, removing his helmet as he sighed. "I swear, I might as well just throw the pretense away and change my Hero name to "Kamen Rider Deku" or something."
That got a laugh out of All Might, who approached the boy right as Tenya, Mina and Sero arrived. "HAHAHA! Well, that's not out of the question, but I'd suggest you think long and hard about a decision like that. After all, your Hero name is what people are going to call you forever once you're a pro. But for now…" He brought out a large, red and white sash with golden kanji on it that said "WINNER!" "Thanks, hero! And congratulations!"
Izuku immediately stood up and accepted the sash graciously. "Th-Thank you, sir!"
"Hm! Young Midoriya may have come in first," All Might's gaze went out to the other four students, "but compared to the start of the year, you all have showed me some incredible improvements! Keep working hard and preparing for your upcoming finals!"
"Yessir!" the group echoed.
"Group 1 may leave the field! You're up, Group 2!" Just as Izuku was leaving, though, All Might placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered; "Psst! Tell the others to me back at base after school. We have much to talk about your internships."
Izuku was taken aback, but gave his mentor an affirming nod, continuing on his way. 'Man, successful internships, improving on using One for All by the day… and dinner with my best friend's parents tomorrow.' His smile widened joyously. 'All in all, I'd say things are looking pretty good. It'd take a lot to ruin this, that's for sure.'
…..
Unbeknownst to Izuku, something rather unsettling was happening on the other side of the world. In the middle of nowhere in the American Midwest, there was an old military complex that seemed all together abandoned, and this was where a certain pair of stranded Decepticons had arrived. They had been wandering the continent for days after their encounter with the Autobots and the humans who left them to rot on the spark-forsaken world, and now, they were working on getting their way back to where they once were. They had even recently heard of a tip going around that the complex they were at had some very powerful weapons still stored within, and that was exactly what they needed to get back on their feet.
One of the heavy garage doors to the main building was lifted up by a large, green and magenta Decepticon, his snarl evident as he addressed his fellow conbot. "I'm tellin' ya, kid, this all smells fishy to me." Skullcruncher growled as his protégé rolled in. "I doubt even humans 're dumb enough to leave a buncha weapons just layin' around in abandoned warehouses."
Through the entry way came a large, sand-colored and heavily armored H1 Humvee, complete with a gun emplacement on top of its roof. Once it was inside, the Humvee pulled to a stop and… *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-ckt* …it transformed. The entire front end of the vehicle rotated toward the top, with the roof collapsing in to make room for it. Then its whole rear section split in half, extended down and then flipped to form a pair of large legs. Finally, the door panels shifted out, revealing themselves to be attached to the forearms of the bot beneath the disguise. Swindle's head then shifted up out of his torso, revealing his conniving smirk.
"Skully, Skully, relax!" he assured. "You're really gonna look at our biggest break since we got here and NOT take it?"
"I'm just sayin', kid, this smells like a trap!" Skullcruncher pressed, scanning his optics around the place while sniffing around. "…Literally."
Swindle chuckled and proceeded forward. "Hehe, okay, okay, so what if it is a trap? You seriously think a buncha humans would be able to get one over on us—" *click* "H-Huh?" Peering down, Swindle quickly caught sight of what he'd stepped on; a floor panel that sunk down under his foot. He quickly removed it, but the damage had been done. All around them, several, powerful-looking gun emplacements began to shift into place and take aim, their laser-sights focusing in on the two of them. "…Oh."
"Hah, that's yer reaction?" Skullcruncher knocked his elbow against his protégé's back. "What'd I tell ya, kid? Always trust a Predacon's nose… and now we've got company." From out of the shadows all around them, several operatives in all black body suits and masks came, wielding their own weapons that they kept concentrated on the two of them. "…Play it cool." the Croctobot advised, raising his hands above his head.
With a light scoff, Swindle copied his mentor's movements. "Gah, scrap."
Not long after, someone else appeared from the darkness who was wearing a similar bodysuit as the others… however, his visage was mask-free. He was an older human with a prominent chin, scars along his face, and his grey hair in a buzzcut. His expression seemed to be in a permanent scowl, even as he smiled in victory with his hands behind his back. "Well, well, seems our tactic proved successful." he boasted as he approached the two. "Leak some fake information about powerful weapons, and we get not one, but TWO Transformers in our midst."
Swindle and Skullcruncher shared a confused glance before the former asked; "U-Um… I'm sorry, but did you just call us "Transformers"?"
"That is what you are, isn't it?" the man questioned, holding his head up with confidence. "Given that you can change your shape at will."
"I mean… technically true." Swindle conceded with a shrug. "But the more appropriate term would be "Cybertronians", as we're from the planet Cybertron."
This managed to get the man's attention. "Cybertron… so there are even more out there. Hundreds."
"Millions, actually." Swindle corrected. "But please, before you possibly shoot us within half an inch of our lives, could I possibly know the identity of our captor?"
"I am known as Silas." The older man answered. "And we… are MECH. Our mission is to acquire the most advanced technology possible in order to change the world." He brought a hand out and clenched it into a fist. "We will then use that tech to change this Quirk-obsessed world… into one focused instead on scientific advancements, as it should be."
Swindle's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah… a group after my own spark. Well, Silas, my name is Swindle. And as you can probably guess…" With a subtle flick of his wrist, the conbot brought out a small device with a large, red button on it. "I have my own methods of deception close at hand." He pressed the central button and a powerful wave of energy went out in all directions, causing all of the gun emplacements to short circuit and go down.
The MECH agents and Silas were astonished to say the least. "W-What?!"
One agent tried firing his laser rifle… but it didn't work. "S-Sir! Our weapons have been deactivated!"
"Hahaha! Indeed!" Swindle announced. "That, my good people, was a low-level EMP. Affects pretty much everything that's non-Cybertronian within an Earth mile. Now…" He craned his head up toward his old mentor. "Skully, would you like the honors?"
"With pleasure." The Croctobot slammed his fist into his palm and shouted; "BEAST MODE!" *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt* Before the MECH agents now was an absolutely gigantic metal crocodile, its maw wide as it roared at them. "GRRAAAAAUUUGH! You're goin' DOWN!" Skullcruncher charged forth and started thrashing about, using every part of his body to hit the agents away. He slapped them away with his tail, tossed several away using his jaws and even kicked some with his large legs. Before long, he came upon Silas, and while the leader of MECH attempted to dive out of the way, the tip of Skullcruncher's tail caught him, slamming him straight into the wall back first.
Silas fought to catch his breath, but he didn't even get the time to stand as Swindle pressed his hand onto his chest, effectively pinning him. "Hmhmhm, here's a tip, my good man; never underestimate a Decepticon."
"Hak-hak! …I'll keep that in mind next time." Silas coughed. "I suppose you'll take this opportunity to kills us?"
"Now, now, let's not be hasty!" Swindle shook his head. "Silas, you have left me quite impressed, and your goals line up well with my own. I seek only the finest weaponry in the cosmos, and I think that we can help one another. You want a "Transformer"? Well, I can get you several. In exchange…" Bringing up his other hand, Swindle projected an image of five children all seemingly running away from something, leaving Silas curious.
There were other bots in the background, but the picture was very much focused on the five teens. There was a boy with scruffy, green hair, a rather serious girl with purple hair and jacks on her earlobes, a bubbly girl with pink cheeks and brown hair, a redheaded girl who seemed fairly strong, and a young woman with black hair pulled into a ponytail. "…What is this?" Silas inquired.
"These five brats are the reason why I'm stranded here on this planet and why, not only my ship, but ALL of my produced was destroyed." Swindle said through gritted metal teeth. "However, I have a plan to get back at these five AND the Autobots who they aided. The Autobots are yours for the vivisecting… the children's suffering will be more than enough for me." He gave Silas a smirk and deactivated the hologram, letting the human go as he extended his hand. "So… do we have a deal?"
Silas peered down at the hand, slightly uncertain about the plan until he thought it over in his head. In reality… it was probably the best option they had at the moment. He locked his gaze with Swindle's… and accepted the handshake. "Deal."
…..
A/N: Well… that's not good. For indeed, it seems that a certain pair of stranded Cons have partnered up with a returning Silas and MECH. Haven't seen that group in a while, but I'm pretty sure it's fitting to have them partner up here. Given how Swindle's and Silas' goals seem to line up rather perfectly and all. But what IS Swindle's revenge plan anyways?
Well, we'll have to wait and see. Right now, though, this chapter was mostly recap on everything that happened for those that missed it. I.E. Ochako, Itsuka, Ibara and (to a lesser extent) Tenya meeting Jetfire and learning about what happened with the big battle. Thankfully, though, everyone's all caught up and things seem to be getting back to normalcy at U.A. …Loud homerooms and all.
But hm… where've I heard THAT phrase that Kaida used before? And why does Tsu seem a bit unfocused? Seems like our main protagonist's internships weren't the only ones that were interesting. But we'll learn more about that as the story goes on. …Also, yes, I snuck in a Cover Girl cameo before we said goodbye to the Joes for a while. I think I gave her a pretty appropriate Quirk (and it's one that actually fits for her name, too!).
But let's face it… Izuku got a pretty stellar going away gift. Ain't nothin' gonna top that anytime soon. With all that said, though…
And now, The Preview! The next day, Swindle and MECH put their plan into motion, one that the conbot guarantees will leave the children in shambles… while kidnapping a certain one of them for ransom from her rich parents. Of course, though, this doesn't go unnoticed by the Autobots, and they immediately mount a rescue operation… though it's one where they need to be subtle. Can the team pull it off? Next time; The Parent Traps. Izuku and Kyoka's dinner plans definitely aren't going how they expected. Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;
GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!
