Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

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

76. Sunday Funday

A/N: Morning, everybody! Welcome back to Transformers MHA and, just to give you a heads up, this next string of chapters is probably gonna be more on the casual side of things. Mainly because they're gonna be much more focused on our human cast, so don't expect a lot of Autobot action for a bit. They'll still be around, just not as prominent. Because yes, we're back to adapting the first School Briefs novels today, though don't take that as a sign that this is "filler", because there's actually gonna be some pretty significant stuff happening here to remember for later on in the story. And I'm talking MUCH later on. So how about we jump right into it, eh? This is…

Chapter 76: Sunday Funday

…..

"And so, inconclusion, the Autobots are here to help YOU feel safe in this massive world inhabited by heroes, villains… and now, Decepticons. If and when the rest of planet Earth finds out about the Transformers… we may not be ready for their war. Or their warriors. But all of our fates and the future of our worlds will be decided HERE." With a soft smile, Mei leaned in to stare down the camera reassuringly, all while rolling up her long, LONG list. "So, in short; welcome to the Autobots. I think you're gonna like 'em."

As Mei's video came to an end, Grimlock let out a mighty guffaw, he and Optimus strolling their way through Sector Seven's headquarters. "Ahahahaha! Oh, by the Primes… how in the pit did she make that last over an entire decacycle?"

Prime couldn't help but chuckle himself, having watched the video in its entirety along with the entire Kiryu family just the day before. "Haha… an hour and a half long. I will admit; you can't say that it isn't informative."

"Hehe, very true. I could tell that she's been studying our kind very closely." Grimlock gave a sigh as the two came to a halt before the next door, craning his head down to his old friend. "…Prime."

"Yes, Grimlock?"

"I know that I've already said this, but… I truly am sorry. For what I said back on Cybertron." Placing a hand to his hip, Grimlock reached his other hand up to his forehead. "There's… a lot that I was going through at the time and—"

But Optimus raised his hand to the larger bot, stopping him from going any further. "Grimlock, there is no need for apologies. We are both guilty of several mistakes during that time." He gave a frustrated sigh. "I will say, there are times… when I wish I had taken more initiative against the Decepticons during the more crucial moments of the war. The Decepticon's attack on the Ark, the incident on the science division's space station, and of course, you and your team's disappearance." He met his friend's optics with an awkward gaze. "You aren't the only one who wishes they had done things differently."

The Dinobot let out a short scoff. "Hah, ain't that the truth?" He gave his own sigh, shrugging his massive shoulders. "Well, I suppose that's what this is all about, right? My fresh start on a new planet. New environment, same mission; beat the scrap out of Decepticon punks."

"And I know I can always count on you for that, old friend." Optimus knocked Grimlock on the arm, which he reciprocated before the door opened for them. "Now come. It's time for you to meet the new recruits." With one turn around the corner, Prime immediately saw the multi-colored squadron of Omnicon miners with Signal Flare directing their actions, all of them moving energon cubes into large containment units. "Good morning, Omnicons." he announced his presence, making everyone instantly come to a halt.

"Ah, Optimus Prime." Signal Flare saluted, his men mirroring the action. "Good morning to you as well. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Optimus raised his hand toward the corner he came around. "I've brought a certain friend here to introduce to your crew. Given his… history with the Vehicons, I wanted them to meet in as controlled an environment as possible."

Hearing this, Signal Flare immediately understood what the Prime was talking about. "Ah, yes, that's right. It's his check-up day, isn't it? Alright, I understand." He stepped around to face the other Omnicons, calling out; "Everyone, fall in!" Once each of the multi-colored squad was in a row, Signal Flare took a head count… and realized that a certain someone was missing. "…That means you, too, Steve!"

"UUUUGH!" An aggravated groan heralded the arrival of the lone Vehicon amongst the group, all as he sulked his way into view. "I swear to Primus, I am SO freaking over this."

Signal Flare shook his head in disappointment. "It hasn't even been a WEEK, soldier. Kindly get over yourself."

"Hey, you're not the one stuck doin' inventory EVERYWHERE in this place!" As he passed by Optimus Prime, Steve leered up to the Autobot commander sourly. "Forgive me if I have no qualms with speaking my mind, sir."

Despite the venom behind his words, Optimus merely gave a shrug. "Soldier, I myself have no qualms with you speaking your mind. I only ask that you do not disrespect your peers in doing so." He raised a hand toward the other Omnicons. "After all, they are doing their level best to earn their dues."

Steve could only scoff and cross his arms. "Heh, what dues? We weren't getting paid even before jumping off the Decepticon boat."

"Hey, we're workin' for our FREEDOM here, pal!" Kyle rebutted flippantly with a dismissing wave. "There can be plenty of time for us to earn a living once the war's over."

"He's right." Hank asserted, with Dan, Kevin, Charlie, Dave, Gary and Tyler all nodding in affirmation. "We're all doing our part to make sure that the ones who're fighting this battle can come out alright. We're the ones mining the energon, so the least we can do is make sure that everything is in its place for 'em."

At the yellow and grey bot's statement, a loud and proud guffaw was heard around the corner. "AHAHA! Excellent!" All at once, every Omnicon present were suddenly left cold and paralyzed at the sight of Grimlock approaching from the side, the Autobot's titanic frame eclipsing them all easily. "Now THAT is what I like to hear from new recruits! Go-getters like you need to be praised for your dedication!" All he received was a stunned silence as the faceless Cons all stared back at him, leaving Grimlock confused. "Uh… was it something I said?"

That at least managed to jostle Kevin out of his stunned state, the green and black Omnicon rubbing his neck nervously. "O-Oh, um, n-no sir! Nothing at all! Actually, Signal Flare had already told us ahead of time that the Autobots had found you, but… w-we just didn't expect you to drop by so soon."

"Oh yeah, sure, it can't be the fact that HE'S FREAKING GRIMLOCK!" Steve cried out in astonishment and fear to his comrades. "Ya know, the SAME Autobot who's slaughtered BILLIONS of Vehicons in over the course of this slaggin' war! He and his team have practically left our kind butchered!"

Tapping his chin, Grimlock suddenly felt very awkward. "Ah, yes… right. W-Well, if it helps, I've never once slain a Vehicon miner!"

"Dunno if that makes it any better, ya big pile of—"

"STEVE!" Signal Flare berated before setting his attention to the Dinobot. "My apologies, Grimlock. He's, um… not exactly acclimating to the Autobot way of life as easily as the others."

Grimlock, though, was nonplussed about it. "Ah, no need to apologize. Trust me, I've seen plenty of his kind before." He craned his head back down to the lone Vehicon, placing his hand firmly on his shoulder before he could even THINK to move. "Listen here, uh… Steve, was it?"

"Unfortunately." the purple bot deadpanned.

"I know that things may not be to your liking right now." Grimlock continued, blowing past the unsavory comment. "But trust me when I say that you'll feel right at home with the Autobots in no time." He placed his hand over his chest. "Speaking from personal experience, I was once seen as the scariest bot on Cybertron for a long time due to my infamy in the gladiatorial arenas, so much that no ordinary bot would even speak to me. But then, I came across four bots who were just as rough and tumble as I was, and you know what happened next?"

Steve scoffed and replied; "Yeah, who doesn't? The Battle of Polyhex where the five of you turned the tide against the Decepticons… because they interrupted your dinner."

The memory made Grimlock laugh heartedly. "Hahaha! Ah… what a destroyed table full of Beryllium Bologna and Cesium Salami sandwiches will do a buncha bots." He continued his story from there. "Hah, anyways, after that day, we were seen as heroes amongst the citizens, and the Autobots wasted no time in asking for our services." His sights shifted back to Prime. "I believe it was Ultra Magnus who was there that day, correct?"

"Hm, indeed." Optimus recalled. "And at first, he was vehemently outspoken against bringing you in, saying you and your crew were far too violent."

Pointing at the Autobot leader, Grimlock countered. "But you said that violence was just the thing you needed, didn't you?"

"…More or less." Optimus shrugged. "I was more an admirer of your team's efficiency in battle. The violence was a bonus."

Glaring at the Prime, Steve grumbled. "So, you're the reason why Vehicons are afraid to take stasis naps—OOF!"

But Grimlock gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore, Steve. Not while you're on the Autobot's side!" He turned back to the rest of the Omnicons with a raised fist. "And that goes for the rest of you, too. It's an honor to welcome to the Autobot ranks!"

All of the Omnicons expressed their gratitude through a shared bow. "Th-Thank you, Grimlock, sir!" Dan exclaimed.

"Though, um… if you don't mind me asking…" Charlie raised a finger. "What brings you here, anyway? I doubt you'd come all just way just to meet us."

"Ah, I wouldn't say that!" Grimlock dismissed. "I'd have come even IF I didn't have a better reason, I assure you."

However, a new voice entered the conversation at that moment. "But really, he does." Everyone's attention was brought toward the opposite end of the room, where Red Alert was waiting, staring expectantly at the Dinobot. "Because I asked him to come specifically for a check-up. And if he's smart, he'll follow his doctor's orders."

Sheepishly, Grimlock rubbed his neck with a slight chuckle. "Hehehe… ah, guess I've been caught." He nodded down to the Omnicons. "Indeed, I've been asked by Red to let him give me a once over to see just how much damage Shockwave did to me during his experiments. He wants to see if any of this can be reversed… though I highly doubt it."

"Grimlock, if there's even a chance that I can get one thing back to normal in you, then I'll give it my damnedest." the medic asserted, pointing into the next room over. "Now come on in. I've got the whole set-up ready for you."

"Hah… I still don't see why we couldn't do this back at base, Red." Grimlock shrugged, proceeding forward nonetheless.

All of a sudden, a very shrill voice piped up, bringing his attention toward the floor. "'Cause we don't have the proper EQUIPMENT to do this kinda analysis back at base!" There, standing near his feet, was none other than Mei Hatsume, with one hand firmly on her hip as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Now MARCH, big guy. It's time to get things goin'!"

"…Hmhm, you heard her, Grimlock." Optimus chortled, amused by his friend's stunned silence. "Mei takes Autobot healthcare quite serious."

Shaking his head, Grimlock laughed a little as well. "Haha, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." With one last wave to the Omnicons, Grimlock proceeded into the examination room. "Well, wish me luck!"

As the door closed and everyone got back to work, though, Steve couldn't help but ponder on what the Dinobot had told him. 'Feeling right at home, huh? Hmph, I'll believe it when I see it.'

…..

Back in Musutafu, Kyoka was gearing up for her most highly anticipated… and simultaneously most dreaded day of the week. Sunday had come along, and not only did that mean that there was but one more day of their grounding to go, but it also meant that it was time to go visit the Hero Exhibit. Meaning that she'd be spending the entire day with not only Izuku… but also her dad. 'God, just kill me now.' she thought to herself as she buried her face in her knees in the back of the family car. …Which also just so happened to be Jazz. Kyotoku and Mika were seated up front as they drove to the Midoriya's apartment complex.

"Thanks for lettin' me drive ya today, Jazz." Kyotoku said with a pat on the Autobot's steering wheel. "I always wanted to drive a classic car like the one you are."

"Ah, glad I could make your dream a reality, 'Toku." Jazz obliged, calling the man by the nickname he came up for him. "'Sides, it's always interestin' gettin' someone else behind the wheel every now and then."

Mika tilted her head at that. "Hm? But the children are far too young to drive you…" But then, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her daughter in the rearview mirror. "That is, unless they've been breaking even MORE rules that we don't know about."

Whipping her head up, Kyoka vehemently denied the accusation. "W-WHAT?! Mom, no way! I'm not stupid enough to get caught behind the wheel of a car without a license!" She grimaced and glanced off to the side. "Can't exactly say the same for my OTHER friends if they end up in a situation like that, but I digress."

A slight smirk appeared on Kyotoku's face, briefly eyeing Kyoka as well. "Oh really? Tell me, sweetie, if that hypothetical situation were to happen, who'd you think would get caught?" He sent her a teasing grin. "Your friend, Midoriya, maybe?"

"Psh, you wish, old man." Kyoka waved off flippantly. "Izuku's, like, the third-smartest student in class. He's a bit brash, sure, but he's not dumb." She leaned back in her seat and pondered on the question. "Honestly, you're more likely to find Kaminari or Mina doing crap like that… maybe Kirishima or Tetsutetsu, too if they were careless enough."

"Ah, so Mr. Zap, Miss Pink, the faux-hawk kid and his metal friend."

The punk rocker's expression soured at the nicknames. "…Is that seriously what you know them as?"

"Hey, I've only seen 'em on TV, okay?"

Mika cleared her throat and pointed ahead. "Ahem, not that this conversation isn't interesting, but we're coming up on the apartment." Sure enough, they were closing in on the complex, where Bumblebee was already waiting outside for them. She peered down to the dashboard and asked; "Jazz, if you would?"

"Ten-four, ma'am!" Jazz affirmed. "I'll pop on the ol' horn an' get their attention."

…..

Meanwhile, inside the apartment itself, Izuku was in a similar excited/nervous mood as Kyoka. If it'd just been the two of them, he wouldn't have been so meticulous with his appearance, but since her dad would be with them, too, he decided to appear his best for the occasion. He had on a green polo shirt, a pair of black shorts, and of course, his signature red sneakers. 'Dress for success as mom puts it.' he thought to himself in an attempt to get himself pumped. Unfortunately for him, he was met with another clothing-related problem when he came out of his room…

"Which looks better, Izuku?" his mother had asked, Inko presenting him with a pair of skirt suits; one navy blue, one pale pink.

As Inko shifted the suites back and forth over her body, Izuku sheepishly grinned as a drop of sweat dripped off his forehead. "M-Mom… don't you think that these are a bit much for just a shopping trip?"

"O-Oh, no, no, this isn't for that." Inko pulled the suits away, revealing her blue blouse, white undershirt and tan skirt with matching shoes. "I've already decided on what I'll be wearing today. What I'm trying do decide now is what to wear tomorrow for your Parent's Day!" Her expression turned serious as she leaned toward her son. "So? Which one?"

Izuku backed away with a nervous laugh, still a tad overwhelmed. Fashion advice wasn't his forte, but he knew better than to just not give an answer to his mother. "Um… that one." he pointed to the one in her left hand.

"The navy? Isn't it a little dark?"

"W-Well, what about the other one, then?"

"Hmm…" Inko scrutinized the pale pink suit indecisively. "But don't you think people might think I'm not dressing my age? Are you sure?" She brought the suit back over her body, and it only made her more uncertain. "Oh… and I think it makes me seem fatter than I am…"

With an exasperated sigh, Izuku tried to reassure his mother. "Mom, one; stop body shaming yourself. That's unhealthy. And two, I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, we're gonna have to—"

*HONK-HONK-HONK*

The son and mother duo were brought out of their debate thanks to a car horn, which Izuku was more than thankful for. 'Hah, saved by the Jazz!' He brightened up and made straight for the door. "Oh! There they are now! C'mon, don't wanna keep them waiting, right?"

Inko, though, was still in crisis mode. "W-Wait!" She hustled over to the nearby body-length mirror, once again holding up each skirt suit in front of her to her son's chagrin. "Mmm… okay, I think I've decided on the navy." She laid the pink suit on the couch while admiring the deep blue one. "It'll hide the stains better at any rate."

"…Uh, what stains?" There were few scenarios that Izuku could think of where his mother would encounter stains at U.A., so he was understandably confused.

"Well, I mean, we're going to tour the facilities and the campus, right?" Inko reminded. "Like that U.S.J. disaster dome? I'd better be prepared to pick up a little grime in hectic places like that." On that note, she grabbed her purse, smiling as if what she said wasn't weird at all. "Anyhow, shall we go?"

"Oh, uh, sure!" Izuku opened the door, allowing his mother out first while trying to wrap his head around what she'd just told him. 'I think I'm starting to see where I get my paranoia from.' All the same, the mother and son duo traversed down the steps to ground level, where Bumblebee and Jazz were parked at the curb. And there, standing there with greeting smiles, were the Jiros.

"Morning, Inko!" Mika greeted brightly. "And hello, Izuku!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Jiro." Izuku bowed politely.

Inko clapped her hands together, elated to see Mika dressed so well in her lavender button-up and black skirt with matching heels. "Ah! Mika, that look is so cute on you!"

The Jiro matriarch touched her cheek bashfully. "Oh, you think so? Well, you look just as nice, Inko. That blue is so flattering."

"Oh, stop!"

And just like that, the two women were caught up giggling, leaving Izuku, Kyoka and Kyotoku in an awkward place. "…God, if I ever act like that at their age, please kill me." the punk rocker pleaded.

Izuku chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "Ahaha… I-I wouldn't go THAT far, but I probably would help you snap back to your senses."

"Aw, thanks, Green Bean." Kyoka's smile widened. "Glad you've always got my back."

Before either of them could pick up on a conversation, Kyotoku got between the two and interjected himself in. "Ahem, while I couldn't agree more with that, I have to say…" He lifted his head, giving Izuku an intimidating gaze. At first, Izuku was scared stiff, but then, to his surprise, he was actually given a complement. "…You clean up well, boy. I'm impressed."

"Ah-ha… th-thanks, Mr. Jiro." But then, Izuku noticed that he was… probably a bit overdressed compared to Kyoka. She was in her signature yellow Deep Dope tank top with the red lettering on the front, a pair of black shorts, matching sneakers and of course, her spiked bracelet that he often saw on her outside of school. She was very casual while he was neat and proper. '…The duality of friends, I guess.'

Unfortunately, though, Kyoka caught him looking. "Somethin' wrong, dude?"

Falling out of his stupor, Izuku shook his head fervently. "N-No! Nothing at all! It's just… well, I think I might've dressed a bit too upmarket for the occasion."

Kyotoku apparently knew exactly what he was talking about. "If you mean how my lovely daughter is dressed, trust me, I get it." He narrowed his eyes at Kyoka, who was more than happy to grimace back. "I tried to convince her to wear something a bit more extravagant for the event, but if you hadn't noticed, she's very stubborn."

"And if YOU hadn't noticed, old man, you're just as stubborn as me, if not more." Kyoka huffed, snicking her nose up defiantly. "I'll wear what I want, thanks. Besides, it's not like Izuku cares or anything, right?"

"O-Of course not!" Izuku waved panickily. "Your clothes are awesome the way they are!" Kyoka grinned triumphantly while her father groaned, already feeling tired from all this.

Thankfully, the ladies saw the little spat and sought to control it. "Now, now, let's not fly off the handle before you three even get anywhere." Mika stepped in, reaching up to put her hands on her husband and daughter's shoulders firmly with a harrowingly intimidating smile. "I thought we agreed that this wouldn't be an argument-starting day, correct?"

"R-Right, honey!" Kyotoku stiffened up immediately.

"Yes, ma'am." Kyoka agreed swiftly.

Inko clapped her hands together happily. "Good! Now, you three should probably get going. The exhibit opens soon, doesn't it?"

Izuku nodded curtly and went to climb into Jazz's backseat. "Right! We've gotta get going!"

"You heard Izuku..." Mika said as she practically shoved her Kyotoku and Jiro in on the other side. "Time to roll out. And Jazz, I expect you to keep a close eye on things on this little outing. If they get into any sort of spat, you tell me, understand?"

Even the lieutenant had to admit, he was fairly unsettled by Mika's deathly serious tone. 'She could probably give Ultra Magnus a run for his money.' Even still, he made sure to comply with her wishes. "No problem, Mrs. J. I'll watch 'em like a hawk."

At that, Mika's smile became much less threatening, but even then, her husband and daughter could still hear the scary undertone in her voice. "Excellent! You all have fun now, and remember; keep things civil, please!" On that note, Jazz pulled away from the curb, carrying Izuku and the two internally screaming Jiros away from the apartments. As they went out of sight, Mika slumped her shoulders with a tired sigh. "Hah… those two, I swear. It's like I'm taking care of TWO children."

"Hm, after seeing that, I understand." Inko affirmed as a nervous bead of sweat trickled down her cheek. However, her bright mood returned as she reminded her friend of their own outing. "But don't worry, today's all about shopping the stress away. Once Mitsuki gets here, I'm sure we'll all have tons of fun out on the town!"

Mika's lips curled back up and she raised a determined fist. "Right! Sounds like a plan! …Though I will admit, I'm a bit nervous, too." She reached up and absentmindedly started twisting one of her Earphone Jacks. "I mean… you said that this was young Bakugo's mother, right? The violent boy with the explosion Quirk?"

Inko coughed at the mention of Katsuki, knowing exactly what Mika might've been implying. "Ah-ahem, y-yes, the very same. But I assure you, Mitsuki is… well, she's kind of like her son, but far from the same temperament that he has." Her expression became sad as certain memories came cropping back up. "It's so surreal to think about, honestly. Back when Izuku and Katsuki were small, they were once the best of friends. But when Katsuki got his Quirk and Izuku didn't, there was a visible rift between them, and they stopped interacting entirely when they became teenagers." Inko rubbed her arms, almost as if trying to comfort herself. "And since then… Mitsuki and I have seen each other much less over the years."

Pursing her lips, Mika could see exactly what her new friend was worried about. "I see… you're concerned that things won't be the same between the two of you. Is that it?" She received a single nod. "Hm, well… since she still accepted the invitation, I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think it is, right?"

"Maybe… but when I invited her, our conversation was very short and a bit awkward." Inko tapped her fingers together. "I just hope that—"

"Sorry I'm late!" The arrival of a new voice brought the two out of their conversation, their sights moving down the street to see a young woman rushing toward them from down the street. …At least, to Mika, she was a young woman. In reality, she was the same age as both of her and Inko, even though she appeared to be in her twenties. She wore a purple cardigan and white undershirt with a black skirt and purple sandals, though her wild blonde hair and beady red eyes were what gave her away as Katsuki Bakugo's mother.

"Ah! M-Mitsuki!" Inko gave a nervous grin. "There you are!"

Approaching the two with labored breaths, Mitsuki scratched her head irritably, her beautiful features twisted in aggravation. "Yeah, again, sorry for bein' late. Been so long since I came this way that I took a wrong freakin' turn."

Inko waved her hand in reassurance. "Oh, no, that's quite understandable. To be honest, I'm just happy you decided to come as well since… o-our phone call the night before wasn't…"

"Oh, yeah, that…" Mitsuki clenched her teeth, her hand still on her neck as she apologized. "Sorry if that was so awkward. I WAS really excited that you called, though. Especially since things at the house have been… a bit hectic."

"Katsuki?"

"Katsuki." The blonde woman affirmed, with both hands now furiously ruffling through her hair. "GAAAH! I seriously dunno WHAT I'm gonna do with that boy! He drives me and his father crazy! Worst part is that Masaru just lets the boy walk all over him! I love the man to death, but he's never had a freakin' spine when it comes to Katsuki's crap…"

As the two women continued their conversation, Mika remained silent… and completely astounded by what she saw before her. This… bombastic, hourglass-shaped bombshell of a woman… was Katsuki Bakugo's mother? 'She seems like one of those gyaru girls I saw back in high school!' the music maker thought, adjusting her glasses in her shock. 'So loud and brash… while Inko's so soft spoken. They're like complete opposites and yet they're talking like the best of friends! How in the world—'

But then, she was caught staring. "Hey, you okay, girl?" Mitsuki asked with a brazen gaze.

"HIC!" Mika hiccuped in fear, trembling at the idea she might've angered the woman. "Oh, um, I-I'm okay, I—uh…"

Inko lightly hit the palm of her hand with a closed fist. "Oh, that's right! I haven't introduced you two." Her soft smile managed to calm Mika down a bit as she stepped between them. "Mitsuki, I want you to meet my new friend, Mika Jiro. She lives across town and her daughter is one of Izuku's best friends!" She then faced the more apprehensive woman. "And Mika, this is Mistuki Bakugo. She and I have been friends since high school."

"High school… friends…" Mika repeated. 'Yep, every high school conventional stereotype is being shattered before my very eyes.'

With a proud grin, Mitsuki placed a fist over her chest. "Hm, yep, that's right. I'm pretty much the one who kept Inko safe from all the mean girls." She then gave a polite bow to the smaller woman. "It's nice to meet ya… and if I had to guess, your girl is the one with those cool ears like yours. The one who made it to the Sports Festival Finals, right?"

"Uh, yes! That's my Kyoka."

At that moment, Mitsuki put on a sly smirk. "Yeah, I remember… she's also the one who pretty much partnered up with Izuku through the first TWO rounds, eh?" She closed her eyes and nodded in approval. "Hmhm, that's great. 'Bout time little Zuzu got a girlfriend."

Both Inko and Mika flinched at the presumption, the former shaking her head. "Oh, no, no, Mitsuki, you misunderstand! Izuku and Kyoka aren't in a relationship—"

"YET." Mitsuki winked. "Right?"

"…Yet." Mika admitted with a shrug. "There are some signs that they like each other more than they're letting on, b-but we haven't pressured them into doing anything."

With another hum, Mitsuki seemed to calm down a bit. "Hmm, I see. Well, either way, you two should be ecstatic." In an instant, her irritated grimace came back tenfold. "Hell knows I've been on Katsuki's ass about getting a girlfriend. But no, it's always "Deku" this and "Scale Belly" that! GAH! The kid's got no siblings, so it's up to HIM to continue the bloodline, dammit!"

The other two women broke out into a nervous sweat at her tirade. "A-Aren't you jumping the just a little, Mitsuki?" Inko questioned. "He IS still only in high school, after all."

"Maybe, but I'm tryin' to insure my family's future here, Inko." Mitsuki clenched a fist. "And maybe a woman's resolve is just what that boy needs to chill the hell out." Ultimately, though, she shook her head and moved to a different topic. "Anyway, where IS my nephew? I was hopin' to talk to him a little."

"Oh, sorry, Mitsuki, but you just missed him. He and Kyoka went with her father to a Hero Exhibition across town."

"D'oh, damn… guess I'll just have to catch him some other time." Jerking her thumb over her shoulder, Mitsuki exclaimed; "Well, c'mon, let's get to the train station and get this shoppin' spree started!"

Before the blonde could walk away, though, Inko brought her to a halt. "W-Wait! There won't be any need for that." She walked over to the yellow Volkswagen at the curb and pat the roof top. "Because today, we've got a chauffeur!" Hearing that, Brian peaked his head out the window, smiling at the Bakugo matriarch with a silent wave. "Mitsuki, this is Brian. He's another of Izuku's friends and has volunteered to take us around town!"

Seeing the blonde young man, Mitsuki was certainly surprised… in a pleasant way. "Oh, another one of Zuzu's friends, eh?" She sauntered over and leaned against the driver's side door, practically looming over Brian with an interested gaze. "Well, I'm certainly glad my nephew's made so many friends… especially if they're as handsome as yourself."

In the back of Bumblebee's mind, he knew that this was all harmless flirting. She was a married woman after all. …But then the little voice at the forefront of his thoughts was screaming at him; 'MIDNIGHT 2.0! MIDNIGHT 2.0!'

It only got worse when she lowered his face so that it was directly in front of his. "Well, if you're to be our ride today, young man… I'll make sure to give you a generous tip."

And just like that, Bee's fear grew tenfold. 'JAZZ! IZUKU! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME WITH THIS RAVENOUS LIONESS?! AAAAAAAHHH!'

…..

Not that far away, Izuku, Kyoka and Kyotoku were enjoying a nice, relaxing drive around the city, with Jazz playing some nice, smooth… well, jazz to accommodate the atmosphere. However, the Jiro patriarch's curiosity got the better of him and he peered into the rearview mirror, specifically at Izuku. "So, Midoriya, what exactly is this hero exhibit about?"

"Hey yeah, good point." Kyoka added, turning to her best friend curiously. "You said it was about the "Dawn of Heroes", but what exactly are we in for?"

Just like that, Izuku's eyes were shining brightly, eager to talk about his interests. "Oh man, Kyoka, you guys are gonna love it! It's gonna be all about the heroes who took a stand before there were any formal systems or regulations for heroes! If not for these individuals, the world we know today may not even be the same!" He puffed air from his nose in anticipation. "As far as I'm concerned, this exhibit is well worth turning down a day at a theme park."

"…Uh-huh." Kyoka leered at the greenette with a cheeky grin. "Just make sure you don't let Iida know you said that."

"Oh! Sorry!" Izuku bowed his head shamefully. "I really shouldn't speak badly about Iida's offer, should I? I already feel guilty enough turning him down…"

"Ah, I wouldn't worry too much about it, 'Zuku." Jazz piped up. "Everyone's got their own interests, after all."

Kyotoku nodded in agreement. "Yeah, exactly. And honestly, I'm impressed by your dedication to hero knowledge, Midoriya. You obviously know your stuff. Hah, no wonder you got into U.A."

Izuku laughed bashfully at the compliment, though he also recognized that it was some genuine praise from his best friend's dad. 'I'd better not let that go to waste.' Right as he was about to reply, though, something caught his eye out the window, making him do a doubletake. "H-Huh? Wait, is that…"

"Hm?" Kyoka leaned over across Izuku to see what he found… and her eyes widened angrily at the sight of a certain spikey blonde head of hair. "Gah, crap! Seriously?!"

Whirling around, Kyotoku asked; "What? What's the matter?"

"Freaking Bakugo!" Kyoka pounded her hand against the seat. "Gah, even when we're out of school, we STILL run into that guy!"

"Well… yeah, he and I live in the same neighborhood." Izuku pointed out.

"That's besides the point. Jazz, drive faster!"

But the Autobot lieutenant wasn't about to have it. "Nuh-uh, Kyo. Gotta obey the speed limit. If the kid notices us, then ya'll are gonna have to handle it yourselves."

A groan escaped Kyoka's throat… but to her dismay, that was just loud enough for Bakugo to perk his head up and look to his left. "HUH?! DEKU?!" he shouted. …And if that weren't enough, a red light popped up right at that moment, bringing Jazz to a full stop. "What the hell are you doin' here?!"

"CRAP!" Kyoka seethed.

Seeing no other option, Izuku rolled down the window and gave a shaky wave. "U-Uh, hi, Kacchan! Wasn't expecting to see you—"

"Dammit, Deku!" Katsuki spat as he stormed up to the window. "Who the hell said you could run into me?!"

"S-Sorry, I, um… I mean WE were just headed to the nearby Hero Exhibit!" Izuku craned his head back to the two Jiros. Kyotoku shot the explosive blonde a grin and a small salute… while Kyoka flipped him off out of her father's view. "Kyoka and her dad are giving me a lift!"

"Grr, of course YOU'D be goin' with him, Ears."

Kyoka scowled right back at the bully, sticking her chin out at him. "Yeah? Well just where are you goin', Bombs for Brains?"

Turning around, Kyotoku berated his daughter. "Hey, hey, is that how you talk to ALL your classmates?" He offered an apologetic smile to the young man. "Sorry about my daughter, kid, she can be a bit prone to conflict sometimes. So, where're you off to? Can we give ya a lift—"

"Mind your own damn business, Scarecrow Hair!" Katsuki blew the man off as he trudged back onto the sidewalk. "I've got places to be and they don't involve you three!"

"…S-S-Scarecrow Hair?" Kyotoku reached up to his long locks of greying dark blonde hair, stroking them self-consciously. "M-My hair doesn't look like straw… does it?"

His daughter denied the claim instantly. "What? No! Of course not!" Internally, however… 'It's more like the Cowardly Lion's mane, but whatever.' She shook that thought away and instead leaned over Izuku to give Bakugo a piece of her mind. "Oh yeah?! Well, we didn't wanna have you in here anyway! Knowing you, you'd just blow the seat up!"

Izuku tried calming the situation, though. "K-Kyoka, please! We're gonna cause a scene!" He himself put his head out the window, offering the bully a friendly grin. "Uh, so, Kacchan, I heard your mom and my mom are gonna be meeting up today! That's pretty cool, right? I don't think they've seen each other in person for almost two years now…"

Bakugo merely rolled his eyes, clearly disinterested. "Yeah, I heard the old hag talkin' about that. But hey, if hangin' out with Auntie Inko keeps her outta my hair, then fine by me."

'…Auntie Inko?' Kyoka was utterly bewildered by that. Even after bullying Izuku to the point of trauma, he still had the NERVE to consider Inko his "auntie". Thankfully, the light had since turned green and Jazz was about to pull away, much to all of their relief.

"…Hey, Deku!" All of a sudden, Bakugo called out, taking them off guard. "Glad ya talked some sense into Lizard Lips! Now maybe she'll take things seriously when we go head-to-head next time!"

"Uh… you're welcome?" Izuku replied in confusion.

"Yer damn right I am!" Everyone sighed as they left Katsuki behind, the blonde shaking his fist as if he were victorious.

…..

While the exasperated Izuku and Kyoka were now well on their way to the Hero Exhibition, Tenya Iida was… putting on a headband with grey elephant ears. "Perfect weather for a day at the theme park!" he declared as he peered over at his guests. "Wouldn't you three agree?"

Next to him were, of course, Denki Kaminari and Ibara Shiozaki, the two being the winners of the small tournament they'd held for the tickets. The electric blonde was wearing a headband with brown bear ears while the Vine user wore a pair of white bunny ears. "Snrk, y-yeah, I'd say so." Denki gave a thumbs up, trying to hold in his laughter at the sight of Elephant-Eared Iida.

"Indeed! Such a bright and sunny day!" Ibara lifted her head and closed her eyes, as if basking in the ethereal glow of the sun. "The lord has truly blessed us with fine weather for our excursion." She opened her eyes and glanced to her left… where their fourth guest was standing a bit off to the side. "What about you? Are you enjoying the weather?"

In contrast to the sunny atmosphere, though… Fumikage Tokoyami was anything but bright. His dark attire of baggy, black pants, grey hoodie and matching sneakers was one thing, but the black feathers of his raven-like head was what brought his bleak appearance all together. The only bright spots on him were his yellow beak… and the brown monkey ears he had on his headband. They were rather surprised when he expressed interest in coming to the theme park—Zoo Dreamland—at all, but nevertheless, Tenya was more than happy to invite him.

"I suppose, but…" Tokoyami replied, only to raise a brow at Tenya. "President, are these accessories really necessary?"

"Not necessary, per se, but embracing the park's theme is sure to make the experience all the more delightful!" Tenya assured with a beaming grin. "We became "wild" inhabitants of Zoo Dreamland the moment we stepped through the gates! Besides, I'd say that the families who've come today are also enjoying the headbands, wouldn't you?"

True, there were several families around who were all wearing animal ears… though that didn't stop Tokoyami from fiddling with his. The shape of his head didn't necessarily lend well to headbands, after all. Still, his class president's passion was hard to deny. "If that's how it is…"

"Yeah! And besides…" Kaminari straightened his own ears out. "I think I make these look good."

Ibara felt her lips curl at the blonde's behavior, leading her to cover her mouth and try to hide it. "It's certainly quite the fashion statement, hmhm…" However, her giggle had caught Denki's attention and they locked eyes… only for them both to bashfully turn away, both trying to hide their blushes. "S-So, um… where do we start?"

"An excellent question!" Tenya reached into his back pocket and pulled out a map of the park, intent on being as efficient with this visit as possible. "By the day's end, I hope to conquer every last ride and attraction, so we'd better be effective in the order we go in!"

Both Ibara and Denki deadpanned at the class president's statement, knowing that might not be possible. "Oh boy, here we go…" the Electrification user facepalmed… only for an idea to spring into his head. "Hey, Shiozaki." he whispered, catching the young lady's attention with an excited smirk. "Wanna make up an excuse and take on the park in our own order?"

The vine-haired girl stared at Denki disbelievingly. "Kaminari! Are you suggesting that we just ditch Iida?"

"Well, we could do that and actually have fun, or we could have every single step we take dictated by Mr. Stickler over there." Denki's gaze became more determined. "So, whaddya say? Wanna have an adventure?"

As much as Ibara wasn't keen on leaving the other two behind, she had to admit, the resolve behind Denki's gaze and voice was… enticing to her. 'Why am I getting so excited? A-And why does my chest feel tight? Am I having a heart attack?!' After taking a few silent breaths to calm herself, she steeled her nerve and returned the blonde's gusto. "O-Okay! I'm in."

"Awesome! Now, watch and learn…" Approaching Tenya from behind, Denki cleared his throat and spoke up to him. "Yo, Prez! There, uh… there's actually something that Shiozaki and I wanted to see."

Once again, there it was; the tight feeling in her chest. 'W-Why did he word it like that?!' Still, there was no going back now, so she had to play along. "Y-Yes! Over in the Savannah Zone, they're having a botanical display that features several African plants! I was hoping to catch it today, so…"

"A botanical event, you say?" Iida asked, clearly intrigued as he searched the map. "Then we ought to begin there…"

But both Denki and Ibara shook their heads. "D-Don't sweat it! We'll just split up!" the former insisted.

"Yes, Kaminari and myself, you and Tokoyami." Ibara added. "In this way, we'll be able to cover more ground quicker."

"Hm…" Tenya hummed in suspicion, narrowing his eyes at their overly eager smiles. "After we decided to come here together?"

"Well, yeah, but you won't get to "conquer every ride" if you're babysitting us all day!" Denki countered, which Ibara nodded fervently at. "And they'll probably sell out of that exclusive apple pie that Tokoyami wanted!"

As if on cue, Fumikage opened his eye with a sharp glare. That was the whole reason he'd come in the first place, after all. "That would be disappointing." he murmured. "They'd better not sell out by the time we get there."

Once again, Tenya hummed, though this time it was more in consideration. "Hm, you do make a good point…"

And just like that, the seed of doubt had been planeted, wherein Denki gave one final push. "Great! So we'll meet back up at lunch, 'kay?"

"Farewell for now!" Ibara waved as she and Denki rushed off in the opposite direction before Tenya could say anything else.

"Wait, I—ah, never mind. They're too far gone now." The president of Class 1-A placed his hands on his hips. "They certainly want to attend that botanical event, don't they?"

Tokoyami, though, was a bit more skeptical. "Shiozaki, I would believe wanting to attend. But given what I've observed of Kaminari's behavior, I wouldn't be surprised if he took this as a good opportunity to flirt with her."

…And just like that, Tenya realized that he'd been had. "GAH! I should've KNOWN!" His head sulked low, though only briefly as he pushed his resolve back to the forefront. "Well, what's done is done! If anything, I should probably be thankful that Kaminari has been smitten by a proper young lady such as Ibara rather than some untrustworthy witch!"

"You recover fast. Also, please be mindful. We are in public, after all."

"Ah, right, apologies." Just then, though, the spectacled boy remembered something incredibly important. "Oh, that's right, your apple pie!" He pulled the map up and began searching. "The exclusive treat is available… here, at Forest Sweets."

"Then let's go." Thankfully, it didn't take the duo long to find the establishment, Tenya having walked with confidence as he followed the map exactly. Once they arrived, they ordered their apple pies and took a seat, with Tokoyami wasting no time in biting into his coveted sweet. "Mm. Good." he stated simply.

Tenya, though, was much less brief in his assessment of the food. "Mmm, indeed. The cinnamon brings out the apples' sweetness while preserving the refreshing acidity. And the pie crust meshes perfectly with the baked apples' softened texture… quite delicious." All Tokoyami did was nod in agreement as he took another bite, his beak leaving pointed indents in the dessert. "We ought to tell Kaminari and Shiozaki about this later. It'd be a shame if the missed out on something so good. …But Tokoyami, I have to say, I had no idea you loved apples so much."

After swallowing his bite, the bird-headed boy opened his eyes to reply. "They claim the nutrition found in a single apple, if eaten daily, is enough to eliminate visits to the doctor, you know." The statement made Tenya blink incredulously, but Tokoyami continued on. "Plus, there's that perfect combination of sweet and tart. And they can be preserved for long periods of time… there's no fruit more perfect than an apple." Tenya could only give a single nod as they continued eating their fill. "…But you prefer oranges, don't you, President?"

It was then that the spectacled boy noticed Tokoyami glancing at his orange juice, to which he explained; "Not exactly. Rather, their juice is like gasoline for my Quirk. So I never pass up the chance to drink some. You never know when I might need to spring into action, after all." After that clarification, the boys finished their pies and began roaming around once more. "Now, where to next? Any rides you're interested in, Tokoyami?"

"Not exactly. It's up to you, President."

"Very well…" Spreading the map out, Tenya took a glance over it to see their nearest options, and he quickly found the perfect one. "Ah! I know just the thing, then!" The "thing", as Tokoyami would soon find out, was the Tea Cup ride… which was located near a bunch of modern art pieces. A massive tire, a giant melon bread, a pyramid and a giant red sphere occupied the space around the attraction, much to their astonishment.

"What a bizarre place."

Adjusting his glasses, Iida agreed with his classmate's assessment. "Yes, I understand the park director is a patron of the arts. These temporary installations have been around for years now."

Moving past the modern art, the boys reached the Tea Cup ride, which Tokoyami was utterly baffled by. "What am I looking at?"

"Oasis Teatime, they call it. The first essential stop during any visit to the park!" Tenya pointed out the current lack of patrons. "And no line! This is our chance, Tokoyami." Racing for a cup, Tenya fell into the seat and his bird-headed friend followed suit, all while noting the only other riders were parents with small children.

Once he was seated, Fumikage quickly noted the giant circular piece in the middle of their cup. "What does this handle do, President?"

"The faster we spin this, the faster the teacup rotates!"

"Is… that something we want?"

Tenya gave a single nod. "Yes… oh, it's starting!" What would happen next was something that the young hero in training could not have been prepared for. The very second the ride began to move, Tokoyami grabbed the center handle and CRANKED it as fast as he could, which only made things even faster for Tenya. He almost thought he'd be sent flying with the amount of centripetal force alone if he wasn't clinging for dear life. "T-Tokoyami?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Tokoyami's reply was all but baffling. "The goal of this ride is to spin the teacup, right? I would say we're winning!"

The Class President of 1-A wanted so badly to say it doesn't work that way… but if he was afraid that he'd lose his lunch if he opened his mouth any more. He could practically feel the orange juice and apple pie threatening to leave his stomach. Once the ride was over, though, both boys were left slumped on a nearby bench, breathing hard after the experience. "Th-That… wasn't… a competition…" Tenya finally said.

"You… should've… said that sooner." Tokoyami heaved.

"This really MUST be your first time at a theme park."

"I have no reason to lie." Shaking his head, Fumikage sought to get back on track. "So, what comes next, President? You did say you wanted to conquer every attraction, yes?"

Once Tenya regained his bearings, he took in a deep breath, focusing back on his goal. "Yes, of course… in that case, though, how about something a bit more relaxing?" He pointed across the way… to a rather gaudy merry-go-round, one that had various different animals in addition to horses. Tenya would end up taking one of said horses while Tokoyami went with a rhino, and just like that, they were off on a leisurely spin… all while a bunch of parents recorded their little kids having MUCH more fun than they were.

Fumikage raised a skeptical brow at the activity. "How exactly is this fun, President?"

"You can't tell, Tokoyami? These are animals one normally wouldn't get to ride, but here, it's perfectly safe." Tenya then pointed out the happy children. "You see? The kids seem to be enjoying it!"

"I suppose… though why do most of these rides involve spinning?"

"That's not all there is. Some also move up and down while rotating."

"…So more spinning."

…..

As Tokoyami was slightly regretting his decision to come, a certain pair had just gone for a spin themselves… a MUCH more exciting spin at that. Wobbling their way through the exit for the "Cheetah Coaster" came Denki and Ibara, the duo still feeling the rush after their experience. "Hahaha! WOO!" Denki threw his hands into the air as if he were still on the ride. "See?! I told ya that'd be awesome!"

"That… that was thrilling!" It had been the first time that Ibara went on a coaster that had actual loops, and she had to admit, she ended up loving the experience. "Hah, and here I was thinking I was going to be sick to my stomach."

Once they shuffled their way to the nearest bench, the duo sat down and Denki let out a sigh. "Hah, well, if we'd gone to get those apple pies first, then we probably would've." He shot Ibara a wink without even thinking. "So, glad we decided to pair off now?"

All at once, the Vine user's dizziness was forgotten about, the blood rushing back to her head as her face grew a soft shade of pink. "O-Oh, well…" She scratched her cheek timidly. "I suppose… though I still don't think it was the nicest thing to do."

Denki conceded with a shrug. "Yeah, not exactly the best move, but hey, we had fun, right?" He reclined back, trying to relax himself after the ride. "So, what next? Anything you wanna actually go see?"

"I'm not certain…" Ibara reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a map she'd procured. "Let me see…"

As she studied the map, Denki's eyes drifted toward her… and just like that, he was enraptured by every single detail about the girl sitting next to him. He had admitted to himself a while ago that there was something different about this crush compared to the multiple ones he'd had in the past. Sure, there were LOTS of pretty girls out there, even some going about their day at this very theme park… yet somehow, Ibara's saintly beauty eclipsed all of them. '…Is this what it's like when it's MORE than just a random crush?' he wondered.

"U-Uh, hey, Shiozaki?"

"Hm?" Ibara perked up from the map, offering a small smile. "Yes?"

Denki nearly lost his voice there and then, but he proceeded. "Uh, well… heh, call me crazy, and this may just be the blood rushing back to my head, but… outside of hanging out at Autobot base after school, we haven't really interacted much, have we?"

"…Does the Sports Festival not count?"

"That's where we properly met, though." Denki pointed out with a slight chuckle. "And trust me, I'll always remember that. Hehe, I've still got the puncture points."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say since Ibara immediately panicked. "AH! I'm so sorry!" She bowed profusely several times. "I-I was just doing what I had to in order to win, I didn't mean to—"

"Woah, woah, no need for apologies!" Denki assured with a frantic wave before offering a small smile. "Trust me, I get it. I was going all out too, ya know?"

Hearing this, Ibara took a deep breath, attempting to control her flustered state. "R-Right! Of course… so, um… was there something you wanted to talk about?"

Denki merely shrugged. "Well, not anything specific. I just thought it'd be cool for us to… I dunno, get to know each other better? I mean, we see each other almost every day now and the rest of our friends are already getting along pretty well." The Electrification user counted on his fingers. "Kirishima and Tetsutetsu are buds, Kendo and Uraraka are neighbors of all things, and I'm convinced that Tokage and Ashido are scheming to get into trouble as we speak."

That managed to get Ibara to giggle a little, covering her mouth in the process. "Hmhm! I would not put that past them. Well, alright then. What is it that you'd like to know?"

"How about we start with the basics? Why'd you want to be a hero?"

"Hmm… that's a good start, indeed." After collecting her thoughts, the Vine user lifted her head and basked in the sun's glow again. "I suppose… it has much to do with my faith, if I'm to be completely honest with you."

Denki blinked in surprise. "Woah, really?"

"Yes… growing up reading the Bible, I was always enamored with the exploits of those within. They were seen as saviors of the people in times of great travesty and uncertainty." She reached up and clenched her hand over her chest. "And eventually, I thought; if I could harness my Quirk's power for virtuous acts… then perhaps I could be someone's savior as well."

Her explanation left Denki speechless. Her ambitions were incredibly altruistic… and it made him admire her all the more. "Woah… that's honestly really awesome." He nodded in approval. "Well, I hope that you're able to fulfill those ambitions, Shiozaki."

Ibara's features brightened up, accented by the sun's warm glow. "Oh, thank you very much. But what about you, Kaminari? Why did you want to become a hero."

"Er… well, about that…" Denki rubbed his neck as a grimace took over his face. His companion's gaze became once of concern, prompting him to start his story. "Ya see, growing up… I wasn't exactly seen as a very smart kid. I got passing grades and all, but only barely. I'm thankful that my parents understood that I wasn't the quickest learner… but that didn't stop the teachers and other students from doubting me."

"Oh… Kaminari, that's awful. You… weren't beat up, were you?"

"Ah! N-No, not really. Ironically, no one wanted to mess with me because they knew how powerful my Quirk was. Still, middle school was pretty tough." Denki's brow furrowed then and there. "But I wasn't about to give up. I wanted to show them ALL up by getting into U.A. High and becoming a hero!" He put on a confident smirk and jerked a thumb to himself. "And of all the kids from my school who applied, guess who was the only one to pass the Entrance Exam?"

Ibara clapped her hands together, visibly impressed. "Hah, that's amazing to hear, Kaminari."

Crossing his arms, Denki nodded. "Heh, yeah, I studied my ASS off for that exam. And of course, the robots were a piece of cake for my Quirk." Still, he let out an exasperated sigh as he lowered his head a bit. "Still, kinda wish the REST of the school year wasn't as hard as the Entrance Exam. I… didn't do so well on midterms and I'm kinda worried about finals coming up. And what's worse is that Aizawa said that those who don't pass miss out on the Summer Training Camp…"

Blinking a couple times, Ibara took the information in. "Oh dear…" But the very next second, she let out a gasp as an idea popped into her head. "AH! Kaminari!"

"H-Huh?!"

"Please, allow me to help you in your studies!"

Denki did a doubletake at the sudden offer. "H-Huh?! Are you serious?!"

"Of course!" Ibara clenched her fists with purpose. "I would be remiss if I allow one of my peers to fall behind! And helping someone in times of great need is part of what being a hero is all about! So, consider yourself being helped!"

"No way… you'd do that for me?" Receiving a single nod from the young lady, Denki was overcome with emotion. Not just because she was willing to help him, but because in that moment, her beauty shined like never before, her fortitude practically etched across her features. "Th-Thank you so much, Shiozaki! I promise to repay you one day!" he exclaimed, trying and failing to hide his tears.

But then, at that moment… "Excuse me?" The duo's heads perked up and Denki quit the waterworks, their eyes darting around at the sudden yet small voice that spoke up to them. "Down here!" Denki and Ibara brought their sights front and downward… where they saw a little girl in a cute orange and white Sunday dress, her black hair in a bob cut with a headband that had a giraffe's horns and ears on it. …And she was all by herself.

"…Oh boy."

…..

"So, you two discovered this lost child, hm?" Tenya questioned, glancing down to the tiny girl. "And Yuka's her name, right?"

After a quick call from Denki, the quartet of U.A. students all met up at the rendezvous point. Clearly, this was an emergency. However, with a small yet adorable pout, Yuka denied the accusation. "I'm not lost! Big girls in kindergarten don't get lost!" She puffed out her chest and folded her arms, explaining; "I came to the park with mommy. …But then mommy went to buy lunch and I saw Jira the Giraffe pass by. I went to go see him and then I couldn't find my way back."

"…Hard to argue with that." Denki shrugged. "And she doesn't want us bringing her to the lost child center."

Yuka stamped her foot and puffed out her cheeks. "That's cuz I'm not a lost child, mister! I just dunno where I'm s'posed to meet my mommy."

Tokoyami was a bit blunter. "Right, you are literally a lost child." His point only made Yuka shrink back, hiding behind Denki's leg.

"Woah, you're kinda giving our Tokoyami the cold shoulder." Kneeling down, Denki gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "There's nothin' to be scared of about him, ya know."

"B-Birds are scary." Yuka stammered. "…One time, one ate my bread and bit me."

Ibara was having trouble containing herself. This little one was just too cute and innocent for words. Still, she felt the need to reassure her, so she did. "Ahem, Yuka, sweetie, Tokoyami isn't a bird. He just looks that way because of his Quirk."

"His Quirk?" Yuka was still clearly scared, but a bit more curious as she glanced at Tokoyami.

The young lady offered a relaxing smile to the girl. "But I understand why you must be frightened. Believe me, I've had birds peck at my head from time to time, too." She extended a hand toward the bird-headed boy. "But Tokoyami here is an absolute gentleman. You have nothing to fear."

While Ibara's words of encouragement helped relax Yuka a little, Tokoyami could still see her frightened state, and he sighed. "Hah… psychological scars don't heal that easily. Anyhow, her mother is probably worried about her."

"Indeed." Tenya nodded steadfastly. "We ought to bring her to the designated meeting spot at once." He craned his head down to meet Yuka's eyes. "Now, where were you supposed to meet in case you got lost, Yuka?"

"In front of the apple!" the girl answered.

That didn't exactly help clear things up, though. "The apple? Near where they're selling apple pies maybe?" Tenya guessed. "I recall seeing apple decorations near Forest Sweets, so perhaps we should head back there."

As it happened, though, that wouldn't be the case. Because the moment they arrived at the sweets shop, the little girl frowned. "This where she told you to find her, Yuka?" Denki asked.

"No, not here. A WAY bigger apple, like… thiiiis big." The little girl stretched her arms out as far as she could for emphasis.

Tapping her chin, Ibara thought of what sort of apple could be THAT size at the theme park. "Iida, do you know of any bigger apples around here?"

"I frequented Zoo Dreamland as a child, but no, I don't recall any giant apples." Lifting the map, Tenya began scanning his eyes across it, but again, no dice. "And there's nothing on the map that indicates one either."

What happened next made everyone's blood run cold. "I'm… never gonna see mommy again?"

The group whipped their heads down and saw Yuka on the verge of tears, which made Denki and Ibara jump into high gear to make sure she didn't cry. "W-We didn't imply that, honest!" the latter asserted. 'Darn it all, what kind of heroes in training are we?! Bringing a little girl to tears, UNACCEPTABLE!'

But that's when Denki got an idea. "I know! Maybe we could spot this apple from somewhere up high!" The blonde whipped a finger up toward the tallest attraction the park had to offer. "Like the Ferris Wheel!"

"…Another one that spins." Tokoyami remarked.

Still, the spinning didn't stop them from heading on, and within minutes, they were up a fair distance. "Yuka, take a good look and try to find your meet-up spot." Ibara directed.

"Okay!" As the pod rose higher and higher, all of their eyes were glued to their windows, scanning the entire park.

"Man… Hatsume's Quirk would come in REAL handy right now." Denki lamented. "She'd zoom in with her eyes and we'd be able to find that apple in seconds. My Electrification Quirk ain't much use here…"

"Hm, neither is mine." Tenya hummed regrettably.

Yuka tilted her head toward the young man. "What's your Quirk, Mister Glasses?"

"It's Engine, and it allows me to run quickly." Tenya lifted his pant leg, showing off the engines built into them.

"Oh, cool. I don't have my Quirk yet…" Yuka said, appearing dejected.

Ibara reached over, once again patting the girl's shoulder in reassurance. "Oh, Yuka, don't be discouraged. You're at that age where your Quirk is bound to show itself."

That managed to spark a flicker of hope in the little girl. "Really?"

Giving a thumbs up, Denki reinforced the encouragement. "Sure will! You'll find out what it is before you know it!" Seeing that the kindergartener was now fully reinvigorated, he continued his search for the "apple". "Now, just gotta find your mom…"

"Indeed… though if we cannot locate it, I believe it'd be prudent to take little Yuka to the lost child center." Tenya suggested.

"But there was no uh-nouns-ment, though!" Yuka argued, struggling to pronounce the big word. "So that means mommy didn't go there yet."

Her point gave the class president pause. "Hm… I suppose you're right. But even up here, I cannot see any giant apples."

However, Yuka raised a finger, matter-of-factually stating; "Remember, if it's round, red and shiny, it's an apple!"

"Round… red… and shiny." Tokoyami repeated to himself, coming to a realization. "So we could be searching for anything that fits the category of "apple" in the mind of a child. Our objective might be simply a round object that doesn't look exactly like an apple."

Realizing that they'd likely been on a wild goose chase, the other teens all fell right in the middle of their pod. "Great… well, time to head down." Denki muttered. Once they reached the bottom and disembarked the Ferris Wheel, they regrouped and reassessed their situation. "Okay, so big, red and round. Anyone seen anything like that in the park?"

"Actually, yes," Tokoyami affirmed. "This way." Without another word, the bird boy raced off, much to Yuka's confusion. Still, the group managed to keep up with him until they made it back to the forest zone where the modern art pieces stood near the Teacup Ride. Right in the middle was a giant, red sphere… and sure enough, standing next to it was a rather anxious woman with black hair. "Is that your apple, Yuka?"

The little girl's eyes lit up immediately. "YES! Mommy! Over here!"

A gasp escaped the woman's throat as she rushed straight over to the teens, scooping her daughter up in a relieved embrace. "AH! Yuka! Where were you? Mommy was worried half to death!"

"About that, ma'am…" Ibara started, providing an explanation for the past twenty minutes of their search. Of course, the woman bowed profusely, offering several apologies and thanks. But Ibara dismissed them with a shake of her head. "It's quite alright. We only did what was right." She craned her head down and pat Yuka on the head. "No getting lost again, okay, Yuka?"

"Yes, say "thank you", Yuka." the mother added with a smile.

"Hm!" the little girl nodded. "Thank you!" As the mother and daughter began to walk away, though, Yuka spun around suddenly and raced back toward Tokoyami. "Oh! M-Mister Bird!"

Tokoyami tilted his head. "What is it?"

"Um… sorry for getting scared of you. You're way bigger than that other bitey bird, so I thought you were gonna eat me with that big beak."

Her words made everyone chuckle, Tokoyami included. "Hmhm, you've no cause to worry about that. Because my favorite food is apples."

Yuka brightened up hearing that. "Ah! Mine too! See you later!" With that, the girl and her mother were off, leaving the teens feeling quite satisfied.

"Ah, all's well that ends well, I say." Tenya resolved.

"Yep! Now we can enjoy the rest of our day at the park!" Denki declared. "How's about we go get some lunch, eh?" The quartet all agreed on that and went off… unaware that the day's challenges at Zoo Dreamland were only just beginning.

…..

Back with Izuku and Kyoka, the two had just come out of the exhibition center, both quite satisfied with their experience at the event. Granted, Kyoka wasn't too big on the exclusive items, so she let Izuku keep the ones she was given, which only made him all the happier. Kyoka herself was just happy with what she saw at the exhibition, because not only did she get to learn about some of the earliest heroes in the age of Quirks… but she also learned about heroes from even earlier than that. Because, to her and Izuku's astonishment, there was an entire display dedicated to a certain team that they'd become quite familiar with…

"That was so cool! I seriously can't believe that G.I. Joe had their own exhibit here." the punk rocker commented.

"Me either! I mean, I guess it makes sense since they weren't a secret back then." Izuku recalled. "I think I remember Duke saying something about the Joes being more public figures back before Quirks became the norm." He sent her a curious glance. "Who was your favorite? I liked learning about General Joe Colton himself, personally. He seemed like an admirable man."

Kyoka gave a shrug. "Yeah, he was cool, but honestly?" She raised her fists with a wily smirk, punching the air in front of her. "I think my favorite HAD to be Sgt. Slaughter! Dude served with the Joes AND was a professional wrestler?! That just sounds so cool!"

Izuku nodded wholeheartedly. "Oh yeah! And the fact that he was apparently unbeatable on the battlefield! That's amazing to think about!"

Just then, the front door opened behind them once again and Kyotoku came walking out… with his hands full of exclusive merchandise. "Haha! Man, am I glad I tagged along with you kids! Picking up some exclusive merch is always a treat on these kinds of trips!"

"Eugh…" Kyoka cringed at the sight of her father, especially since he was wearing a hat with the visage of one of the lamer superheroes they'd learned about; Turboman. "Dad, could ya kindly hurry it up and put that in Jazz's trunk, please? Before someone sees you?"

"Ah, don't get into a tizzy, hon, I'm—"

"COME ON! IT'S GONNA START ANY MINUTE!"

"OH MY GOSH, IT'S FINALLY OPENING!"

All of a sudden, a mob of people came charging in from seemingly out of nowhere, plowing their way past the unexpecting trio. Izuku and Kyoka shouted in terror as they were pushed down while Kyotoku yelled in pain as he was buried under all his merchandise. Once the crowd had moved away, the two teens managed to pick themselves up off the ground, an irate Kyoka screaming after the mob; "HEY! Watch where you're going!"

Shaking his head, Izuku couldn't help but wonder what that was all about. "Man, talk about crazy. Where do you think they were headed?" He peered down to Kyotoku, who was trying to rummage his way out of his predicament. "M-Mr. Jiro, do you need help?"

"N-Nope! I'm all good!" Thrusting his finger out of the pile of merch, Kyotoku directed them to go. "You to just follow that mob and see what the hell they're on about! I've got half a mind to sue those people for bodily harm!"

"Please don't." Kyoka sighed as she stood up. "Well, anyway, I wanna give those idiots a piece of my mind, too, so we might as well." On that note, the two teens jogged after the massive group of people, following them several blocks down the street. When they managed to catch up, they saw the large group join an even BIGGER crowd that was gathered in front of… in front of… "Woah, what the hell?!"

Izuku couldn't believe his eyes. The crowd they had been nearly trampled by were all piling into a massive convention center, one that was hosting, of all things, a Kamen Rider-themed event. But this wasn't just ANY event, if the large sign over the main entrance was anything to go by;

*Kamen Rider the Convention*

Celebrating 200 Years of Masked Heroism

The circular building's windows were decorated with banners that depicted a slew of different Riders. From the Showa Era, to Heisei, to Reiwa and beyond. And atop the convention center's roof, a statue of Kamen Rider Ichigo doing his signature pose was on prominent display. But what Izuku and Kyoka were flabbergasted at most of all was the staggering amount people were in attendance for the event. It easily dwarfed the Hero Exhibition they were just at, and not just because it was in a bigger venue. There was only one question lingering with them, though. "…How the HELL did we miss this?!" Kyoka exclaimed.

"I genuinely have no idea." Izuku placed a hand on his head. "Did we pass this on the way here?"

Kyoka shook her head. "No, I don't think we came this way, honestly." She furrowed her brow skeptically and crossed her arms. "But man, what the heck? How is it that things always seem to lead back to Kamen Rider with us? First your costume and now this! I swear, it's like the universe is trying to tell us something." She began searching around the immediate area. "We aren't being watched, right? Are we on candid camera?!"

Izuku wore a wincing smile at her comment, doubting that was the case. "I-I wouldn't go that far. It's probably all just one big coincidence." All the same, the greenette set his eyes on the convention with intrigue. "…You wanna try getting in?"

"…Eh, why not?" Kyoka grinned. "There's still a lot of daylight left."

With that, the duo raced toward the entryway, eager to get passes into the event. But, little did either of them know that they were, in fact, being watched. Around the corner, coming seemingly from out of nowhere, a tall, slender, yet masculine figure strolled out and watched the two friends as they closed in on the convention center. He was quite the handsome fellow with his dark hair neatly combed, wearing an all-black suit with a white undershirt and gold tie, his white and red scarf serving as an extra splash of color. With a glint in his eye and a sly grin on his face, he snapped his fingers and pointed at the teens, knowing that now was the right time to make his move.

"I finally have you right where I want you… Izuku Midoriya."

…..

A/N: Oh boy… well, that's ominous, isn't it? Someone's following our heroes and has his sights set squarely on Izuku. But what are his motives? Is he friend, or foe? Well, those are all questions for the next chapter, but until then, let's do a quick recap of events, shall we?

So, we've got Grimlock meeting the Omnicons and going in for a check-up to see how extensive the damage is from Shockwave's experiments. Makes sense that Red Alert would want to make sure that nothing REALLY bad has been going on with his internal systems. Meanwhile, back with Inko and Mika, we've got our first appearance in this story from Mitsuki Bakugo! …And already, Bumblebee is terrified of her flirting. Why does this always happen to him? Oh, and of course, we got an appearance from Katsuki himself, exhibiting his usual behavior… though he offered a bit of "thanks" for Izuku talking to Kaida, so… progress?

And as all that is happening, we got to see Tenya, Denki and Ibara's day at the theme park, and with them comes the addition of Tokoyami getting more screentime! Let's hear it for the Bird Boy, ladies and gentlemen! He may seem scary, but he's pretty much just like any other teenager deep down… with an affinity for the dark. That said, they DID help out a lost little girl, so hey, heroes in the making, right? …Though their tribulations are far from over as we'll soon see. On that note…

And now, the Preview! Things at the theme park take a hectic turn as the local haunted house sees some ACTUAL haunting going on… or at least objects that start moving on their own. This leads our heroes to go investigate, especially when they hear that the same little girl has been lost in the building. As that's happening, though, we check in on a different group as Ochako, Momo and Tsuyu find themselves at the same shopping outlet… where they come across a rather shifty guy who's stealing some strange items. Next Time: Parks and Recreation. Who IS this mysterious man, though?! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA