A/N: Hey there, everyone! Welcome back to Transformers MHA and… oh boy, next month is October. That means Ben 10/RWBY Month is right around the corner, and of course, it also means this story will be put on hiatus for a bit once September is over. But don't worry! I've got an interesting way to send things off until November rolls around, so don't worry. There'll be quite a bit planned for when this story comes back. But for now, let's finish off the students' Sunday shenanigans, shall we? This is…

Chapter 77: Parks and Recreation

…..

"Aaaaand done! Okay, Grimlock, you can get up now!"

With Mei's word, the Dinobot leader stood to his feet, stretching his arms out in the process. The full body scan had been completed, and Grimlock was eager to get out from under the giant radar that was making him tingle. "Gah, thank you, Mei." he said, flexing his stiff neck. "Being honest, after millions of years just lying in the ground, I'd rather much stand than sit right now, hehe…"

"Completely understandable!" Mei gave a thumbs up. "I also find it hard to sit still, unless I'm working on one of my babies! Or planning one of my babies. Oh, or sleeping which—psh—who has time for THAT, am I right?"

It was only then that Grimlock noticed the heavy bags under Mei's eyes. 'I may not know much about humans, but if they're anything like dinosaurs…' "…Mei, are you tired?"

The pink-haired inventor laughed at that. "HAHAHAHA! Who's tired? I'm not tired! I mean, it's not like I've been up for DAYS researching stuff about the Autobots while also working on my latest project! Hehe-hehe-hehe… why do you ask?"

If Mei could see Grimlock's expression, she would be greeted with a deadpan stare. Craning his head back to Red Alert, the former gladiator asked; "Is she serious?"

"That… doesn't sound healthy." Signal Flare pointed out, the Omnicon commander helping the medic with the analysis.

"Yes, it is." Red Alert sighed before scolding his hyper partner. "Mei, how many times have I told you to go to sleep when your body prompts you to? You're going to be ill!"

"Rest is for the WEAK and people who want to waste time!" Mei insisted, slamming her hands on the desk. "It should be considered an option, not a requirement! Same goes for bathing and two out of three meals a day!"

Across the room, Optimus was carrying on a conversation with Agent Fowler, only for them to overhear Mei's shouting. The Sector Seven agent was, understandably, dumbstruck by what she said. "Hold on, you only eat ONE meal a day?!" His nose crinkled when he remembered what else she said. "And… kid, you don't bathe?"

"Oh, my parents force me to bathe." Mei glowered. "I cannot escape that. But indeed, I only eat lunch on most days."

Fowler couldn't believe it. "…Kid, how're you not malnourished?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Mei proudly answered; "I eat BIG lunches! You should see the stuff that Lunch Rush cooks up at school!"

Red Alert groaned, his hand placed upon his forehead in disbelief. Still, he knew that this was getting out of hand, and he needed to steer the discussion back to the main topic; Grimlock. "Listen, while I would like to discuss the state of Mei's physical health as much as anyone else, can we please focus on the here and now for a moment?" With a press of a button, Red Alert brought the scan's results on screen. "Take a look at this…"

Once everyone was gathered up, Red Alert hit a series of buttons, bringing up points of interest on Grimlock's bodily scan. "So, what exactly are we looking at here, doc?" Fowler inquired.

"Just watch." Signal Flare replied. "The results are coming." True to his word, they arrived just a few seconds later… and they weren't exactly what they were hoping. At every point, the text went from blue to red, reading "ERROR" in Cybertronix characters as several buzzers went off. It was to the point that the screen was flashing red, much to everyone's astonishment.

"…Say what now?" Grimlock uttered, craning his head down to inspect himself. "But… I feel fine!"

Red nodded to him. "And you are, Grimlock. But Shockwave has changed your internal makeup so much that the computer doesn't see it that way. You have parts where they shouldn't be, integral parts that are missing, even parts that've been changed so much that they'd be unrecognizable if I took them out of you." The medic pursed his lips in disgust. "It's any wonder how Shockwave got you to function at all."

"I had always heard of Shockwave's cruel methods of experimentation…" Signal Flare shuddered, raising a hand to the screen. "But this? This is disturbing on so many levels."

Grimlock's shoulders sagged, not liking the sound of that one bit. "So… is there anything you can do for me, doc? I'm not expecting miracles by any means, but…"

The medic himself wasn't so certain how to answer. "Honestly… I doubt it. Your T-Cog has been permanently modified and your alt. mode scanners have been removed entirely. You'll never be able to take on a different form again." Going over the errors again, a frustrated sigh passed through Red Alert's vents. "Hah, scrap it all, not even your holoform synthesizer is in working condition. Finding a disguise for you is basically impossible."

"Say WHAT now?!" Mei smacked the table with her hands. "You're saying that Grim can't even get a neat human avatar?! What a rip-off!" She peeled her gloves off and threw them against the metal surface with resolve. "Okay, that's it! I'm putting my foot down on this one!" She thrust a finger up to Grimlock, taking him aback. "Grim! I don't care what it takes, I'm gonna get SOME part of you back to normal."

"Oh, Mei, y-you don't have to, really." Grimlock insisted. "Really, I'm fine. And I've been fine for millennia, so it's not like I need—"

But Mei wasn't having any of it. "I am NOT taking "no" for an answer, big guy! I may not be able to undo everything that Shockwave did to you, but I can at least give you SOMETHING back. And I think something as simple as fixing your holoform synthesizer is perfect for that." She sent a serious gaze up to her lab partner. "Red Alert, what're the odds we can get it back in working condition?"

"Well… given the amount of tampering that's been done to it…" Red Alert pondered for a moment, his expression slowly becoming more hopeful as he examined their analysis. "I'd say that there's at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of success. We'd have to salvage a lot of parts to make new ones, but the chances are not zero, I can say that much."

Clenching a fist, Mei nodded with resolve. "I like those odds!" She rubbed her hands together, her brow furrowed as her lips curled into a grin. "Alright, Grimlock, let's open you up and see what we can do!"

Of course, Grimlock was left incredibly hesitant over the whole thing. And the way Mei was staring at him didn't make him feel any better. He craned his head back toward Optimus and Signal Flare, asking; "What have I gotten myself into?"

…..

Just as the Dinobot was about to get cracked open, a certain Gravity user was cracking open something else. …Namely, her shopping list. Ochako Uraraka was a particularly scrupulous shopper. Having to live on her own with little funds to work with, she always made sure to take advantage of the week's latest sale at the supermarket as often as she could. Having lived in a house hold that already had limited income, she grew up learning how to shop smart from her mother, and at the moment, she was rattling off her shopping list to herself to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.

"Discounted carrots, onions, peppers, eggs, milk… ah right, shallots, too." Ochako remembered, scribbling down on her list. "Dad loves shallots and Worcestershire sauce with his curry… gah, crud! Also need to pick up the sauce!"

Her father would be attending Parents' Day tomorrow, and Ochako knew how much it would cost him just to make the trip. She'd insisted that he didn't need to come, especially since he had already done so after the Sports Festival. But still, he was determined to get a glimpse of his daughter's success all the same. …But as special as he was, it didn't stop the brunette from contemplating the Worcestershire sauce.

"…I'll check the price. If it's too much, dad'll just have to go without it!"

She loved her father, but her strict budgeting was nonnegotiable. Especially since there was something more important than curry ingredients in her shopping list. She plucked a supermarket flier from her reusable grocery bag, where giant red discounts danced across the page. But it was was bit of plain black text in the corner that shown bright for Ochako;

KUDO CUT MOCHI JUMBO PACK: 250 YEN!

The usual price of 600 yen had been slashed by more than HALF. And the vacuum-sealed packaging ensured that this mochi would last as long as it needed to… that being; reaching Ochako's stomach. She was a die-hard mochi fan who couldn't pass up the opportunity. …Unfortunately, there was one problem;

*LIMIT: ONE PER PERSON

"Darn those stingy jerks!" the brunette clenched her teeth as her grip on the flier tightened, her entire body puckering in annoyance. She knew that the store just wanted as many people as possible taking advantage of the deal, but her expression still soured over her unavoidably prudent lifestyle choices. "At least make it TWO per person… or three… or four!" She flung her arms up in the air as her rant continued. "Why not TEN packs, even?! You'd think that they'd want to move as much product as possible with a sale like this!"

"…Uh, Ochako? You okay, ribbit?"

A tiny gasp escaped the Gravity user as a familiar voice spoke up from behind. She jitterily turned her head around and there, standing with her on the sidewalk, were Tsuyu and Momo, both of her classmates confused and concerned. "Ten packs of what, now?" the latter asked.

Suddenly feeling very embarrassed, Ochako blushed and spun around, hastily asking; "Woah! Tsu, Yaomomo, what're you two doing here? I don't see you gals as a combo too often!" In truth, she was very glad to see two of her friends here. Sure, she saw Momo often outside of school, but Tsu, not so much.

"I was out searching for reference books at the book store." Momo revealed, glancing down to their froggy friend. "And I happened upon Tsuyu on my way home."

Reaching into her back, Tsu pulled out some stationary materials. "And I needed more writing paper. Where are you headed, Ochako?"

"Grocery shopping! My dad's coming tomorrow, so I gotta stock up."

Momo lifted a hand to her chin at her friend's answer. "Ah, that's right, you live alone, don't you, Ochako? I must admit, I always find it impressive that you manage to cook for yourself. I wonder, does it feel like a chore sometimes?"

Ochako blushed and giggled a little at the question. "Hehe, wouldn't go THAT far, really. It's just that eating out or getting delivery adds up quick." She lifted the store flier for example, pointing out the mochi deal. "Besides, I cut corners plenty! When I don't feel like really cooking, a single piece of mochi is enough." But the very next second, seeing the deal reminded her of her plight. "AH! The mochi!" She hung her head in despair. "Dang it, what am I gonna do?!"

"Hm? What's this about mochi?"

"Well, y'see…" From there, Ochako explained her situation, and as she did, Momo and Tsu's blank stares became bright smiles.

"Oh, so that counting you were doing before was all about the mochi packs, then?"

Tsuyu placed a finger on her chin. "That explains your furrowed brows, I guess."

Ochako flinched and whipped her head to the big window next to her, seeing her own despondent expression looking back at her. After trying to reshape her face into something less harrowing, she gave her friends a shaky smile. "Y-Yeah… cuz for me, the difference between one and two packs, even, would be HUGE. We're talking about surviving a whole extra month for each pack."

Seeing her friend's sheepish admittance to her lifestyle choices, Momo only thought one thing; '…I need to invite this girl to my house for a meal or two. She works hard, she deserves it. But first, the problem before us must be addressed.' "Why don't we help you out, then?" the rich girl suggested. "If the limit is one per customer, then we can each buy a pack of mochi for you."

"Yeah, we'd be happy to help you out, Ochako." Tsu nodded. "Especially if it's for your survival."

"GODDESSES IN THE FLESH!" Ochako flew her hands in the air while screaming to the heavens, taking the other girls aback. She might've gone into full kowtow mode if her friends hadn't stopped her then and there. Instead, they decided to head straight to the supermarket at a brisk pace, and Ochako even almost started skipping the way there. Thankfully, she held herself back… but not enough to start singing; "Three packs of mochi~ Talk about luxury~"

Momo couldn't help but smile at her friend's delight. It was almost like she could start floating off the ground at any minute without even needing her Quirk. "I must say, your love of mochi is quite palpable. Though… wouldn't you tire of it at some point, day in and day out?"

"Don't be silly, Yaomomo!" Ochako waved the thought away. "Every piece of mochi has unlimited potential! You can pair it with soy sauce, nori, mayo…" From there, she rattled off all of the potential combinations, adding more and more flavor ideas to the list.

By the time she got to different soups and cheeses, Momo was astounded. "I… I had no idea there were so many options! It seems I underestimated the power of mochi…"

"And if ya got a sweet tooth, mochi also goes good with chocolate, believe it or not."

"With chocolate?" Tsu tilted her head. "Is that actually good?"

Momo was also fascinated, but a bit skeptical. "I can hardly imagine…"

"Heh, that's a first, considering your Quirk, Yaomomo." Ochako chuckled.

The Creation user winced at that. "Rather, maybe I'd just prefer not to imagine it."

Ochako clapped her hands as an idea came to mind. "Oh! I should treat you girls to some chocolate mochi as thanks for this favor!"

The two girls had mixed reactions to her offer, but accepted nonetheless. As the conversation continued, though, they soon arrived at the supermarket. It was a chain store that seemed to not only offer foodstuffs, but also home goods and clothing, too. Momo, for her part, was astounded. "So, this is a supermarket…" she muttered to herself as Ochako and Tsu went through the doors ahead of her.

"Yaomomo?" Tsuyu piped up as she grabbed a shopping basket, noticing that her friend was zoned out.

"Oh, my apologies. It isn't often I visit places like this…"

Her comment made Ochako giggle a little again, knowing that the rich girl probably had all of the best foods in the world delivered directly to that mansion of a house. Though of course, she wasn't jealous of Momo's lifestyle… at least not that much. She was more amazed by it than anything. "That's our resident princess for ya!"

"Shouldn't we use one of these?" Momo asked as she went over and pointed to one of the carts.

"Sure! Why not?" Placing her basket into the slot on the cart, Ochako pushed it over to her mystified classmate, who stared in amazement as if she were witnessing something incredibly rare. "Wanna push?"

"Yes, may I? I've long been fascinated by these things…" With a now excited and bubbly Momo now pushing the cart, the trio went in to peruse the aisles. "How smooth! And convenient, too. It keeps the arms from tiring out too quickly."

Tsuyu lit up seeing her friend this way. "You're like a little kid, Yaomomo, ribbit."

"Hehe, it's kinda cute!" Ochako agreed as they reached the clothing area.

This only left Momo more amazed. "Oh my, I wasn't aware they sold clothing here as well."

"No reason we can't take a look later. But first up is…"

"Securing the mochi. Right." As Ochako led the way, Momo picked up the rear, all while surveying the vegetable displays in wonder. "Oh, Ochako, it seems there's an all-you-can-pack deal on carrots and potatoes! Pack into what, though? The shopping bag you brought?"

Her question made both of the other girls laugh this time around. "Hehe, nah." Ochako reached out to a large green roll that was directly next to the display and pulled on the thin part that was sticking out, revealing it to be a bunch of plastic bags. "It's these bags that you take and fill up. Don't want them accusing me of shoplifting, after all."

Momo blushed a little, feeling somewhat ignorant in her assumption. "R-Right, of course. I hear about that on TV now and again. Shoplifting, I mean."

"Yeah, it comes up on the evening news." Tsu said, placing a finger to her chin. "Especially people with Quirks that can warp stuff away. They're hard to catch, which is a real problem if they're robbing smaller stores."

Shaking her head, Ochako expressed her disapproval. "Awful, huh? Small businesses already have enough on their plates without all that." Of course, her thoughts went out to her own family situation, knowing what it was like to be so small.

With a firm nod, Momo agreed with her. "Larceny, yes. Violent crimes get more focus, but a crime is a crime, and all criminals should be dealt with. Too many people think only of themselves."

"…Wait." The student vice president's words gave Ochako pause, wherein a new conundrum entered her head. "Given the whole one-per-person thing, should I really be asking you guys to help me get more mochi?"

Her purposed question managed to make the other two think on that as well. "It is something to consider… I can't say I've ever faced a moral dilemma like this one." Momo admitted.

Ochako rubbed her fingers together, being careful not to touch the pink pads at their tips together. "Well, to tell the truth, my family and I pull this trick all the time, but maybe it's different with friends? Does it count as a scam, you think?"

"Well, if you end up with more than you should, that means someone else is without… maybe." This conundrum was hard even for Tsu to comprehend. And her response only threw Ochako into head-clutching despair.

"Dangit! I'm s'posed to be a hero someday, but I put my own budgeting over other people and the mochi they deserve!"

Her anguish earned her friends' sympathy at the very least. "Oh, Ochako…" Momo reached out, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Ribbit, isn't that the mochi right there?" Tsuyu indicated. Sure enough, just across the way was an entire display full of big mochi bags. And there was QUITE a substantial amount. "There's so much here, Ochako. I don't think you have to worry."

The frog girl's point made Momo brighten up a little. "Indeed. Removing three packs from all this is like a drop out of a bucket."

"I… suppose." With her friends' encouragement, Ochako went over to grab a bag, placing it in the cart. However, the image of tipping scales in her mind made her hesitate on the second bag. "…Ugh, what if a bunch of big families are about to show up, planning a mochi party or something? …Though then again, what about my mochi party, huh? I just dunno…"

Just then, the idea of a compromise entered Tsuyu's head. "How about we wait a bit, and if this big pile's still here, we'll pick up another two packs? If the pile's shrunk, then we only take one more. And if there's barely any left, you limit yourself to that one."

"Excellent idea. I'm sure the store would prefer to sell out the lot." Momo reasoned.

Tilting her head, Ochako asked; "You sure? I'd hate to make you gals wait around."

But Tsu merely shrugged. "Fine by me."

"And me as well. Besides, I find this supermarket utterly fascinating…" And just like that, Momo found her eyes drifting around the entire place, marveling at the seemingly endless aisles. Ochako expressed her gratitude to her friends and they were once again off, determined to kill some time while wandering the store. They passed through the snack aisle, debating their favorite childhood treats while moving toward the clothing area. But before long, the topic moved to the upcoming event at school. "You said you needed paper, Tsu? Was that for the Parents' Day letter?"

While Momo was fawning over the pajama section, Tsu affirmed her friend's guess. "Yeah, I was running low on nice writing paper. And a letter's just not the same without it, you know? You finish writing yours yet, Ochako?"

"Yep! Totally did. How about you, Yaomomo?"

"Mm? Yes, of course." The raven-haired beauty raised a hand to her chin as her cheeks flushed a little. "Still, it's a little embarrassing to imagine reading such a personal letter in front of everyone, not just our parents."

A sheepish grin came to the brunette's lips. "Heh, yeah. I'm worried my dad's gonna go overboard with his reaction."

"So it'll be just your father attending then, Ochako?"

"Uh-huh. Mom wanted to come just as bad, but Dad was the winner after their discussion… and a few rounds of rock-paper-scissors. So, which of your parents is coming, Momo? …Is it your dad? Because if it is, HOO boy, the school is in for a treat."

Momo's brow crinkled slightly, remembering that Ochako and several of her other friends already had the pleasure of experiencing what her father was like. "…Sadly, no. Father has some important business meetings to attend, so my mother will be in attendance." Even then, she couldn't stop herself from wincing. "And while I love her to bits, she can be a bit scatterbrained from time to time. She has mistaken coffee for soy sauce, sugar for salt, she even washed her face with toothpaste once."

That made Ochako do a doubletake. "WHAT?! Are you serious? …She didn't seem at all scatterbrained when I first met her."

Raising a brow, Momo leered at her friend slightly, as if silently telling her to change the subject. "Yes, well, as we both know, certain circumstances contributed to her being more focused then. Circumstances that we needn't bring up here."

"R-Right… well, uh, what about you, Tsu?"

"My dad's coming tomorrow. You can't miss him. He's the one with the froggy face… ribbit?" Just then, Tsu's eye was caught by something across the way, leading her to peer past the clothing rack.

"Hm? What is it?"

The green-haired girl pointed out the object—or rather, person—of interest. "That one guy. Something about him seems off." Ochako and Momo huddled behind the rack with her and peeked their heads out, spying a thin, fidgety man who was nervously glancing around with shoulders hunched. He appeared to be in his early twenties and was sweating profusely.

Ochako grimaced at the sight. "Maybe… he's sick?"

"Then we should offer him help before he collapses." Momo suggested.

But before she could, Ochako quietly gasped when she noticed where he was. "Ah! Wait, isn't that the women's undies section?" Sure enough, the guy was pacing in front of the panty section, all in various shades of color. Seeing this, the girls remained in their hiding spot. "Maybe… he's a panty thief?"

"C-Certainly possible." muttered a nervous Momo. "But we shouldn't prejudge. Perhaps he's picking out a gift for his significant other?"

Tsu gave a shrug. "Or he could be picking them out for himself."

Her statement nearly made the rich girl doubletake. "Well… I suppose it takes all kinds."

As the girls continued their faux stakeout, Ochako couldn't help but let out a weak laugh. "Heh… you think we're overthinking this? He could just be browsing."

"Not exactly a normal way to browse, but… I suppose that's true. We can't treat him like a criminal if he hasn't done—and there he goes." Just as the words left Momo's mouth, she saw the dude yank a pair of white women's underwear off the shelf and shoved them into his pocket. He began shuffling away from the scene of the crime, though he clearly wasn't aware of the three eyewitnesses. "It would seem he really IS a thief, then."

"M-Maybe he'll still go pay at the register—nope." Tsu's hopes were dashed when he went straight for the door. "No, no, there he goes…"

Before he could even reach the door, though, Ochako had already jumped out from behind their hiding spot, to which the other two followed. "Stop right there, you!" Her proclamation briefly made him spin around, but he wasted no time in bolting to the door the very next second. "We've got a runner!"

"Get back here!" Momo shouted, with Tsu croaking in agreement.

To their surprise, though, the criminal actually responded with; "S-Sorry! Sorry, sorry!" Though he didn't seem sorry enough to stop. Even so, the girls were quick to catch up with them thanks to their Hero Course training. They managed to corner him outside… which was when he did something totally unexpected. He spotted a planter nearby, RIPPED out the flowers in it… and shoved them into his mouth.

"W-What the—AH!" The very next second, he let loose a yellow mist from his nose, which clouded over the girls and allowed him to escape. "What is this?!" Ochako's features twisted in disgust.

Momo waved the yellow cloud away, coughing up a storm. "Whatever it is we'd better not breath it in—hak-hak!" Unfortunately, they had already been subjected to a lung-full of the particles as they gave chase. And within moments, they could feel their bodies start to react as they began to feel incredibly sluggish. Next came a twofer of itchy eyes and noses. But even so, they kept after their target. …And then their nostrils started to burn. "I… I don't feel… ACHOO!" Momo sneezed.

"Feeling… very hot… ACHOO!" Ochako sneezed.

"I think… th-this might be… ribichoo! Ribichoo!" Tsuyu ribbit-sneezed.

Once they all got a good look at once another, they were all met with very similar visages; bleary red eyes, running noses, and scrunched faces. All in all, it was clear that they were hit with a sudden onset of hay fever. "That yellow substance he shot… ACHOO!" Momo hacked, feeling very congested. "I-It must've been… pollen…"

Ochako let out another massive sneeze, cursing the man's powers as her nose was now fully clogged. "GAH! Dat guy's Quirg SUGGS—ACHOO!" On that next sneeze, the gravity user stumbled back… and grazed Momo with one of her fingers, causing her to levitate into the air.

"A-AH! Ochako?!"

"Sorry! Lebbe just… ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!" But no matter how much she tried, the Gravity user couldn't get her hands together to cancel the effects. And to make matters worse, each of Momo's own sneezes just propelled her further into the air until she was level with the tops of the roadside trees.

"I'll geb yoo down!" Tsu said, now feeling congested herself. Nevertheless, the frog girl launched her tongue toward her friend… only to be set upon by the sneezes yet again. "Ribichoo! Ribichoo! RIBICHOO!" With its aim thrown off, Tsu's tongue instead wrapped around the branches and trunk of the nearby tree. "Gah, darnith… Ribichoo!"

As this chaos unfolded though, a certain someone had been passing by on patrol. She was both a bit disturbed yet slightly amused by what was happening, but ultimately, she knew she had to get this under control. Stepping out of her pink car, she zipped over and took Ochako's hands in hers, surprising the girl but managing to bring her fingertips together, releasing Momo. In one swift movement, the woman bounded over and caught the Creation user with one arm, while reaching out to unhook Tsu's tongue from the tree with the other.

After setting Momo down, the woman took a breath, satisfied. "Hah, okay, now that that's under control…" She turned around and smiled to the trio, revealing her identity. "Hey gals! Wasn't expecting to see you here—oh." It was only then that she noticed the state of the girls before her. "You, uh… need a hand? Or a tissue?"

"SADIE!" Ochako and Momo echoed in relief.

Tsu recognized the pink-haired woman as well. "Oh yah, I rembember you." she said, still congested. "You wur at da Sports Festival cheering these two on."

"Exactly." Sadie winked and pointed to the frog girl. "And you're Tsuyu Asui. Your classmates talk about you all the time during our training sessions. Nice to see you again."

"Srrt… likewise. And thanks for getting me unstuck." Tsu bowed her head, which was beginning to feel much less clogged.

Momo managed to take in a deep breath through her nostrils. "Hah, oh thank goodness, his Quirk's affects were only temporary."

With her head clearing up, Ochako balled her fists in retribution. "That hay fever shoplifter won't get away that easily!"

"Shoplifter?" the disguised Autobot inquired, pointing off down the street. "Is that the guy I saw headed that way?"

Ochako gasped and nodded fervidly. "Yes! He took a pair of women's underwear! Maybe we can still catch him!"

Understanding immediately, Sadie ushered the girls to her "car". "Well, come on then! Let's see if we can catch up with him." On that note, the four ladies drove off down the street and around the corner, slowly making their way along and keeping an eye out for the shoplifter. "Can you give me a physical description of this guy?"

"Well, he was kinda thin and wimpy, and he wore a grey hoodie, I think…" But no matter which direction they searched, they couldn't see the man anywhere on the street, which left the younger girls slightly disheartened. "…Sadie, you're certain you saw him come this way?"

"Fairly sure. Though he could've easily ducked down an alley way and scampered off." Eventually, Sadie was forced to come to a stop at a traffic light… where there just so happened to be a young woman with long hair standing beneath a clock on her side of the street. The Autobot intelligence officer decided to take a shot and poked her head out to ask; "Excuse me, miss?"

The young woman perked her head up, revealing herself to be quite beautiful. "Oh, yes?"

"You wouldn't have happened to see a young man come past here? Thin, grey hoodie, probably in a panicked state?"

"No, I don't believe so." the woman shook her head. "Is there something the matter?"

Ochako rolled down the rear window to answer. "We're trying to track down a shoplifter who causes hay fever!" The woman's eyes seem to widen slightly at the mention, which didn't go unnoticed by Sadie as Ochako went on. "So if you see a guy with yellow powder shooting out his nose, head for the hills and call the authorities!"

"I will…" the girl stated as the traffic light changed, watching as the quartet pulled away. '…A thin guy with a pollen Quirk.' Her brows were knit together as dots connected in her head. 'Don't tell me…'

…..

Back in Zoo Dreamland, things had been thrown into a different kind of panic as security guards began rushing toward the center of the park, much to the bafflement of the visiting UA Students. They had just finished off another round of apple pie and were discussing the upcoming Parent's Day event when all of this started happening. "What in the world is happening?" Tokoyami asked.

"No clue." Denki shook his head, watching as hordes of people seemed to be convening toward the same place, all armed with phones ready to take footage of whatever was going on. "But it seems like a pretty big deal."

"Perhaps an event of some sort?" Tenya suggested.

However, Ibara shook her head. "I doubt any sort of scheduled event needs THAT much security. Come, let's see what's going on." Following her lead, the four teens rushed after the gathering crowd which, as it turned out, was a haunted house.

There, countless security guards were keeping the people at bay. "Get back, get back, people!"

Just then, a familiar voice cried out; "I think my baby's still in there… Yuka didn't make it out!"

"Hah!" Ibara gasped and whirled around, seeing the same woman they had met not too long ago currently pleading with security. "It's Yuka's mother!" The high schoolers started weaving their way through the crowd to get to her. "Ma'am! Ma'am, over here!"

Yuka's mother was taken aback, yet somewhat relieved to see them. "Oh, it's you kids…"

"What on Earth is happening?" Tenya inquired. "Is Yuka okay?"

The woman seemed ready to burst into tears. "The two of us were walking through the haunted house, but then Yuka just… d-disappeared! A-And the monster puppets, they…" *CRASH* Another loud noise suddenly erupted from the attraction, causing the mother to gasp in horror. "AH! Yuka! Please, you have to let me through!"

However, the security guard stood firm, gently keeping her in place. "Please, ma'am, just wait here. We're trying to… to… HUH?!" At that moment, the sound of rickety wooden snaps drew the guard's attention to the entrance, his expression twisting in fear as one of the creepy puppets peered out at them. The students were similarly scared stiff as the guard ushered them back. "Move! MOVE!"

"GAAAAAH! What the hell is going on?!" Denki screamed.

"I… I don't know." Ibara said, keeping close to him as they backed away.

Another guard began to ward off the crowd, shouting; "D-Do not approach the attraction, people!" He turned to Yuka's mother with some words of assurance. "And ma'am, we've called the authorities and a hero is on the way. So please, be patient."

"B-But my daughter…"

Seeing the despondent mother staring at the haunted house, Tokoyami began pondering things in his head. Zoo Dreamland was quite a fair distance away from the nearest town, and with no nearby hero agencies, help wouldn't arrive for some time. It was then that he remembered; "President, what about your police woman friend who drove us here? I know that you said she's off duty today, but perhaps…"

Tenya's eyes lit up at the reminder. Strongarm HAD driven the four of them to the park! There was no doubt she would be of some help. "YES! Great thinking, Tokoyami! I'll just give her a call and hopefully soon, she'll—"

"No need. Already here."

"AAH!" Taken quite off guard, Tenya practically flew off the ground by about ten feet, whipping around to see Stella Armstrong herself. The Autobot cadet's holoform was out of uniform, now in a white t-shirt and blue jeans with matching sneakers. "S-Stella! When did you—"

"When I heard the commotion going on, I got pretty worried about you kids." Stella answered. "So I decided to come in and see what the situation was. And I'm glad I did." She flashed her badge to the security guard. "Sir, Officer Stella Armstrong reporting for duty."

The guard's eyes widened, seeing the legit badge. "Hah, just our luck. Well, officer, if you'd like to head in and see if anything can be done, be my guest."

Stella gave a single nod. "I'd be happy to… so long as they can come with me." Glancing over her shoulder at the four teens, she sent them a confident grin. "I've worked with most of these kids before, and from the sounds of it, they've got a personal connection with the missing girl. If anyone can help me out with this problem, it's them."

"A-Are you sure, ma'am?" the guard questioned. "They're children."

"Not just ANY children, sir. They're U.A. students, so you can trust them to help me get the job done." Hearing Stella stick up for them, the four teens nodded confidently.

Even Denki forgot about his fear for a few moments. "Right! If that little girl's in there, it's a race against time. Let's do this!"

Yuka's mother was washed over with relief and gratitude. "You all would really go in there and find my baby girl? Oh, thank you so much!"

"Indeed. We will find your daughter, ma'am." Tenya asserted. "Come, everyone!"

Taking the lead, Stella peered through the door first, her eyes lighting up to shine through the darkness. From there, she proceeded forward with caution, the teens following close behind. "My word… it certainly is dark in here." Ibara commented. But even then, as their eyes adjusted and Stella's illuminated their path, they could see the amount of destruction that had taken place. Broken equipment and decorations were strewn around everywhere as if a cyclone had torn through… and further ahead, they could hear something shuffling around. Several things. "D-Do you hear that?"

"Yeah, s-stay close…" Denki advised, thinking of possible scenarios. "You think the guys who wear the monster costumes got fed up working here and decided to take drastic measures?"

Shaking his head, Tenya denied the idea. "No, this haunted house is meant for children, so everything here is animatronic. …Though what that one was back at the entrance, I have no clue. It doesn't make sense of a puppet to move on its own like that."

"That mystery can come later." Tokoyami stated, getting them back on track. "Right now, our number one priority is finding the girl—hm?" Just then, another sound came from their right… before an animatronic kappa came lunging out at them. What was once a rather delightful rendition of the yokai became incredibly disturbing in the dim light. Denki and Ibara both screamed in terror, but Tokoyami was right on it. "Dark Shadow!"

From under the bird-headed boy's hoodie, another bird-headed figure emerged, though this one was entirely made of darkness with bright, yellow eyes that glowed within the pitch black. "GRAH! You rang?!" Dark Shadow proclaimed in his shrill voice with a smirk.

Stella's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my…"

Tokoyami pointed at the approaching kappa. "There, Dark Shadow!"

"AHAHAHA! With pleasure!" Pouncing on the duck-billed creature, Dark Shadow tore into it with aplomb, shredding it to pieces within an instant. …But even after the slaughter of metal and wires, that wasn't enough to satisfy the sentient Quirk. "Grrr… need more! Need PREY!" With every word, Dark Shadow seemed to be getting bigger, much to everyone's astonishment. And in an instant, it began tearing through more and more incoming animatronics, laughing all the while.

Clenching his teeth, Tokoyami tried to restrain it. "Stop that! Dark Shadow!"

"W-What's happening?!" Ibara asked.

Tokoyami glowered at his gorging Quirk. "Dark Shadow feeds on the surrounding darkness. The darker it is, the more powerful it becomes!" He whipped around to the resident officer. "Miss Armstrong, could you brighten your Quirk a bit, please?!"

Stella's brow furrowed confusedly. 'My Quirk, what is he—oh! He must mean my eyes…' She concentrated harder, brightening the light emanating from her eyes. "Understood."

*FLASH*

"AAAAAHH!" All at once, Dark Shadow retreated to Tokoyami's side. "Too bright! Too bright!"

Even Tenya and the others had to agree with the bird. "Y-Yes, please Stella, please tone it down a bit!" At their behest, Stella did exactly that, turning the light down slightly. "Ah, much better. Now we can search for Yuka much easier."

Dark Shadow still wasn't too thrilled about it. "S-Still really bright…"

"Endure it, you." Tokoyami chastised.

Bringing her hands up to her mouth, Ibara called out; "Where are you, Yuka?! If you're here, give us a sign!" But unfortunately, she received no answer. "…Surely she should've heard that."

"She's here." Dark Shadow spoke up, his head whirling around. "She's scared… hiding in the dark."

This piqued everyone's interest, leading Tokoyami to ask further; "Can you take us to where she is, Dark Shadow?"

The sentient Quirk pointed down an adjacent hallway. "Hm! This way!" The group followed his directions until they happened upon a room with a small prop well in the center, which Dark Shadow directed them toward. "She's there, in the well!"

The five of them peered down into it… only to find it was incredibly shallow with nowhere to really hide. "…Uh, I don't see her." Denki uttered. "You messing with us?" Dark Shadow vehemently denied the claim.

"Hm…" Tokoyami pondered the situation before realizing something. "What if her Quirk manifested?" His question beckoned everyone else's attention. "Perhaps she can meld with the dark and control objects in that same darkness. That would explain her disappearance, the destruction in here, everything."

"That would make sense if it happened to her all at once." Stella affirmed. "She's very likely afraid. Yuka, sweetie, everything is okay now! We're here to help you!" But there was no response, concerning the Autobot cadet. "…Why won't she emerge?"

Denki's expression was one of sympathy as he speculated; "She's probably scared out of her mind. I know I was when my Quirk manifested. I ended up shocking myself silly and couldn't think straight for the rest of the day."

Ibara nodded in solidarity. "Indeed. When mine emerged, my old hair fell out all at once as my vines grew in. I had thought I was suffering from some sort of divine punishment." She peered down into the well. "In her case, maybe she can't figure out how to reverse the effects…"

"Allow me to try." Tokoyami offered, leaning over the well to stare into its inky darkness. "…Calm yourself. Pacify your soul and become aware of your own consciousness. Then, emerge from the darkness."

The others all stared at their bird-headed comrade incredulously. "…Dude, you're talking to a kid." Denki reminded.

"Indeed, it would be best if you explain in a more digestible way, Tokoyami." Tenya supported. "You are being much to stiff and formal."

Processing the critique of his approach, Tokoyami instead reached his hand into the well. "Yuka. Take my hand." Within moments, a faded, ghostly hand emerged out of the darkness, probing around until it found Fumikage's. He gently gripped it and pulled, and from the pitch black, the rest of Yuka appeared.

"Mister Bird…"

Tokoyami smiled at her nickname for him. "You'll be okay not."

A collective sigh of relief rang through the group as Tenya knelt down to Yuka's level. "Hah, thank goodness. Yuka, your mother has been worried sick about you. Come, we must show her you're alright." But to that, Yuka fervently shook her head. "Hm? But why not?"

"Mommy got so scared… I got scared too…" Yuka's eyes were starting to well up with tears. "…I hate the dark when I'm alone."

Seeing this, Tokoyami provided more words of comfort. "The darkness of this place revealed your true nature. That is neither something to fear, nor to feel ashamed about." He received several narrowed gazes from the others, silently telling him he was being too wordy again. "Erm, what I mean to say is—"

"The darkness is your friend!" Dark Shadow appeared, taking Yuka aback.

"W-Who's… that?"

Tokoyami sighed as he answered her. "This guy just so happens to be my Quirk." He saw her flinch a little at the revelation… but then steadily approached Dark Shadow, her eyes now full of intrigue. "You're not scared of him, Yuka?"

"Not if he's your friend. I'm not scared of you either anymore, Mister Bird." Yuka smiled.

Grinning back, Tokoyami bowed his head approvingly. "Glad to hear it."

"Yay! Friends, friends!" Yuka cheered. "I made friends!"

Stella couldn't help but laugh as everyone celebrated with her, though she quickly reminded them that their time was short. "Shall we be off, then? Your mother is certainly eager to see you again, little lady."

Once they were out, and after giving a thorough recap to the authorities, the group met up with Yuka's mother again, who was overall astounded by what had happened. "I don't know what to say…" the woman uttered. "This makes it twice now you've saved my little Yuka. If there's any way I can repay you—"

"No thanks are necessary, ma'am!" Tenya saluted, with Denki, Ibara and Tokoyami all bowing to her. "As students of U.A. High School and aspiring heroes, we did what we had to do. So please, think nothing of it."

After a few moments, the woman reached down to her daughter's shoulders. "These wonderful young people are your future heroes, Yuka." she said proudly.

"Thanks again, misters!" Yuka said with a small bow before running up to Tokoyami. "Um… I… uh…"

"Hm? What's the matter?" Neither Tokoyami or anyone else could've predicted what Yuka said next.

With a little pink blush and an awkward gaze, the girl proclaimed; "You're a Prince Charming, Mister Bird! I love you!" And just like that, Yuka dashed back to her mother, hiding her face in her legs.

Tokoyami's lower beak dropped, with Denki and Ibara both trying their best to suppress their giggles. Tenya was just as stunned as his classmate, though Stella found the scene quite adorable. "Oh my, now that was unexpected. Do you have a little crush, Yuka?"

Yuka's mother gave Tokoyami an apologetic smile. "Haha, I-I'm sorry, you know how kids are."

"I… I am flattered." Tokoyami cleared his throat, brushing his embarrassment aside to nod down to Yuka, who was peeking out from her mother's legs. "…Take care, Yuka."

"Bye-bye, Mister Bird!" And with that, the reunited family went off, the teens waving them farewell.

Satisfied with his work, Tokoyami gave a final nod. "The future is surely shrouded in darkness."

…..

"Uuuuugh, I can't take it anymore! We're never gonna find him!"

Ochako's cry of hopelessness was only heightened by Tsu and Momo's tired groans. They had searched everywhere in the store's immediate vicinity, and had just finished scouring an entire PARK for their panty-stealing perp, but ultimately came up empty handed. Having met up with Sadie at the center of the park, the group were resting near a building made for public bathrooms, trying to think of what to do next.

The disguised Autobot tried her best to inspire the girls to not give up, though. "C'mon, ladies, we're not just gonna stop here, are we? It's only been twenty minutes, he couldn't have…" But just then, the sound of rapid footsteps caught Sadie's attention, causing her to turn around. There, just across the way… was a skinny man in a hoodie. And he had spotted them as well.

"Eh?!"

"AAAAHH!" The girls all screamed at once with Ochako pointing right at him. "It's the allergy man!" The three jumped to their feet as the criminal tried getting away again, all while shouting apologies like before. With Sadie on their heels, the students pursued him… right up until they saw him go for another planter full of flowers. "Oh crud!"

With his hands full of flowers, the scared man spun around to them. "P-Please, just let me go!"

"He's threatening us with more hay fever if we approach!" Momo narrowed her eyes. "How cowardly!"

"Th-There's just… somewhere I've gotta get to. I-I'll never have this chance again, so please!"

The perp began lifting the flowers toward his mouth, but Momo was much quicker, using her Quirk to create several gas masks for her classmates. 'Thankfully no one else is around to see this…' "Quickly! Ochako, Tsu, use these!" On cue, the girls placed the masks over their faces, though Momo warned; "Keep in mind, this is just a stopgap. They won't give us complete protection. So, here's what we do…" Ushering them to huddle up, Momo relayed her plan to the group, to which the ladies all nodded.

By the time the man had swallowed the flowers, Ochako lowered herself down and touched the pavement. The affected block of cement began to float out from the ground, jostling the man off his feet and giving Tsu the opportunity to lift her mask and wrap him up with her tongue. Even so, he had already swallowed the flowers, and he began spewing the pollen from his nose. "Ack! Here it comes!" Ochako hollered.

"And I'm more than prepared for it!" From Momo's hands, she created a massive uchiwa fan, which she began waving back and forth to whip up powerful gusts. "This should eliminate our pollen problem quite nicely!" Within just a few seconds, the pollen was completely gone, much to the man's chagrin. She then created a rope and tossed it to Sadie. "Now!"

"On it!" In a single bound, Sadie pinned the man to the ground and tied his hands behind his back, leaving him at their mercy. "Alright, Mr. Shoplifter. Back to the store with you."

Even still, the man pleaded for forgiveness. "H-Hang on a sec! At least gimme my one phone call? Th-There's someone important I can't keep waiting…"

By that point, all of the ladies were glowering down at him. "And it's your fault that they're going to keep on waiting." Momo berated. "You should've thought of that before stealing." At her scolding, the man hung his head, whimpering like a helpless dog.

Once everything had calmed down, though, Ochako knelt down to give him a questioning glance. "Mister, you've got a family, yeah? You wanted those panties—I get it, we've all been there—but stealing's just not the way."

"Sorry… I-I'll return the underwear and… wait, panties?" the man seemed confused, even through his bleary, tear-filled eyes.

"Too embarrassed to buy them properly at the register, eh?" Tsu guessed.

Still, the man was completely baffled. "W-Wait a minute! Who's talking about panties?" With his arms tied at his sides, Tsu began shuffling around in his hoodie pocket, producing the undergarments. "I stole a pair of tighty-whit—AAAAH!" And the second he saw what he had, his jaw dropped to the floor. "H-HUH?! You gotta be kidding! A-All I wanted was some plain old undies for men! Must've panicked and thought those were briefs…"

"Oh, so it's not some bizarre hobby of yours?" Ochako shared a glance with her classmates and Sadie, all of them feeling a bit sheepish for presuming too much. "Well… guess we let our imaginations run wild a bit. …But still, what'd you need them for? Theft is still theft after all."

"…I soiled myself." And just like that, things came to a screeching halt for the four ladies, their eyes bugging out in astonishment. Taking a deep breath, the man began to explain. "Y-You see, th-there's this girl at college, her name is Miyuki. And for me, it was love at first sight. After four long years of crushing on her, I finally got the nerve to ask her out on a date. And would ya believe it, she said yes. I've been so excited, I haven't slept for three days… my nerves did a number on my stomach this morning, though. Tried to find a bathroom before we met up, but I couldn't. And… well…"

Sadie winced as she finished; "…You had an accident." The Autobot breathed in as he nodded solemnly, taking stock of the situation. "Okay, so this just went from one crazy problem to another."

The man lowered his head in shame. "I mean, it's not like I could go on a date with her in dirty underwear, right? So I tossed them and went to buy a new pair, but… I forgot my wallet." Sadie facepalmed so hard she almost fell backwards. "I was outta time and out of options, so…"

"Your crime was a byproduct of a series of unfortunate events, then." Momo concluded. "But I'm afraid that's no justification."

That was when Tsu made a surprising suggestion. "Why not just go on the date commando style? You've still got pants on, so she'd never know."

"A date with Miyuki without underwear? I-I could never do that to her!" the man denied.

Just then, however, a familiar voice piped up from behind the girls. "No underwear? I wouldn't have minded." They all spun around and, standing before them, was the long-haired woman who was standing under the clock.

The young man couldn't believe his eyes. "M-Miyuki!"

"SHE'S your Miyuki?!" Momo exclaimed.

"Your beloved?" Ochako said, equally stunned.

Miyuki approached them, her lips tight as she processed the situation. "So you really were after Suzuki. I started wondering when you mentioned the pollen-shooting shoplifter…" Suzuki himself tried to make a break for it, but tripped up, still bound by Tsuyu's tongue. "I'm sorry. I overheard everything."

The ladies froze, afraid they were going to see the breakup of a young couple. Suzuki bowed his head in shame. "I-I'm sorry, Miyuki! I-I… I finally manage to get a date with you and I ruin it by soiling myself… go ahead. Toss me out like yesterday's trash."

Her response surprised all of them, though. "Underwear or no underwear, soiled or not… you're still you, Suzuki." She knelt down in front of him with a sympathetic smile. "Always the shrinking violet, no knowing which way's up. I could never abandon a guy like that."

"M-Miyuki…"

"But stealing IS a crime." Helping Suzuki to his feet, Miyuki, still smiling, pointed down to the underwear. "So you need to return these, and I'll come with."

"Huh… really?"

The young woman gave a nod and winked at him. "Like I said, someone needs to keep an eye on you."

And just like that, love was in the air once more. "Oh, Miyuki! Of course, this has to be set right." After thanking Sadie and the high school girls, the college-age couple went off… leaving the four of them to slump down in the middle of the sidewalk.

"That… was… exhausting!" Ochako exclaimed.

Momo brought a hand to her forehead. "Yes, emotionally so at that…"

"Well, we caught the shoplifter and his love life's gonna be okay. Things could be worse." Tsu pointed out.

Sadie nodded in agreement. "Yep, all's well that ends well, as they say." She looked off into the direction the couple left in. "Heh, that poor guy… though he and his lady seem like a relationship made in the All Spark if—"

Tsu's eyes widened suddenly at that word. "H-Huh? What'd you say?"

"O-Oh… I meant to say their relationship would be all sparks!" the pink-haired woman said, desperately trying to save face. Thankfully, Tsu seemed to buy it, though she still seemed a little skeptical so Sadie briskly changed the topic. "There IS one thing that I can't help but wonder, though…"

Momo tilted her head. "And what's that?"

"Miyuki's reaction. Wouldn't she want her significant other to be bolder? I mean, forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but I thought women preferred men who have a firmer stance, if you catch my drift." She counted the factors on her fingers; "First he soils himself and then he steals something. I would expect her to become disillusioned with him, and yet…"

Momo and Tsu were left pondering on that, but Ochako saw it from a different perspective. "I can get the whole not-abandoning-him thing. She's just worried. …And maybe she can help him gain a little confidence himself." A knowing smirk formed on her lips. "Now doesn't that sound like a relationship we ALL know?"

Sadie and Momo knew exactly what she was talking about… while Tsu gasped in astonishment. "Oh! Are Midoriya and Kyoka finally together?!"

"Eh… we're working on it." her classmates assured. Just then, however, a grumble came from Ochako's stomach, which made her rub her tummy. "Ooh… all that running around sure worked up an appetite… AH! That's right!" She stood to her feet, prompting the other ladies to do so, too. "My mochi!"

"Ah! Oh my gosh, the cart! We just left it sitting there!" Momo exclaimed.

Sadie beckoned the girls follow her. "Well, c'mon, lets get you girls back on track and hope that mochi's still there, huh?"

The girls followed without a second thought… whilst ALL of their stomachs grumbled. "Mmm… suddenly, chocolate mochi doesn't sound too bad." Momo said with a blush, causing the group to laugh as they piled into Sadie's car. And just like that, they drove off to the supermarket, all while discussing the challenges the next day would bring.

…..

Across town, meanwhile, that aforementioned duo that the girls had been discussing were making their way through a tokusatsu fan's biggest dream come true. …And if they were being honest with themselves, they were LOVING it just as much. Admittedly, Kyoka hadn't grown up on Kamen Rider, but Izuku was a BIG fan of the reruns, so she was getting hyped up on his fanboying alone. It HAD been his idea to buy that CD of the Heisei Rider theme songs from a while back, and she had actually enjoyed it quite a bit, so she followed his lead around the convention center. And what they found was astounding. There kiosks selling Kamen Rider toys from OVER one hundred years ago! …And to her astonishment, Izuku actually bought one.

On the boy's waist was a red henshin belt with two slots made for little gimmick toys that resembled USBs. Six came with the set in total, all in unique colors; red, white, blue, yellow, green and black, and all of them had stickers that indicated what they were. That being; Heat, Metal, Trigger, Luna, Cyclone and Joker respectively. "Okay, time to do this!" Izuku announced.

Kyoka couldn't help but shake her head with an amused smile as she watched him insert two of the gimmicks into the Driver. "Do you have any idea of how much of a happy little kid you look like right now?"

"H-Hey, what can I say? W was my favorite Heisei season." Izuku said as the gimmicks began making noise in the Driver as if charging up. "I always wanted the belt and Gaia Memories."

"Yeah, but…" Kyoka eyed the two other add-ons he bought for the belt; a dinosaur-like one and a bird-like one. "Isn't all this kinda expensive?"

He nodded to her with a grin. "Which is why I trust you to make sure I don't buy anymore."

"…Ya know what? Fair point." Kyoka conceded. "Now, ya gonna henshin or are we just gonna listen to those things pulsate all day?"

Izuku laughed as he took an action stance. "Haha, alright… Henshin!" Taking hold of the W Driver's two sides, Izuku pushed them outward, making the belt itself take the shape of an actual W.

CYCLONE! JOKER!

With bombastic music playing from the Gaia Memories, the "transformation" was finished, to which Izuku struck a pointing pose and said; "Now… count up your sins!"

"Hahaha! Okay, sure." Kyoka clapped. "What crime did I commit, though?"

He thought for a moment before replying; "…Being the best friend a guy could ask for?"

The punk rocker rolled her eyes. "Okay, well, NOW you're just being a kiss-up."

But Izuku shook his head. "N-No, I mean it. Kyoka, I… I don't say this enough, but I genuinely think that without you… I probably wouldn't be where I am right now."

"Oh, come on." Getting up from her seat, Kyoka went over and nudged him with her arm. "You and I both know that's not true." However, the expression her best friend was wearing said otherwise. He was completely serious about the matter. "…Well, okay, maybe I had the teensiest role to play—"

"MORE than that."

"BUT… I'd also argue that Bee helped you out a lot, too."

To that, Izuku gave a shrug. "Alright, I'll give you that, but BOTH of you are a big reason why I am the way I am today." He smiled down to her and reciprocated the nudge with his own elbow. "So don't be afraid to give yourself some credit from time to time, okay?"

Hints of a blush made its way to Kyoka's cheeks, the girl giving him a more forceful shove this time. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say… dummy."

"Hehe…" Izuku could see right through her playful insult, but felt that their banter had gone on long enough. 'Though I could really do this all day.' He thought to himself before moving on to a different topic. As he took off the W Driver and put it back in its box, he asked; "So, you ready to go see the suit exhibit?"

Kyoka's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Ooh, yes. I may not have watched a lot of Kamen Rider, but the suits are always pretty awesome to look at." And so, that's exactly what the duo did. Marching their way into the inner show room, they were greeted by an astounding display that house EVERY single main Rider suit in the series' history, going all the way from 1971 to the most recent. And they were all incredibly well-preserved, at that, the two taking in every detail as they began at the Showa Era and made their way through.

By the time they made it to the end of Heisei, Izuku gave a nostalgic sigh. "Man, I remember watching this era a lot as a kid. I can only imagine what it must've been like at the time these shows were airing."

Stepping up to the first Reiwa Rider, Zero One, Kyoka whistled at how sleek the suit was. "Yeah, dude. Early 21st century Rider just kinda hits different, that's for sure."

"THERE you two are!" Suddenly, they let out a shared gasp and whirled around to see a frustrated Kyotoku storming his way through the hall, with Jeff trailing him trying to calm him down. "Do you two have ANY idea how long we've been searching for you in this massive place?!"

"D-Dad, I can explain—huh?" But it was only then that Kyoka noticed… that her father was also carrying around LOTS of Rider memorabilia, to which she gave him a sly grin. "Heh, well at least we know that someone ELSE couldn't resist what the convention's got to offer, eh?"

In a panic, Kyotoku tried hiding the bags of merchandise behind his back. "I… I-I have no idea what you mean!"

Jeff, however, wasn't about to let that slide. "Ah, c'mon, man, she caught ya red handed." The blonde man soured as the Autobot ratted him out, his arms falling at his sides and revealing the bags once more. "Besides, there ain't no shame in enjoyin' an event like this." All the same, he sent the teens a questioning glance. "Though, uh… ya could've told us where you were thirty minutes ago."

The pair winced and bowed their heads slightly. "Y-Yeah, that's on us." Izuku admitted. "We were just so swept up in the excitement of everything, we just forgot."

"Hah… well, so long as you both are okay, I guess there's no harm done." Kyotoku sighed, only to notice the rather large back that Izuku was toting around with him. "Huh… guess I'm really not the only one who was enticed to buy more crap, eh?"

"Well… what can I say?" Izuku pulled out his acquisition. "Where else am I gonna find a W Driver?"

As their discussion went on, Jeff couldn't help but scan his gaze across the various suits on display, moving forward into the Reiwa era. "Damn, these dudes got some impressive drip, though!" He worked his way along past Zero One, Saber and Revice before stopping in front of a certain suit that made his jaw drop. "Hoo! An' THIS cat's probably got the cleanest one!"

The Rider in question had a black undersuit with white armor on top and red on the bottom, with a diagonal split at the waist right where the belt was. Said belt was very unique in design, with one half resembling a white revolver pistol grip while the other side had a bike throttle with red chrome plating, along with a pair of exhaust pipes. By that respect, the top and bottom halves of the suit were designed in tandem with the buckles, with pipes built into the legs while the collar of the heavy white armor resembled the revolver chamber of a gun. Even in the Rider's hand, there was a white, black and red gun that no doubt went with the armor. But most stylish of all was his mask, which resembled the head of an animal with the signature Rider antenna forming the ears.

It was then that a new voice entered the conversation. "You're very close on your assumption there. He's actually a fox." The group turned their heads and saw a man in a swanky black suit approach them, wearing a white and red scarf loosely over his neck. He was also notably quite handsome, his black hair neatly combed. He turned his head slightly toward the suit, wearing a small grin. "And a rather tricky fox, at that."

"…Uh, I'm sorry, but who're you?" Kyotoku asked. "You look official. Do you work here?"

"Haha, no, I'm afraid not." the man chortled. "Though I can imagine it'd be an honor to work here. So much Kamen Rider history at the people's fingertips… I envy them a bit." He gave a shake of his head as he went on. "But no, I'm just a humble patron, going through the convention just like everyone else. Though I have to say, it's quite the coincidence that we met up at my favorite Rider…"

Izuku practically lit up, knowing exactly which Rider that was. "Kamen Rider Geats, right? His season is one of my favorites, too!"

"Really now? That's great to hear…" the mysterious man's eyes drifted down to the box in Izuku's hand. "…Even if you're repping another Rider's gear."

With a flinch, Izuku sheepishly made his case. "O-Oh, well… ya see, there WAS a Desire Driver and a bunch of Raise Buckles at the kiosks, but… they were all out of my price range."

The man nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes… the more popular a season is, the higher priced their merchandise will be. Sad, but true."

"Man, Geats is that popular, huh?" Kyoka said, eyeing the kitsune-based Rider. "What's it about?"

At her question, the man smiled, one that seemed almost nostalgic. "The show tells the story of a man who lives for 2000 years, reincarnating into different lifetimes with one goal; to find out what happened to his mother." He pointed to the belt around Geats' waist. "In doing so, he always finds his way back to the Desire Grand Prix, a show whose main form of entertainment is reliant on Kamen Riders defeating artificial enemies known as the Jyamato. Geats feels the show holds the key to his mother's disappearance, and by the end, he finds out—oh." Just then, the man stopped himself, bringing two fingers to his lips, which took the form of a wry grin. "I probably shouldn't spoil too much, just in case you want to watch it yourself."

"Huh, that actually sounds like a pretty cool premise." Kyoka admitted. "Might have to watch it sometime."

"I'm betting we can find it on DVD here…" Izuku suggested before trailing off, noticing the man staring up at the Geats suit fondly. "Say… you know, sir, you kinda look like Geats, actually."

His point made the man laugh again. "Hah! You finally noticed, eh? Yeah, I've been told I resemble the actor who played him, which is why he's my favorite." However, the man gave a shrug. "Weird thing is, I'm not even related to him in anyway. Strange coincidence, right?"

"…Yeah, pretty strange." Kyoka muttered skeptically.

The man pulled back his sleave and peered down to his watch, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the time. "Oh, wow, is it that late already?" He bowed his head to the group. "It was a pleasure meeting you, especially after seeing your performances in the Sports Festival."

Hearing that made the two students do a doubletake. "W-Wait, you recognized us from the festival? Why wait to bring it up now?"

"Hehe, I figure you kids must get hounded for that kind of stuff often. I just wanted to make some casual conversation, that's all." He sent them an encouraging wink. "And hey, make sure to keep up the good work, future heroes." The man pressed his thumb, middle and ring fingers together at the tips while holding up his pointer and pinkie fingers up, making a canid-like gesture with his hand while saying; "See you." in English before walking away.

Needless to say, the group were quite baffled. "…Who was he?" Izuku whispered.

Kyoka shook her head. "No clue. Didn't even get his name."

Her father, however, took a more standoffish attitude to the encounter. "That, kids, was a bishonen. I recommend not trusting people like him. They can be tricksters when they want to."

"Aw, he wasn't THAT bad." Jeff shrugged off. "Seemed pretty nice to me. But he was right, it's gettin' pretty late an' the ladies are expectin' us back soon. If there's anything you cats wanna wrap up before we head out, do it quick, ya feel me?"

Following his word, the group made for the exit door, with Izuku and Kyoka vowing to come back at a later date. But as they walked off, the mysterious man walked out from behind the Geats costume, accompanied by a soft bell sound and a flash of blue light. Watching the group depart, he reflected on their interaction, and quickly came to a conclusion. "Izuku Midoriya… hmhm, perhaps he was right about you after all… but we'll see, come tomorrow" With another bell chime and blue flash, the man was gone, almost as if he was never there at all.

…..

A/N: …Well, that's certainly ominous. What could this mysterious man want? And why does he seem so interested in Izuku? But most puzzling of all… that last line of his. He seems pretty interested in Parent's Day. And given that he's got some sort of teleportation power, could he be intent to observe the kids during the events? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

With that said, let's recap the rest of this chapter's events, because there was QUITE a lot. We got Red Alert and Mei going over the damage done to Grimlock's internal systems, with the pink-haired inventor dead set on repairing SOMETHING that Shockwave messed up, even if it's only ONE thing. Hopefully that goes well.

In the meantime, though, seems Tenya, Denki, Ibara and Tokoyami are once again that little girl's heroes, with a bit of an assist from Stella to boot! I knew I'd be able to incorporate the Autobots more into these chapters somehow. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this is Dark Shadow's first official appearance in the story, so there's that, too. And aw, seems like "Mister Bird" has an admirer now. Guess the darkness isn't all doom and gloom after all.

But of course, the main focus of this chapter was Ochako, Momo and Tsu as they worked together to bring a shoplifter to justice, along with another surprise assist from Sadie! And wouldn't you know it, but the poor sap did it in the name of love… even if it wasn't exactly necessary. Hopefully that guy will get let off easy, if only so that he can work on improving himself to the point where his first impulse WON'T be to steal underwear. All the same, at least the girls got put their training to good use! On that note, though…

And now, The Preview! Parent's Day finally arrives and… wait, where is everybody? Aizawa's no where to be found… though not long after, they receive a message from him telling them to come to the Cityscape training grounds. What they find there is FAR from what they were expecting. Next Time: Parents in Peril! Who is this masked villain whose captured the students' parents?! …And why can't ANY of the Autobots help in this situation?! Find out next time, but until then, thanks for reading, everyone, and I'll catch you later! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!