A/N: Hello, everybody! Happy New Year and welcome to Transformers MHA Month! Yeah, turns out Ben 10 RWBY's last stretch needed a bit of extra length to it. Sorry about leaving for a while again, but I guess that can be chalked up mostly to poor planning on my part. Hopefully that won't be the case with the next season. But enough of that for now, because we're back on the Transformers MHA train, and you know what that means! It's time for the Final Exams! And, as I said in the preview from last time, things are… a little different here. And they are VERY noticeable. So let's see what those changes are, shall we? This is…

Chapter 82: Transformative Exams

…..

The week had finally arrived. After three weeks of preparations, intensive studying, and a few nervous breakdowns on the part of certain students, the U.A. Final Exams were here. And, over the past three days, the students of Class 1-A had hit the ground running for the most part. Of course, there were still some struggles—namely from the likes of Mina and Denki—but even so, they powered through, motivated by the reward of going on that Summer Camp trip. Their minds were hurting, yes, but the thought of missing out hurt even more. And by the end of those three days, after they put their pencils down, the teens were extremely confident. The written exams were over… and now, came the practical.

It was here that Izuku Midoriya found himself changing into his hero costume in the locker room, where the other boys in his class chatted about how they did. "Man, that was pretty tough…" he heard Eijiro admit, the spikey redhead scratching his head. "My brain's poundin' after answerin' all those questions, lemme tell ya."

"Well maybe if ya did better in our study sessions, ya wouldn't be complainin' about a headache, Broom Hair!" Bakugo shouted from the other end of the room.

"I didn't say I was complainin', man!" Eijiro insisted innocently. "Honestly, it's kind of a good kinda pain, ya know?"

"Tch, the only good kinda pain is the pain ya dish out on bad guys!" the Explosion user replied as he slipped on his grenade gloves. "Keep that in mind when we start beatin' down those robots, 'cause I'm bettin' the teachers will grade us on how effective we are on that."

Tenya nodded at the blonde's point, even though it aggrieved him to do so. "Bakugo is correct. No doubt the faculty will be quite observant in our combat techniques and how we handle ourselves in a fight. Be mindful of that, everyone." While the others gave sounds of acknowledgment, the blue-haired boy turned his attention back to his best friend. "So, Midoriya, how do you think you did on the written exam?"

After slipping his glove on, Izuku balled his hand into a fist confidently. "Well, I gave it my best shot, that's for sure. I mean, I studied my ass off for this, so it'd better be worth it, right?"

"Hm, indeed. I can tell that you're quite self-assured, too, given your choice in language."

Realizing what he'd said, Izuku slapped a hand over his mouth. "Mmph! Oh, sorry about that. Gah, there it is again…"

"Again, you say?"

"Oh, uh… I'm pretty sure I've picked up Kyoka's… colorful vocabulary."

Just then, another voice piped up behind him. "Aw, that's actually kinda sweet!" Izuku flinched at Sato's sudden input, whirling around to see him and Hanta Sero smiling in approval. "Of course, given how close you two are, that's not much of a surprise."

Sero gave a wink and a thumbs up. "Ya got that right! You know what they say; a couple starts sharing certain traits the more they're around one another."

And just light that, Izuku stiffened up. "W-W-Wha—HOLD ON! I-It's not like that, really!" He waved his hands frantically as his face flushed bright red. "Kyoka and I are just friends! We're not in a relationship or anything!"

"Well, at the very least, you've gotta have a crush on her, right?" Sero reasoned. "I mean, you guys are practically attached to the hip! Heck, your seats are right next to each other!"

"Ahem." Just then, Mezo Shoji cleared his throat, interjecting into the conversation. "I'd like to point out that where Midoriya is sitting right now used to be my seat."

Izuku hastily nodded at his point. "Y-Yes, exactly, Shoji! The fact that we sit next to each other has nothing to do with—"

"I wasn't finished." Shoji piped up once again, as hints of a smirk appeared behind his facemask. "Because if you recall, Midoriya, Jiro had kindly asked me to switch with you to keep you and Bakugo away from one another. Which, if anything, lends credence to the idea that she cares about you quite a bit."

At that point, it was Ojiro's turn to mention something. "Also, the fact that you guys are on a first-name basis already is pretty remarkable." he said with a genuine smile. "You two are pretty close for how long you've known one another."

His throat tightening, Izuku had no immediate counter to his six-armed and tailed classmates… and he could feel Sero giving him a cheeky grin. "W-W-Well… I-I mean…"

"Alright, alright, let's pump the breaks." Eijiro implored, ushering Sero and Sato away.

"Indeed, this topic is a very personal matter for both Midoriya and Jiro." Tenya stated, stepping in to help his friend as well. "While moral support is all well and good, there is a fine line between that and teasing."

Upon hearing that, Sero's smile fell away and he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Ah… yeah, you've got a point, Class Rep. Sorry, Midoriya."

Sato, though, pumped his fist as he beamed to his green-haired classmate. "But in terms of genuine support, just know that you've got ours in case you wanna take the next step with Jiro."

Izuku finally managed to relax a bit as he nodded up to the Sugar Rush user. "Hah, thank you… I-I appreciate it."

"Hey, guys!" From across the room, Denki suddenly piped up, waving down the group. "Come check out what I found!" Curious, the group made their way over, where they found the electric blond waiting with a rather scared-looking Koda, an ambivalent Shoto, and a somewhat irritated Tokoyami. They were all gathered around a U.A. poster on the wall away from the lockers, and Denki wore a full smile as he explained; "Check this, I brushed against this poster as I was walking by and it came loose…" He pointed to the ajar sheet of paper… and the boys' eyes widened. It was… a hole.

"W-Wait…" Sero stammered. "Don't tell me that's…"

"A peep hole left behind by students long past?" Denki finished. "Yes, yes, it is."

Tenya, for his part, was absolutely revolted. "How outlandish! Not only is this a breach of privacy on the female student body—both literally AND figuratively—but it is also destruction of school property! We must inform Mr. Cementos so that he may fix this at once!"

Denki pointed at his class rep. "I'm right there with ya, Iida… but ya gotta admit, this is—GYAH!" All at once, the Electrification user was silenced as a hand reached up and grabbed him by the shoulder… and he was stunned by who was doing it.

"…Kaminari." Izuku uttered with his head low, only to then snap his glowing, green eyes up with a serious gaze. "If you're about to suggest what I think you are, then you might wanna zip your lip before I lose any amount of respect I have for you. Am I clear?"

With the color successfully drained from Denki's face, he nodded hastily. "Y-Yes, crystal clear!"

"Good!" All at once, Izuku's threatening gaze gave way to a cheery smile and he let go of Denki's shoulder, allowing him to drop to his knees. "Glad we understand each other." And with that, Izuku walked away, headed toward the exit. "Well, I'm gonna get on the bus. See you all there!"

The rest of the boys, however, could only stare after him in stunned silence. "…Dude, what the hell?" Eijiro managed to breath out in disbelief. "I don't think I've ever seen Midoriya that intense before."

"Tres bon, indeed." Yuma Aoyama spoke up, finally emerging in his twinkly armor. "But you know what they say; beware the quiet ones, non?"

"Well, you have to admit, his reason for that demeanor so wasn't unwarranted." Tokoyami piped up, opening his eyes to glower down at the still-trembling Denki. "I warned you that was an ill-advised idea."

"Yes, Kaminari, I am quite surprised at you as well." Tenya said in disappointment. "I would hope that you'd have known better."

"I-I was only gonna say we should pull a prank on the girls by making a lot of noise through it!" the blonde insisted. "Jeez, whaddya think I am, a perv?!"

Sato and many others deadpanned. "Well, the way you suggested it made it SOUND like you were, dude. Try thinking the next time ya say something." It was only then that the Sugar Rush user noticed something. "Uh… hey, Bakugo? You alright?"

The ashen blond, however, was still glowering at the exit door where Izuku left just moments before. As much as he didn't want to admit it… he was a bit impressed by how the greenette had handled that… but it also seemed really strange. 'A show of force like that ain't Deku's style. How the heck has he changed this much since comin' to U.A.?!' He grit his teeth, his frustration growing by the second. 'Damn it, I can't let him outclass me! I'm gonna blow him away with these test results!'

…..

Outside of the locker room, meanwhile, Izuku had emerged and was about to make his way to the back entrance for the bus. But, at that moment, he heard another door open, garnering his attention just in time to see Kyoka emerge from the girls' locker room. Though while he smiled at her brightly, he noticed that she seemed… a bit flustered. His mind raced with reasons why that could be the case… until he saw her tapping her jacks together nervously. And that's when he remembered; '…Oh god, she probably heard all of that.' He suddenly became sheepish himself, tugging on the collar of his suit as he cleared his throat. "Er, u-um… hi…"

"Hey…" Kyoka replied.

"…So did you—"

"Yes."

"O-Oh…" Izuku's eyes drifted away, now blushing profusely. "Y-You aren't… mad, are you?"

Kyoka did a doubletake and asked; "H-Hold on, what? What reason would I have to be mad?"

Izuku's brows furrowed in confusion. "B-Because of the whole peep hole thing?"

"No! No, I'm not mad or anything, Izuku!" Kyoka insisted, finally finding her nerve and approaching him. "If I'm gonna be mad at anybody, it'll be Kaminari more than anyone, even if he WAS just gonna pull a lame prank."

It was Izuku's turn to be incredulous. "Wait, you call "peeping in on the girls" a prank?"

That made the purplette scoff and roll her eyes. "Tch, relax, he wasn't gonna do what you thought he was… at least, allegedly. I heard him tell the other guys that he was just gonna make a loud noise through the hole and scare us or some crap."

"…Oh my god, I just threatened one of my friends after making an assumption." Izuku's hand went to his head in shock. "I… have I become a delinquent?!"

"Pfft! No, pretty sure you aren't there yet." Kyoka stifled a laugh and pat Izuku's shoulder reassuringly. "But if anything, this shows that you probably did learn a few things from Mirko during your internship, so there's that." That didn't seem to make Izuku feel any better as he hung his head with a groan, which finally made Kyoka laugh out loud. "Hahaha! …But seriously, thanks, Izuku. For standing up for our privacy."

"…Well, it was only the right thing to do." The greenette rubbed his neck with a shaky grin. "M-My mom taught me to respect a woman's privacy, and all…"

Kyoka nudged his shoulder playfully. "Yeah, have I ever told you how awesome your mom is, by the way?"

With that, Izuku found his own spirit and reciprocated with his own nudge. "Heh, only a dozen or so times since you met her." The duo shared a laugh before the One for All user glanced back to the locker rooms. "Hopefully Cementoss can fix that up soon, though."

"Oh, we won't have to worry about that." Kyoka winked. "I told Yaomomo and she's already making quick dry cement to fill it in."

On that note, once more the door to the ladies' locker room opened, and out came Momo and Ochako in their hero costumes. "Indeed, I have." Momo said as she readjusted her top after making the cement. "And let me just say, I cannot believe the nerve of some guys. Drilling a hole through a wall to peek on unsuspecting girls."

Next to her, Ochako had her lips in an annoyed pout. "Yeah, glad we caught that before something bad happened. Guys can be such idiots…" However, that's when she noticed that Izuku was there, and she quickly realized what she said. "G-Gah! I-I mean, obviously not YOU, Deku!"

"Certainly not!" Momo agreed, offering the boy a kind smile. "The nicest boy in class? Of course he wouldn't think such things."

At that point, Izuku was a blushing mess, though he had an easy solution. He pushed his mask up and activated his helmet, hiding his face behind his Rider-like helmet. "O-Oh, jeez… no need to be so nice, I—AH!" But just like that, Kyoka pushed the button and retracted the helmet back into his respirator, giving him a sly grin.

"Oh no, you're gettin' ALL the compliments here, dude." Kyoka ushered for Momo and Ochako to join her as they ushered Izuku out toward the back lot. "C'mon ladies, let's bring the boy scout out and make sure he gets a good seat on the bus." Izuku could do nothing but remain as stiff as a board, the trio of girls all giggling as they went outside.

…..

Once all of the other students had made it out, they boarded the bus and rode it to the Practical Exam area; the Center Plaza of U.A.'s many training grounds. And once they disembarked, they were met with quite the surprising sight. Not only was Aizawa there, but so were Midnight, Cementoss, Snipe, Present Mic, Thirteen and Ectoplasm. All of their teachers were there in one place, which left them amazed… and perplexed. "Now then, let's begin the last test." Aizawa spoke first, still as brazen as ever. "Remember, it's possible to fail this final. If you want to go to camp, don't make any stupid mistakes."

"Eh… why're all the teachers here?" Kaida asked, being the first one to notice that something was a little off.

"Not sure." Shoto shrugged.

"I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you may be faced with today…" Aizawa started to explain.

Indeed, the class had been gathering information, and thanks to Itsuka, they had it. Apparently, a friend of hers in a class above theirs had told her that previous years had seen the final exams capped off with a battle with the same giant robots they had face during the entrance exams. …And for Denki and Mina, that was alright by them. "Fightin' those giant, soulless robots!" the former exclaimed, flashing rockstar hand signs.

Mina pumped her fists in preemptive celebration. "Fireworks, smores, here we come!"

Before anyone could get too excited, though, Aizawa's scarf… began to move. "Actually, this year's tests…" *POP* "will be completely different for various reasons!" From out of the scarf, Nezu appeared, the Quirked mammal raising his paw with his ever-present smile.

"Principal Nezu?!" the class exclaimed as Denki and Mina froze like statues.

"You're changing things?!" Momo added.

Nezu began scaling down from Aizawa's shoulder using the man's scarf as he went on. "The tests now have a new focus! There will be hero work, of course, but also teamwork and combat between actual people!" He pointed a padded finger to the students. "And what does that mean for you? You students will be separated into groups…" He extended his arms out toward the teachers behind him. "And your opponents will be one of our esteemed U.A. Teachers! Isn't that fabulous?"

For the kids, that was most decidedly NOT fabulous. "W-We're… fighting the teachers?" Ochako squeaked out.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Izuku muttered.

"Additionally, your groups and your opponents have already been chosen." Aizawa went on. "They were chosen at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades and interpersonal relationships. For example…" His gaze shifted around the class until it landed on a certain trio of boys. "Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki are a in a group." All at once, the three looked to one another in surprise, though Shoto was more reserved, as always. "And your opponent will be…"

*CHA-KOOM*

At that moment, something—or rather, someone—came crashing down from the sky, landing in front of the trio. Standing at his full height, All Might grinned down and brought his fist up, showing he meant business. "I am here… to FIGHT!"

That managed to get Shoto to lose his cool a bit, his eyes widening along with Izuku and Katsuki's. "We're up against ALL MIGHT?!" all three said in unison.

"You're going to have to work together, boys! If you want to win."

"Wait!" Tenya raised his hand frantically. "Mr. Aizawa, I couldn't help but notice that you put them into a group of three! If this is a test where we form trios, won't that be disadvantageous to at least ONE of the groups?"

After the other students did some math in their heads, they realized that their class rep spoke the truth. "Hey, yeah, there's only twenty of us." Ojiro pointed out. "If we split into threes, that'd mean that there'd be seven groups… but one of those would be left with only two members."

That made a slight grin appear on Aizawa's features. "I'm glad that you noticed… which now brings me to a little surprise I have in store. Be right back…" On that note, he turned toward the building and went in, leaving his students confused.

"No doubt you're wondering what the deal is here." Midnight spoke up, placing her hands on her hips as she took center stage. "Well, I'm assuming you all still remember the Sports Festival, correct?"

"Well yeah, how could we forget?" Sero pointed to Izuku, Shoto, Katsuki and Kaida. "Between those four, the arena nearly got totaled!"

The quartet in question narrowed their eyes at the Tape user, with Kaida rebutting; "Oh sure, you just HAD to remind us of that, Mr. Nice Try." Sero promptly lowered his head, muttering a small apology.

"In ANY case…" Midnight went on, raising her voice to stop any conflict before it happened. "I have no doubt that you heard rumors around that time mentioning how it presented an opportunity for students who didn't make it into the Hero Course to be transferred up." She saw the students' eyes widen in fear, which she quickly doused; "Now, I want to preface this by saying; don't worry. None of your spots in the class are at risk. This is simply going to be a trial to see if the student we picked has the resolve we're looking for."

Nezu took that as his moment to speak again. "Which brings me back to one of the reasons why we decided to change things up this year with the finals. Because, upon reflection, the Entrance Exams themselves are inherently flawed."

Izuku raised his hand and asked; "What do you mean by that, sir?"

"Well, the practical test that was implemented into the Entrance Exams in the first place were made to benefit those with more powerful Quirks than anyone else. Unfortunately, those who do not have offensive-based powers are at a disadvantage with that type of test." Nezu explained, raising his finger again. "Which is why we were on the lookout for stand-outs during the Sports Festival, to see if anyone slipped under the radar. And, as it turned out, a certain student who applied to both the Hero Course AND General Studies did."

As the Quirked mammal explained, things began to click for the rest of the students. "Hold on…" Ochako's eyes widened as a chill ran down her spine.

Ojiro was feeling very similar, the hair on his tail sticking up on end. "D-Don't tell me, it's…"

Sure enough, a moment later, the front door slid open, allowing Aizawa and the extra student to stroll out. "Alright, students, allow me to introduce you all to your class's Plus One today. Though you probably already know him well…"

Indeed, they did. Standing next to Aizawa was a tall boy with long, unkempt purple hair that stood on end, his rather tired expression almost mirroring their teacher perfectly. And of course, without a hero costume of his own, he was instead in a U.A. gym uniform. Izuku's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of his one-time opponent. "…Shinso."

"Hm." With a small grin, Hitoshi Shinso greeted the others. "Class 1-A. We meet again."

"Are you kidding me?!" Bakugo blasted as he stormed up to the front, scowling at the young man who'd gotten on his nerves. "You're really gonna let THIS guy take the practical with us? He hasn't even done ANY of the same trainin' that we have!"

"That maybe so, but at the same time, young Shinso has plenty of the innate qualities that all heroes should strive for!" All Might insisted as he came up and placed a hand on Hitoshi's shoulder, who briefly appeared starstruck by the move. "He's got vigor, determination, and even you have to admit, his Quirk is one that isn't to be scoffed at!"

Seeing both Ochako and Ojiro feeling a bit uneased by his presence, Kyoka brought up another point. "Okay, but why have him be with our class? Why not 1-B?"

Aizawa nodded to her. "A reasonable question. We were debating on which class to set Shinso up with for a while, but given that he's had the most interactions with your class, that's what led to our ultimate decision." His gaze landed upon the nervous duo of students. "And while I realize that some of you ended up on the opposite end of his Quirk during the Sports Festival, I want to remind all of you that he's on your side now."

"That's right." Shinso affirmed, approaching Ochako and Ojiro with careful intent. "I realize that the two of you felt… uncomfortable during your time under my control, and I apologize for that." He lowered his head to the two, who were left quite surprise. "I was only doing so because I wanted to get further in the Sports Festival. But please understand, during these tests, I promise to not use my Quirk on anyone by the enemies we face."

Even as he made his vow, the blond and brunette were both hesitant to even open their mouths. …Though they reconsidered when Aizawa's eyes flashed red and his own hair stood on end. "Speak to him." he ordered.

"Gulp! U-Uh, okay." Ochako managed to squeak out… and to her surprise, her mind hadn't gone completely blank. "…He means it, Ojiro."

"Huh, a-alright." The tailed boy stammered as he bowed his head back. "Sorry for being… you know."

"It's fine, you're right to be wary." Shinso rubbed his neck. "I don't expect you to fully trust me, at least not yet. All I'm concerned about today is making a good impression here. …Then, maybe I can take another step closer to my own dream of becoming a hero."

Hearing this made Izuku feel pumped. "Yeah, go for it, Shinso! I'll be rooting for you during your test!"

Sparing the greenette a smile, Hitoshi gave a nod. "Heh, thanks. Been a while since we last spoke, Midoriya."

"Yeah, a lot's happened since then." Izuku offered a closed fist. "But today, it's all about the tests, so let's do our best!" At first, Shinso seemed taken aback by the gesture, but eventually, he reciprocated it.

Bakugo merely scoffed at the sight. "Pfft, I'm bettin' you won't last a minute."

"For your information… Bakugo, was it?" Hitoshi countered, raising ire from the ashen blonde. "I HAVE been staying in physical shape since the beginning of the year, in hopes that something like this might happen. I may not have gone through the same training, but if I do well, Mr. Aizawa said that he'd catch me up on things."

"Yeah, then what?" Bakugo narrowed his eyes. "You replace one of us? Well news flash; it ain't gonna be me!"

Aizawa activated his Quirk again, getting in between the two boys. "Alright, that's enough. Shinso, Bakugo, I'll kindly ask you both to stop egging each other on only once. Understand?" The two boys grumbled, but gave a small; "Yes sir.", which the homeroom teacher was satisfied with. "Good. Now that you've all been acquainted with your Plus One for the day, I think it's time we get down to business."

Nezu raised his paws up eagerly. "Yes! Now, let's announce the teams and the teachers they'll be fighting in order!"

Cementoss took the first go at it. "The beginning match will see young Kirishima, Kaminari and Ashido…" He slammed his concrete fists together, making the trio tremble. "Against me. I certainly hope that you three are prepared to test your limits."

"Ah-heheh… w-we'll see…" Mina said as she and the boys laughed apprehensively.

"The next match is Yaoyorozu, Asui and Tokoyami against myself." Ectoplasm picked up, the trench coat-wearing hero said through his unmoving mouth. "I wish you three luck. You're going to need it."

Momo hummed to herself as her teammates gathered around her. "I see… I can only imagine what tricks he has up his sleeve."

Tokoyami made a suggestion; "If we have time, we should formulate a strategy."

"Agreed, ribbit." Tsu concurred.

Next, Thirteen addressed Tenya, Ochako and Aoyama. "The three of you will be facing off against me. Hope you're ready for some Zero G's."

"Hmhm, oh, mademoiselle, I believe that you will be DAZZLED by our performance!" Aoyama proclaimed as he began striking several poses, his glittery armor twinkling in the sun… and nearly blinding his teammates.

Ochako winced, wearing a forced smile. "Oh, great. This is exactly what we need…"

"YOU CRAZY CATS SURE ARE LUCKY!" Present Mic spoke, his reverberating voice blasting out as he grooved his way toward Kyoka, Koda and Ojiro. He twirled around and leaned back, pointing his fingers at the trio. "'Cuz this trio has the honor of goin' up against the GOAT of sound!"

Kyoka rolled her eyes as Ojiro covered his ears and Koda shook in place. 'Jazz might want a word with you on that one, dude.'

"Now, Hagakure, Shoji…" Snipe said as he approached the two 1-A students that would be fighting him. "I'm trustin' you to help the newcomer out." He nudged his head toward Shinso, who came over without question. "Make sure he feels welcome, an' be sure to focus on strategizin'." He placed a hand upon the Big Iron on his hip. "'Cuz you're gonna need it goin' up against me."

The brainwashing boy, the invisible girl, and the six-armed behemoth all looked to one another, the latter giving a silent nod which prompted Shinso and Toru to do the same. "Well, that's a mighty fine idea, pardner!" Toru said, mimicking Snipe's southern drawl. "We'll be sure to do just that, an' just you wait, 'cuz you'll be in fer quite the surprise!"

"…I don't think you needed to go that far." Shinso grumbled as Shoji shook his head.

Not far from them, Kaida, Sato and Sero were all busy being incredibly terrified and intimidated by who they were being assigned to for their test. "Mmm, well, well, this should certainly be fun." Midnight hummed with a seductive purr, running a finger along her lips in anticipation. "Now don't go easy on me now, kids…" she said with a wink. "You know I like it rough."

"…We're gonna die, aren't we?" Sero uttered.

"If not from her whip, then from every single innuendo that she says." Kaida confirmed as Sato rubbed his goosebump-laden arms. "God, I wish this was already over."

And of course, that left Shoto, Katsuki and Izuku facing down the mountainous challenge before them; All Might. "Well boys, you'd better bring your A-game! Because despite the circumstances in place, I promise that I will NOT make this easy for you."

"Circumstances?" Shoto raised a brow. "What sort of circumstances?"

With all of the teams and opponents assigned, Nezu continued, answering Shoto's question at the same time. "To complete the test, you'll have thirty minutes. In order to win, your objective is to put these on your teacher…" Reaching into his pocket, the principal pulled out a set of yellow handcuffs that had hexagonal-shaped restraints. "Or you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage."

Denki considered this carefully. "So we either gotta capture the teacher or run away. It's basically like the combat training…"

Mina raised her hand, asking; "Yeah, but is it really okay to just jet?"

"Yep!" Nezu replied with a simple thumbs up.

"It's gonna be MUCH different than any combat training you've went through, though!" Present Mic elaborated. "After all, you're up against people who're WA-HAY better than you !"

…It was at this point that Kyoka decided to do a bit of what she did best; brazen trolling. "Better? Really?" she said without a hint of emotion on her face. "Wait, aren't you just the announcer guy?"

Present Mic nearly fell over as many resisted to hold back their laughter, with Izuku being the prime suspect. "HEY! Watch your mouth, girl!" Mic said, his constitution severely weakened. "Have some respect fo' yo' elders!"

"Ahem, this time, your exame will be very similar to a real battle." Midnight said, getting back on topic. Even so, she wore an eager grin all the while. "Strange as it is, please think of us as villains."

"Assumin' you come across your enemy," Snipe picked up from there, "if you think you can win against them, then fine. However…"

"In instances where you're outmatched, it'd be best to run away and find help." Aizawa finished, eyeing three students in particular. "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, I'm sure the three of you understand."

He got the exact reaction he was looking for as those three eyed one another, clearly remembering the incident with stain. However, instead of fretting about it, Izuku took a deep breath and steeled himself. "So we either fight to win, or run to win."

All Might spread his arms out to his opposing team. "That's right! It's a test of your decision-making skills!" He wagged his finger to them knowingly. "But with these rules, you're probably thinking your only REAL choice is to flee!" Reaching behind his back, All Might rifled through his pockets before pulling something out. "That's why the Support Course made some accessories for the lot of us!"

In his hand, the Number One Hero held heavy metal band of some sort, which had large ridges all around the outside. "BEHOLD! Ultra-Compressed Weights!" Present Mic announced as he and the other teachers began pulling out their own sets and put them on.

"These babies will add half our body weight to our physiques! It's not much, but they will eat up our stamina and make it harder for us to move around—urk!" Just as All Might finished strapping the last of his weights on his wrists and ankles, he immediately—and abruptly—felt the desired affects. "Oh shoot! These're heavier than I thought!" He cleared his throat and slowly stood back up. "Fun fact; we actually had a contest come up with these designs, and none other than young Hatsume ended up winning it!"

"Wow! Good for Hatsume!" Izuku said with genuine happiness.

"…You think we need a handicap against you?" Bakugo snapped, feeling insulted at the very notion. "Well think again."

All Might's response was another round of laughter. "AHAHAHA!" …Followed by a ominously eager glare. "…This should be fun."

It was at that moment, however, that Mina realized something. "HOLD ON! If Mei ended up winning that contest, then that means she knew about this whole thing the entire time and didn't even consider warning us about it!"

"Hey yeah, what the heck?!" Denki exclaimed as well. "She could've at least gave us a hint about it or something!"

"No, she couldn't have." Aizawa said with an admonishing gaze. "We kept the reason behind needing these weights incredibly discreet from the Support Course. Otherwise, we'd risk the secret getting blown about changing the tests." He reached behind his back, pulling out a clipboard and pen. "Now, I expect all of you to give it your all out there. No slacking off, and remember; your sense of judgement will be your primary asset during these practical tests. …Oh, and one more thing. We'll be having some additional guests to observe these tests."

That managed to leave everyone confused. "Huh? Additional guests?" Sato quirked a brow. "Whaddya mean?"

Shoji craned his head down toward Shinso. "You know anything about this?"

"Not that I can say." the purple-haired boy shook his head. But, just then…

*HONK-HOOOONK*

Most of the students jumped at the loud horn, while Aizawa and the other teachers all set their sights out toward the parking lot. "Hm, and there they are now…"

The entire class spun around, and were met with the sight of nine—no, TEN vehicles approaching them. Nine by land… and one by air. And while half of the class didn't recognize most of the vehicles apart from the one in front, the other half that were in the know were well aware of who was coming. Leading the way was none other than Optimus Prime, with Jazz, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee to one his right, while Red Alert, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Strongarm flanked his left. And above all of them, Windblade came shooting across the sky, flying straight over their heads before coming back around to make a landing in the parking lot.

"W-W-Wha-wah…" Izuku was rendered completely incoherent as the Autobots all pulled to a halt, still in vehicle mode, with their holoforms climbing out of their driver's seats. His eyes darted toward his friends. "D-Did you guys know anything about this?"

"No…" Momo shook her head, watching as Windblade's canopy lifted up and allowed her own holoform to disembark. "No, I did not."

"Holy crap! It's those awesome people from the Sports Festival!" Sero shouted with a pumped fist. "Sweet!"

The others in 1-A were all equally excited. "Wow, didn't think we'd be seeing ALL of you again, ribbit!" Tsu said as she smiled toward Sadie in particular. "And Miss Sadie, thank you again for your help back then with that shoplifter."

"Ah, so you DO remember." Sadie winked. "Glad that's the case. Nice to see you again, too, Tsu."

Tokoyami offered a nod to Stella as well. "Officer Armstrong, good day."

Stella tipped her hat back to him. "Tokoyami, we meet again." Her gaze shifted toward Tenya and Denki. "Hope you three are bringing the same spirit that you all had at the park to this test, because from what I've heard, it's not gonna be easy."

"Tch, that's for sure." Denki grumbled, only to shake his head and get back on topic. "H-Hold on a sec, why the heck ARE you guys here?!"

"Yeah, I was just about to say the same thing." Ochako scratched her head.

Orion took to the front of the group and explained. "Principal Nezu was kind enough to invite us all to the practical exams, to witness the fruit of your labor from this semester." He offered a smile down to the group of students who had the privilege of training under his Autobots. "It has been quite a productive few months, and I hope to see the very best from you all out there, no matter if you fight or flee."

"So, you know the rules of the test, then." Tenya deduced.

"Indeed." Randal confirmed stoically, though he also took notice of the teachers wearing his protégé's compressing weights. "Ah, and I already see that Mei's design is coming quite in handy." the doctor continued with a slight grin. "She'll be thrilled when she finds out that they've been put to good use."

Mina narrowed her eyes up at Buck, who was suddenly quite nervous. "So… YOU guys knew about the change in plans."

"Er, um… not until yesterday." The Wrecker assured. "Like, LATE yesterday. We wouldn't have had time to tell you even if we wanted." That didn't seem to make Mina happy, as all she had to respond with was turning with a huff while folding her arms over her chest.

Jeff couldn't help but roll his eyes and whistle out; "Woo, man, talk about gettin' the cold shoulder treatment."

"Yeah. Well, at any rate, it's cool to see you guys here!" Eijiro said as he and Sid shared a fist bump. "You'll have a front row seat to watch us kick these tests to the curb!"

"Haha, I like your enthusiasm, dude." The faux-hawked Autobot said. "But remember; there ain't no shame in running away."

Sunny clapped his hands together, sharing the sentiment. "Exactly. Remember; if you think you can't beat 'em, don't even try. Trust me, there've been a LOT of times where we've had to deal with stuff like that."

Tenya saluted to the Autobots, thanking them for the advice. "Right! We appreciate your input, everyone. And I hope you find our performances during the tests satisfactory."

"I'm sure that you'll all do fine." Windy said with a wink. "Now get out there and show those teachers what you're made of."

However, Toru raised her gloved hand, addressing the City Speaker. "Um, excuse me, miss, but I don't think we've seen you before." She also pointed toward the doctor. "Or him, now that I think about it. Who're you guys?"

"O-Oh, that's right. We haven't met, have we?" Windy wore a sheepish grin upon realizing. "Haha, of course. Neither of us could make it to the Sports Festival because of prior commitments. Well, young lady, my name is Winona Blade, though my friends call me "Windy" for short." She jerked her thumb back toward Red. "And that grump in the lab coat is Dr. Randal. He may act like a sourpuss, but he's really nice once ya get to know him."

"Ahem, I appreciate the introduction, Windy…" Randal cleared his throat, glaring at her behind his red sunglasses. "But I can speak for myself, thank you." He set his sights upon the rest of the class, who were all staring at him apprehensively. "Now, I'll be aiding Recovery Girl in her efforts to keep you kids nice and healthy today, so I advise that you don't give any grief. Am I clear?"

"Y-Yes sir!" Many of the students stood at attention, not wanting to upset the doctor. Under his breath, Sato muttered; "Wow, this guy's gotta be as strict as Mr. Aizawa." Sero silently nodded next to him.

Said teacher decided that it was time to finally get things underway. "Let's begin. The teams will take the practical exam in the order you were called. We already have a stage prepared for you." Aizawa's gaze landed upon the first three. "Kirishima, Ashido, Kaminari, you're up."

"R-Right!" the trio said as they made their way into the building, though the pink girl and electric blonde were moving much stiffer than Eijiro.

As the teachers began walking in as well, Aizawa addressed the remaining students. "Those waiting their turn to fight can either watch the exams or try to strategize together as a team. It's your choice. That's all."

On that note, the remaining students all began doing their own thing as they followed the teachers into the building. Some began doing as Aizawa suggested and immediately started strategizing the best way to defeat their assigned teachers. Others simply chatted amongst themselves, remaining in their own cliques. However, there were a few who began conversing with the Autobots, namely Toru, Sero and Sato. "So, I gotta ask, Windy…" She thrust her gloved finger over toward Windblade's vehicle mode "How in the HECK did you get clearance for THAT thing to land on school grounds?!"

"Yeah, and dontcha have to wear a compression suit or somethin'?" Sero followed up. "Otherwise, you'd get crushed by all those G's?"

"Ah…haha, right." Windy laughed off, thinking of some quick explanation on the fly. "Well, kids, you see, that jet isn't just ANY jet. It's my personal, top-of-the-line, one-of-a-kind VTOL jet, complete with a customized cockpit that's pressurized to the point that I don't NEED a flight suit." She added a little wink at the end. "As for how I got clearance, your principal gave me the okay. He said it might help put a little pep in your step if you saw something cool before the exams started."

As the students all "ooh'd" and "ah'd" in awe, Izuku quickly became aware of something… his teammates were absent. He didn't have to look very far as he saw Bakugo and Todoroki… walking away from him to do their own separate things. The greenette would've said something, but he could practically feel the intense aura of his classmates radiating off of them, so he backed off. "Mmm… great start." he hummed to himself.

"Ya just had to get assigned the two most anti-social dudes in class as partners, didn't huh?" Kyoka piped up, watching the two leave with irritation. "You'd think that Todoroki would at least be open to talking strategy."

All Izuku could offer was a small hum, only to then feel a gentle hand upon his shoulder. He craned his head up, seeing Orion Pax smile down to him in reassurance. "Do not worry, Izuku. I am aware that this will not be easy, but I also have faith that you and your team can overcome this trial." He set his gaze upon Bakugo as he disappeared into the building. "…Stubborn as they may be."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Prime." Izuku said with a meager grin, pointing in the opposite direction. "Though if it's all the same to you, I think I'll test my luck with Todoroki first."

"Understandable. Go, and good luck." With that, the students and Autobots all ventured inside of the building… leaving no one but Optimus and All Might outside. "…So, you are certain of this course of action?"

"I am." All Might nodded. "I take it that you've considered my proposal?"

Prime nodded. "Hm, yes… and I do see the benefits in doing so." His brow furrowed in uncertainty. "Still, I cannot help but feel guilty at the idea. My aid in Aizawa's Parents' Day charade was one thing, but this… this could have very significant ramifications, All Might."

The Number One Hero nodded to him. "I understand, my friend. But please consider; the faculty, especially Principal Nezu, see great potential in young Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki. Many are already saying that they could be the next Big Three." He raised a hand and closed it into a determined fist. "For this test, we want to make sure that they're prepared for anything, even the unexpected. So… what do you say?"

Optimus closed his eyes, considered the offer… and then opened his eyes once more. His decision had been made.

…..

It was official; Izuku couldn't convince either of his teammates to talk. …Well, at least ONE of them wouldn't talk to him, that was for sure. Bakugo had resigned himself to a room for "THINKING ALONE". Izuku imagined that in all caps since he was sure that's what the explosive blonde's intentions were. Meanwhile, he could NOT find where Shoto had gone off to, though thankfully, Kaida had volunteered to help find him. "I'll drag him back kicking and screaming if I have to!" she promised.

While that DID provide a funny visual, Izuku wasn't exactly confident in the odds of either of his teammates talking strategy, so instead, he decided to go to the Monitor Room to watch the events unfold with Recovery Girl. She presently sat in the control chair, with Red Alert standing vigilantly next to her. "Hah, well, looks like I have my work cut out for me today." She smiled up to the medic gratefully. "I'm certainly glad to have you here helping me… "Doctor Randal"."

The holomatter avatar spared her a brief smile. "It's a privilege to be of service, ma'am." His gaze moved up to Izuku. "Though I must say, I'm surprised you aren't planning things out, Izuku. You ARE up against All Might, after all."

"Y-Yeah, well…"

But before Izuku could explain himself, the door slid open and in walked Ochako, who was surprised to see the greenette there. "Oh, Deku! You watching, too?"

"Uraraka, hey." Izuku greeted back. "Yeah, it's not often we get to watch students and teachers in combat, right?" He wore a shaky smile as he added; "And besides, I don't think the other guys exactly feel like talking strategy right now."

"I can see that." Ochako concurred, wearing her own sheepish grin. "And I think the same can be said for a certain teammate of mine as well. Iida's trying to pry him away from the mirror as we speak."

Izuku's head tilted slightly at that, his eyes widening at the thought. "Oh… ya don't say?"

The Gravity user moved her sights back toward the large monitor screen. "That's why I thought I'd try to get inspiration from everyone else's battles."

"Hm, smart move."

Once again, the door to the room opened up, alerting the group to the arrival of Bulkhead, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. "Hey, we late to the party?" the latter asked.

"Nope, you're just in time." Recovery Girl answered. At that moment, the screen changed to focus on a large town area, one of U.A.'s many training grounds. "The tests are just about to begin."

"Good, now let's see if these kids are smart and actually follow our advice." Bulkhead folded his arms expectantly. "I hope Mina doesn't get too reckless out there."

"Yeah, same for Eijiro." Sideswipe said. "Dude tends to think with his fists a little too often." Upon saying that, the disguised Autobot was given several incredulous looks, to which he shrugged; "What?" But comments would have to be saved for later as an automated voice announced the start of the test;

…..

"Team Kirishima, Ashido and Kaminari. Practical Exam: Ready—Go!"

Upon hearing a loud buzzer, the first team of three began dashing through the streets, already on the lookout for their teacher. All the while, Eijiro was relaying the plan to his teammates. "So, whaddya think? We'll definitely get a higher score for capturing instead of running, you agree?"

"Well yeah, that makes sense!" Mina concurred without question.

Denki, however, was a bit more unsure. "Guys, don't you think we should probably—" *CHOOM* All of a sudden, a large cement wall burst out of the ground and sent the three of them reeling back, signaling the arrival of their opponent. "Gah! Dammit, too late…" Further down the street, they were met with the sight of Cementoss, his hands upon the ground and glowing green as he manipulated the pavement.

"Mr. Cementoss can't move very fast." Eijiro said as he began hardening his body. "So let's break through from the front and shoot for a high score!"

Mina's hands began pouring acid out at an astonishing rate. "Yeah! Right behind ya, Kirishima!"

Denki sighed as he followed his friend's lead, his arms crackling with electricity. "Well, guess we're doing this…"

"So you've chosen a full frontal assault." Cementoss deduced, now concentrating heavily on hos powers. "…Very well." All at once, he brought up what seemed to be an infinite amount of cement walls in their path.

"This is it, guys!" Eijiro shouted. "Let's do it!"

Mina grinned eagery, adding; "YEAH! Wreck and Rule!" With that, the three began smashing, melting and blasting their way through all of the cement walls… which just seemed to keep coming without any end in sight.

…..

Back in the Monitor Room, Ochako was cheering her friends on, despite the odds stacked against them. "C'mon guys! You can do it!"

"…They're not gonna win it like this." Izuku said regrettably, which caught the brunette off guard. He didn't want to be a contrarian, but the fact of the matter was that his friends were literally just punching a brick wall. "Their Quirks are amazing, but there's a limit to how long they can use them. They won't last forever."

Bulkhead also figured that out fairly quick. "Yeah, and I don't think Cementoss has that kinda limit to his power. The more time passes, the more of a disadvantage they're at. I don't think it's a coincidence that they were matched with him."

Ochako could only offer a meager; "Oh…"

Izuku nodded at the Wrecker's deduction. "Right. Mr. Aizawa's pitting students against teachers that they'll have a hard time against. To pass, we'll have to recognize our weaknesses and overcome them."

"Exactly right." Recovery Girl affirmed, glancing to the two students. "So before it's time for your own finals, you should think about your compatibility with the teacher you're fighting. As for them…" She shifted her focus back to the battle. "…They'll have to change tactics if they have any hope of passing."

…..

"GAH! Man, this is never-ending!" Eijiro screamed as he blasted through another set of cement walls. "No matter how many we break—GRAH! He just keeps making MORE!"

For her part, Mina was breathing heavily, having almost reached her limit. She was hesitant to make more acid, fearful that it'd be her last. "I… I-I'm nearly spent—GYAH!" Without any warning, Denki grabbed her and Eijiro by the shoulders and got them all out of the way, just as Cementoss was about to bring a huge wave of cement baring down upon them. "Woah! Kaminari, thanks!"

"Don't thank me just yet." the electric blonde pointed up to the timer just across the way. "We've only got fifteen minutes left! Kirishima, higher score or not, we've gotta switch up our approach!"

Not far away, the spikey redhead could see another barrage of walls shooting up out of the ground toward them, and it was at that point that he agreed. "Right! Run! Find the exit!" The three started sprinting as fast as they could down the street, rounding corner after corner until… "THERE!" Eijiro smiled as he saw the exit. They were home free…

…Except not, as a MASSIVE cement wall erupted in their path. "Not so fast, kids!" Cementoss exclaimed, appearing at the top of the wall. "Don't think you're out of the woods yet!"

"CRAP!" Eijiro clenched his jaw, his frustration growing just as fast as the wall did. "What the hell… there's no way around that thing!"

"And we can't go over it either…" Denki said, feeling thoroughly defeated. "This might be it, guys. Now I can see why some heroes need to call for backup."

However, Mina pursed her lips, feeling a sudden swell of determination in her gut. "…No." She approached the wall, her mouth contorting into a snarl. "Wreckers don't call for backup! They call for CLEANUP! I didn't come THIS far just to fail! We're GOING on that camping trip, guys!" She pressed her hands against the all, ready to pour everything she had left into one final push. "Even if that means GOING THROUGH THIS THING!"

The blonde and redhead went slack-jawed as she started burning through the obstacle. "What?! Ashido, wait, you just said you're spent!" Denki beseeched.

But the pink girl wasn't about to let that stop her. "So what?! Did you really forget the point of our training with the Autobots?!" She peered over her shoulder to them, her gaze filled with resolve. "It sucked, but if there's anything that I've learned from it, it's that pushing your limits is part of being a hero! We've faced down Decepticons, we can handle this! So come on! PUSH GODDAMNIT!"

"…Ya know what? YEAH!" Eijiro balled his fists, hardening them as much as he could. "We're so close! It's time to give it one last push!" He whirled around to Denki with a smirk. "And Kaminari, I've got a little idea…"

As he explained his plan to his classmate, Cementoss wasn't about to let up. "Plot all you want, students, but it will not matter." He watched as Kirishima joined Ashido in pulverizing their way through his wall, only to create several smaller walls along the bigger one's surface, intent on smashing them all down on them. "This ends no—" *ZZZZZZAAPPPP* "AH!" All at once, a MASSIVE bolt of lightning struck through the smaller walls and created a huge divot where they once were. The shock was so intense that it managed to take Cementoss by surprise, causing him to fall straight off the wall.

Down below… Denki slumped over, his brain now completely fried. "Eyyyy…" he garbled out as Eijiro caught him.

"Nice work, buddy. Now…" The redhead smiled toward Mina, who nodded back. "Three…"

"Two…"

"ONE!" On the final count, they crashed through the remainder of the wall and ran straight for the exit, crossing it while hauling Denki over their shoulders. "YEAH!"

"Team Kirishima, Ashido and Kaminari have crossed the escape line. Exam Over."

From his place on the ground, Cementoss rubbed his head, staring at the three celebrating students with pride. "Hm… well done, kids."

…..

"AAAAAAHHH! OH MY GOD! They did it!" Ochako bounced up and down, pumping her fists wildly in the air. "They actually did it!"

"WOOOOO! YEAH!" Sunstreaker and Sideswipe shared double high-fives. "That's what I'm TALKIN' ABOUT BABY!"

Bulkhead and Red Alert were both smiling with pride, the former's sights locked in on Mina. "…Yep. You she is without a doubt Wrecker material."

Izuku sighed in relief, placing a hand over his chest to calm his speeding heart. "Wow, that was way too close for comfort…" Even so, he now saw that these tests wouldn't be a walk in the park. 'Those guys had to give everything they had just to win. These exams are gonna be a lot harder than I thought they'd be.' He furrowed his brow, knowing that his own opponent would be especially hard to fight. 'On top of that, I'm up against the Number One Hero…' His thoughts went to his own teammates as well. One was completely stubborn and the other was a natural loner. This was gonna be hard, he could tell. 'I can only hope they're open to talking strategy soon… because we're gonna need one.'

…..

A/N: And there you have it! The Exams are off to a roaring start, as you can see. And indeed, things are a LOT different this time around. So, let's go through them one by one;

First off, yes, Shinso is back. And a LOT earlier than when he was brought back in canon. Now, you may be wondering WHY exactly I decided on this, and the reasoning is two-fold; one, because I was honestly wondering WHY he wasn't brought back sooner. I understand that there was a LOT of other plotlines happening at the time, but I honestly think that Shinso would've made a good addition, if only so his later inclusion didn't just seem out of nowhere.

And secondly… there's gonna be a pretty big shake-up to the story when Arc 3 comes. I won't say what it is just yet, but let's just say that it's gonna result in Shinso being around more. You'll just have to wait and see what it is. But until then, because Shinso was added, that meant that I had to split the students into groups of THREE this time instead of two. So as a result, some different match-ups had to be made.

As you can see, I took Aizawa, Nezu and Power Loader out of the equation, leaving the others to do their own trials. …And as a result, Eijiro, Denki and Mina ended up passing their tests. Because let's face it; they've been up against worse and their training with the Autobots has left them a bit more well off than in canon at this point. So with all of those factors, they're given a fairer shake. There are also OTHER things that've been shake up, but we'll get to those in the upcoming chapters. And yes, the Autobots ARE present for the tests in their holoforms, at least most of them. No way were they gonna miss THIS event. With that said, however…

And now, the Preview! We pick things up with Momo and Tenya's teams being next, but meanwhile… trouble is stirring somewhere else. Because back in North America, Swindle had returned to M.E.C.H. …And he's brought some friends. Next time; Yaoyorozu Rising! Ectoplasm's clones leave Momo's team in a real bind! Thanks for reading everyone, and I'll see you all next time. And of course, as always…

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!