Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

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

87. Seaside Recovery

A/N: Howdy, everybody! Welcome back to Transformers MHA! First off, Happy Valentines Day to one and all. Hope you're celebrating it well, whether or not you have a special someone. Secondly… hoo boy, last time was quite the sobering experience. Needless to say, the reception to the reveal that Saiyans exist in this story's universe has been… mixed. And you know what? I completely understand where EVERYONE is coming from on both sides. In fact, I had a feeling that I'd get this kind of reaction, so before we begin, I want to address a couple things regarding the Saiyans for the future;

One; this universe's Saiyans aren't NEARLY as powerful as those from Dragon Ball. Remember; these Saiyans are mostly a PEACEFUL race, meaning that they don't conquer planets for a living. Furthermore, not many of them have undergone a Zenkai Boost (before Freeza's attack, that is) and even then, NONE of them exceed All Might in terms of power. Heck, the concept of a "Super Saiyan" isn't even a thing in this universe… at least, not yet.

And two; if you're worried that the Saiyans are going to be intrusive on the main crossover, you have NOTHING to fear. At most, the only Saiyans that will even be a BIT relevant are the two that I named in the last chapter. All of the others are simply more occupants for the Kimia space colony.

Believe me, I understand how huge this decision was, but ultimately, I'm sticking to my guns and keeping the Saiyans in. They aren't going to be taking over the story and they WON'T throw the balance of power out of whack. You have my word. But, on that note, let's get back to the story and the actual topic of today's chapter, shall we? This is…

Chapter 87: Seaside Recovery

…..

"Mmmmmwah!"

A short yet relieved sigh escaped Izuku's throat after Recovery Girl applied her Quirk to him, the elderly woman's smooch to his cheek sending a healing effect throughout his entire body. The results weren't instantaneous, unlike Merissa's Quirk, but the fact that his back was already feeling much better still spoke volumes of it. …Though unfortunately, the way he was positioned on the nurse's bed wasn't entirely flattering. The way All Might had crashed into his back left him bending backwards, meaning while his head was against the pillow… his rear end was stuck straight in the air. He was just grateful that none of his friends could see him right now… apart from Todoroki, who was also in a bad way. Bakugo, meanwhile, was still unconscious.

"Hah, thank you so much, Recovery Girl." Izuku muttered into his pillow. "I'm already starting to feel a lot better."

The nurse gave a low hum as she moved over to Shoto, whose legs were propped up on two pillows. "That's good. And what about you, dearie?"

"Doing good." Shoto affirmed. "Don't feel any pain in them at all, honestly."

"Good, that means you'll probably be able to walk out on your own." Recovery Girl's smile flipped upside down when she looked up to the two men who were responsible for the three boys' current state. "But honestly, you two! Was it really necessary to go THAT far?" She pointed her syringe cane at the coughing Number One Hero first. "All Might, you really don't know how to hold back!" Then she directed it toward the Autobot leader. "And Orion, I am VERY surprised at you. If either you had hit these boys any harder, they'd have permanent damage!"

All Might coughed out the best apology he could muster. "Hk-hak—s-sorry—HAK!"

Orion raised his hand, bowing his head to the elderly woman in respect. "And I apologize as well. I was told by Aizawa to only hold back so much, so that they would have a challenge."

"Hmph! Well, then I suppose HE'LL be getting an earful, too." Turning back to the boys, Recovery Girl grumbled; "Todoroki's legs might've been okay by comparison, but Midoriya's back was just horrible! I was barely able to heal it. …Hah, and Bakugo probably won't wake up for a while. For now, the three of you should stay here and rest."

Shoto nodded affirmably. "Right. We will."

"And thanks again, ma'am." Izuku added, weakly waving from his awkward position.

Recovery Girl left the room, leaving All Might and Prime to look over the battered boys. The former focused in on his protégé, who had closed his eyes as he relaxed his back. '…You're so much stronger than when we first met that sometimes I hardly recognize you, young Midoriya…' His sights moved over to the other boys as well. 'And the same goes for you two. Young Bakugo, do you realize… you were able to smile in the face of defeat? And young Todoroki, the way you communicated with your teammates is a far cry from how reserved you were at the start of the year.' Craning his head toward the window, the blonde man took in the sunset, wondering just what lied ahead for his students. 'I can't wait… to see how strong you three become.'

Feeling a hand settle on his shoulder, All Might turned back around to see Prime eyeing him curiously. "Are you alright, my friend?"

"Oh, um, yes, I'm fine." Toshinori waved with a reassuring smile. "Just… reflecting on everything that's happened today."

Hearing a grunt from below, the two men saw that Izuku was beginning to straighten out his back, much to their relief. "Hah… yeah. Though to be totally honest, I'm glad it's over."

"I'm sure you are, young Midoriya." Raising a finger, All Might pointed out; "And hey, you don't have to worry about these kinds of tests for another six whole months! By then, you'll be FAR more prepared, I'm certain of it."

"Hah… sure. Provided we don't have to fight the two of you again." Shoto pointed out. "Even when you're holding back, you guys are a pretty powerful and cohesive team."

Prime and All Might chuckled in unison at his point before the former spoke; "I do not doubt that, Shoto. However, you shouldn't sell yourselves short. Yes, the three of you WERE at each other's throats at the beginning, but in time, you came together to eventually conquer the test."

Izuku, now flat on his back, turned his head toward the unconscious Bakugo. "Yeah… but who knows if that'll be any easier in the future?"

All Might strolled up and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "That's up to you to make possible, young Midoriya. Hearts and minds can't be changed in a day, but personally, I think you've made some great progress with young Bakugo." The hero eyed the unconscious blonde. "It'll take more time for him to fully come around, but in the end, I'm sure it'll be worth the effort."

"…I really hope you're right, All Might." Izuku sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "Still, it's pretty crazy how much has happened this school year, you know?"

"Indeed." Optimus concurred, scanning his eyes across the room at the boys. "Many of you found your weaknesses and learned to move past them. Others learned what it really takes to be a hero. Some of you tasted failure… struggled with your own powerlessness, but then moved toward bright, new goals, overcoming your past letdowns." He then nodded to Izuku and Shoto. "These feelings might be bittersweet, but I hope you learn well from them."

Shoto couldn't help but agree. "Hm, you're right, Prime. Thanks for the advice."

Izuku, meanwhile, was slightly amused. "Hah, advice in the form of a speech. Yeah, that's what Prime's best at, alright."

"Hahaha! He's got your there, my friend!" All Might laughed heartily.

Optimus could only offer a shrug. "Hmhm, well, what can I say? I've had eons of practice." *knock-knock-knock* At that moment, everyone's attention was brought to the door that led to the Monitor Room, much to their astonishment. "Hm, that's odd. I thought everyone was going to meet us outside…" Prime approached the door and opened it, only to see his lieutenant on the other side. "Jazz?"

"Yo, Prime…" Jazz started hesitantly, rubbing his neck all the while. "You, uh… you guys all set up in here?"

His brow furrowed in confusion, Optimus glanced back to the boys on the bed, who were equally as perplexed. All Might also had a brow raised, prompting Optimus to respond; "I suppose… for the most part. Izuku's back has straightened out and Shoto says he can walk fine on his own. Is something the matter?"

A wince formed on Jazz's holoform features. "Er… you could say that. But that ain't somethin' we should talk 'bout in here. Come meet us outside an' we'll explain." On that note, Jazz's holoform disappeared, taking the others off guard.

"…That doesn't seem normal." All Might noted.

"Yeah, Jazz seemed… nervous about something." Shoto brought a ponderous hand to his chin. "I wonder what…"

Prime's holoform lips tightened. Something was up, he knew that for sure. It wasn't like Jazz to skirt around an issue like that, especially with him. "There's only one way to find out, apparently. All Might, give Izuku some help. We're headed out."

However, Izuku was keen on getting out on his own. "N-No, Optimus, I'm good! Promise!" He began rolling onto his side, reaching a foot down to the floor. "Watch, I'll just take it one step at a ti—IIME!" *CRASH*

Upon falling, the sound of Izuku's impact was enough to startle Bakugo awake, the Explosive blonde snapping his eyes open before whipping up into a seated position. "GAH! W-What the—where—HOW?!" Once he took in his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't on the test field anymore… and his teammates and opponents were all around him, the former two just as battered and bruised as he was. "W-What's going—"

"Haha! Young Bakugo, congratulations!" All Might announced with his arms raised. "You passed, boy!"

"I-I did? Th-Then we managed to…" Katsuki trailed off when he saw Izuku sprawled across the floor, earning a confused glare from him. "Deku, what the hell are you doing?"

Izuku eyed him irritably. "Oh, sorry if me being on the ground is an inconvenience to you, I only had my BACK thrown out trying to get to the finish line." He managed to get up on his hands and knees before sitting up. "I also came back to get you guys so that we'd ALL get high marks on the practical, so you're welcome for that."

Bakugo's lips curled into a sneer. "What?! Deku, you bastard, I wanted to go out fighting!"

With a deadpan look, Izuku rolled his eyes and retorted. "Should've known a simple "thank you" would be off the table." He hoisted himself up, his knees shaking while his back ached. "Listen, you can grumble all you want, but the fact is that we all passed in the end. You want to complain about how, then fine, but just know that I'm not gonna let what you say bother me anymore." He furrowed his brow at the still glaring Katsuki, though he could tell that his former friend was also somewhat surprised. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go get changed."

"Yeah, so do I." Shoto echoed, standing up as well. "It's getting late, anyway." The two proceeded toward the door, with Shoto waving over his shoulder. "See you around, Bakugo."

As the two boys departed, Katsuki was left stunned and angry, and he couldn't tell which was more palpable at the moment. He clenched his fists in his lap, his frustration growing by the second. "…Since when did he start growing a pair?" he growled under his breath.

"…I'd say it was when he finally had it with you." To All Might's astonishment, it was Orion who said that, the Autobot leader stepping up to Katsuki's bed. "Young man, Izuku has told me much about your history, and I must say… I'm not impressed with what I've heard."

"Tch…" Bakugo glanced away. "Seems like he's just telling EVERYONE now. It's a miracle I haven't been expelled or something—"

"Because Izuku still vouched for you."

That managed to get a doubletake out of the explosive blonde. "Huh?! W-What're you—"

Orion shook his head in disappointment. "It seems you still don't comprehend what's going on, young Bakugo. You and Izuku may not like one another… but there's a big difference between the two of you that gives Izuku the higher moral ground; he still holds respect for you. You, meanwhile, have no respect for him, even though he now has a Quirk." He narrowed his gaze at the stunned boy. "Your sense of superiority over everyone else… is what will ultimately hold you back from achieving true greatness. And your constant, festering anger will only ensure that. …I knew someone like that who succumbed to such anger." Prime backed away from Bakugo's bed, keeping his head held high. "I suggest that you seriously think about what road you should take going forward… lest you end up like how he did."

And with that, Orion made his way toward the door, leaving All Might to try and wrap things up. "A-Ahem, well… I also suggest that you take what Orion has said to heart, young Bakugo. Next semester will only bring more challenges, after all. …And many of them you can't face on your own." He gave Katsuki a final nod as he followed the Autobot leader out the door. "Remember, hero school or not, this is still a place of learning. And it's clear that you still have much of that to do."

On that last note, Katsuki Bakugo was left by himself, pondering everything that he had just been told. Looking down at his hands, he clenched his teeth and tried to block their words out… only for them to keep coming to the forefront of his mind. No matter how much it made him angry… he couldn't deny that what Orion said has struck a chord. '…Goddamn it, why, though?!' He clenched his head and fell back to his pillow. "Why the hell do I feel so… inspired by that guy?! Gah, it feel too damn weird!"

"Ah, good, you're awake." His head shot back up once Recovery Girl entered the room, giving him a kind smile. "I was told by the others that you were doing well. How do you feel, young man?"

"…Confused." Katsuki admitted, his eyes shifting down. "…Completely fucking confused."

…..

Once the boys got themselves changed, they, along with Optimus and All Might, went out to the U.A. parking lot to see what was going on. As expected, they were greeted by the sight of the rest of their friends along with the Autobots… though strangely, they were all huddled together in a group for some reason. And none of the bots were using their holoforms either, even though they were still in vehicle mode. Prime's suspicions were raised all the more once he saw the students' apprehensive smiles. "Everyone…" he greeted first. "…What is going on?"

"H-Heh… hey, Prime!" Kyoka chuckled nervously. "You'll, uh… never guess what we're about to tell you."

"Kyoka?" Izuku tilted his head. "You guys alright?"

Tenya raised his arms, stiffly waving them up high. "Never better, Midoriya! We're all quite well, thank you for asking! Absolutely nothing is making us worry out of our minds—"

"Iida, everybody, would you just move so I can talk to them, please?" The sound of a certain croaky voice took Prime, All Might, Izuku and Shoto aback, while the others collectively winced. Hesitantly, the students parted down the middle, allowing none other than Tsuyu Asui to step forward. "Midoriya, Todoroki." she nodded to her classmates first before bowing to her teacher. "All Might, sir."

The Number One Hero was still baffled. "Young Asui… what brings you here?"

"I'm here because I need to talk to him." Tsu craned her head around, her expression unreadable as she faced Orion Pax. "…Mr. Optimus Prime, I presume."

And just like that, everything started clicking into place, with Shoto and Izuku audibly gasping while All Might's eyes widened. Optimus himself, however, kept himself reserved enough to keep the act up. "…I don't ever recall telling you about my code name, Miss Asui." he replied with a tilt of his head. "How did you guess?"

Tsu just shook her head. "I didn't. A friend of mine told me." She pointed directly at him. "Also, you can drop the act. I know the whole deal about the Autobots."

Now that managed to truly take Optimus off guard, causing his head to snap directly to his team in shock. "I-It wasn't us, Prime!" Sideswipe assured.

"We didn't slip up, we swear!" Arcee echoed.

"She told us she knew from the moment you transformed." Bulkhead added, his voice filled with trepidation. "Apparently, she's known about it for a long time."

Needless to say, Optimus was quite surprised. "…I see. That is the truth, then?"

"Zrkt—It's the truth—zrkt—The WHOLE truth and nothing BUT the truth!" Bumblebee swore through his radio.

Red Alert rolled his way over to his leader, saying; "Optimus, believe me when I say that you'll want to hear what Miss Asui has to say. I could be our biggest lead yet."

"Hmm…" Optimus raised his brow toward Tsu. "Very well, it seems that you know about us. I would very much appreciate to know how, though."

He saw the young girl swallow her nervousness before pressing on. "Right. Truth is, Optimus Prime, sir… I found another of your kind not too long ago." That managed to make the commander do a doubletake, along with All Might and Shoto.

Izuku, meanwhile, felt his jaw unhinge from shock. "W-What?! Asui, you… you found an Autobot?!"

"Yes, and I told you to call me "Tsu"." The frog girl reminded before shifting her focus back to the matter at hand. "But Optimus Prime, sir, believe me when I say that I don't intend on revealing anything to anyone. The only others who know anything about it are members of the agency I interned under, no one else."

"This occurred during your internship…" Optimus pondered that before going back to his medic. "Red Alert, I want you to run a complete scan of the area. See if there are any remaining students on the school grounds."

Without even saying anything, Red Alert complied with the order, his windshield projecting a holographic screen that showed the progress of the scan. Once it reached the end, the screen switched off and he concluded; "Scan complete. The only ones remaining on school grounds are teachers and other school staff, Optimus. We're in the clear."

"Good. Autobots… transform."

Ochako reached out, taking her froggy friend by the shoulder. "Tsu, you're gonna want to step back for this."

*WHRR-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-CHKT*

As she complied with her friend's advice, Tsuyu Asui was left completely wide-eyed and slack-jawed, watching as the first nine Autobots transformed into their robot modes. And once Jazz, Bulkhead, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Strongarm, Bumblebee, Arcee, Windblade and Red Alert were all standing, that's when Prime's holoform disappeared and he transformed as well, towering over the humans at first before kneeling down to their level. Tsuyu was completely at a loss for words… except for one astounded; "…Ribbit…"

Optimus nodded down to her. "Hm, I can see that you're surprised. Now, if you would be so kind… please, tell us what you know, Miss Asui."

"Sure… and please, call me "Tsu"."

Clearing his vents, Prime corrected himself; "Ahem, right, Tsu. Of course."

With all eyes on her, the frog girl began recounting her story; "Like I said, it was during my internship under Selkie's agency. We were on a job and things had just gotten pretty hairy…"

…..

*Three Weeks Ago*

Tsuyu Asui—a.k.a. the Rainy Season Hero; Froppy—had hoped that this sudden mission would allow her to show what she could do. Of course, her mentor for the week, Selkie, had tempered her expectations at every turn, saying that she was to simply observe and only help where needed. …However, given that he had been captured and was currently stuck at the bottom of a rogue fishing boat, a different approach had to be made. So that led her and one of his sidekicks to investigate some strange goings on at a pair of large rocks that were sticking up out of the ocean… which, as it turned out, led them to exactly what they were searching for; a villain.

…Unfortunately, though, this villain had been prepared, and launched an attack almost as soon as they found out. The bad guy in question had an Octopus Quirk, giving him long tentacles and spongey, reddish skin. Two of his tentacles doubled as two pairs of arms, with webbed hands at their ends. The other two sets were his main pair of legs… and a pair that protruded right out of his face under his big, bulgy eyes. He was also decked out in baggy clothes and a hood, making him look like a real thug.

"Haha! And here I thought I'd gotten away with it!" the villain guffawed, having gained the upper hand as he loomed over Froppy on his boat. "You idiots just won't give up, now will you? How sad, a girl and some kid are all that's left to stop me?"

Said girl was a young woman with short blue hair, wearing a quite white and blue sailor's uniform. She also had a pair of accessories over her ears, which in actuality were communicators that were styled to resemble blue fish fins. Her name was Sirius… and she was in a pretty precarious position, wrapped up in one of the villain's long arms. But, even so, she wasn't defenseless, pulling out a collapsable baton from her fanny pack before swinging it at her captor. "HYA—AGH!"

Unfortunately, the weapon was slapped out of her hand within a second. And following that, the villain began to tighten his hold around her, bringing his hand up to her face. Tsu was about to jump to her aid, but the villain caught sight of her before she could. "Ah-ah! Not so fast! I'll give her back just as soon as the coast guard calls off their search. But first… you're gonna help me unload the cargo, got it?"

Froppy knew exactly what that cargo was, too… illegal drugs. 'I've gotta find SOME way to get out of this… but how—'

*CHZZ—Sorry, our transmission was blocked." All of a sudden, everyone's attention was brought to Selkie's earpiece as one of the captain's other sidekicks chimed in. "We're still stuck on the fishing boat, but the captain made it out. How're things on your end? Tell me your status! Please respond!"

Unable to reach the comm, Sirius could do nothing but struggle as the villain reached up and plucked her earpiece off. "I see. So this is actually a radio, huh? Hmm…" His cephalopod features took on what could only be described as a "smirk" before bringing the comm closer to Tsu. "Here you go, kid. If you value this woman's life, then repeat what I say; "Unfortunately, we weren't able to track down the stowaways". Got it?"

"No! Froppy, don't do it—MPH!" Sirius was promptly silenced as the villain pushed his hand over her mouth.

"Sirius!" Tsu cried out, only for the bad guy to keep pressuring her.

"Hurry up now!" Despite his insistence, though, Tsu was still hesitant, which only made him goad her even further. "Oh, I see. You don't care what happens to your friend here, do you?" Froppy tightened her lips, her eyes glancing between the device, the villain, and Sirius. "Well, come on. Get to it!"

Eventually, though, Tsu's gaze locked with Sirius' pleading eyes, and she remembered something that the blue-haired sailor had told her earlier that day. "The captain is relying on us to follow his orders. If we believe in him, then we trust his course of action. Do you have faith, Froppy?"

Ultimately, she frog girl lowered her head toward the comm. "…I get it now." Without wasting another moment, she reached out, touched the call button, and said loud and clear; "THE STOWAWAYS ARE AT THE DOUBLE ROCKS!"

The octopus man was galled, while Sirius was relieved and grateful. "Thank you so mu—AH!" However, in his rage, the villain slammed Sirius straight toward the deck, knocking her for a loop before leaping at Tsu in anger.

"You stupid little brat!" He swung his arm down, intent on slamming it straight on her head, only for Froppy to start hopping between the double rocks. "I'LL KILL YOU! GRAH!" No matter how many times he swung, though, he just couldn't seem to land a hit. She just kept bounding every which way. "Stop jumping around and STAY STILL, dammit!" Eventually, though, the villain found his opening when Tsu lashed her tongue out to scoop up Sirius, wherein he quickly grabbed it and yanked her toward one of the rocks. "Ah, yes! NOW I've got you!"

He proceeded to swing her straight into the stone and dragged her straight through it until she hit a branch. It snapped off, naturally… but something else happened. A hairline fracture where the branch once was began to steadily increase in size, even more so as the villain leapt up and crashed onto the outcropping, pinning Tsu beneath his foot. "This is the end, "Froppy". You're just a helpless child." He began reaching out, intending to smother her with just his hand. "But, since you came here uninvited, I'll have to teach BOTH of you a less—huh?"

*SPLASH* *CRASH*

From out of nowhere, something—or rather, some things—came rocketing out from the sea and careened right into the rock, forcing the villain to jump out of their way. As it would happen, these "things" were actually a pair of squid men in matching red and blue fishing gear, who went falling back into the water while crying their eyes out. "BOSS!" they screamed.

"My brothers!" the octopus exclaimed… without noticing that the fracture on the rock had grown bigger.

*FWOOSH*

"Ribbit!" Froppy croaked in relief as another figure breached through the water, landing on the rockface. He was a muscular, six-and-a-half-foot tall seal man, complete with grey skin, dark speckles on his head, and whiskers growing out of his pudgy cheeks. He also had a scruffy white beard and red markings around his eyes, and he wore a blue and white wet suit with a pair of yellow goggles on his head. "Captain!"

Captain Selkie sent his intern a reassuring grin and a salute. "Sorry for being late! Leave the rest to me!" He turned to confront the octopus villain… only to get a face full of ink, obstructing his vision. "GAH!"

"Think again!" the cephalopod man launched himself at Selkie, ready to deliver a hard punch… only for the hero to deftly dodge while clicking his tongue.

One of the benefits of Selkie's Quirk—Spotted Seal—is that he could use echolocation to know his surroundings. Whether that was in the deepest sea… or in a fight. 'You think you can use cheap tricks to win? Well, I've got news for you!' After vaulting off the villain's back, Selkie landed against the other rock and rebounded back, shouting; "You can't hide, villain!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Using all six of his free tentacles, the villain launched a barrage of punches upon Selkie, but to his chagrin, he was able to counter them all.

…And then, from behind, Selkie grabbed onto his leg. "CAPTIAN! NOW!" she screamed.

Rearranging himself in midair, Selkie went for a flying kick. "It's OVER!"

Even though he was caught off guard, however, the villain wasn't about to go out so easily. "NEVER!" Using his two face tentacles, he wrapped them around Selkie's extended leg and swung him straight into one of the massive rocks… the same one that already had been cracked.

That would end up being the final straw as the massive formation broke and gave way. Froppy let out a gasp and went to jump to safety, lashing her tongue out to grab Selkie and throw him away from the hazard zone. "Captain!"

"Gah! Froppy, watch out for the—HUH?!" However, whatever the captain was about to say died in his throat as he noticed something strange about how the formation was falling. Namely that… something seemed to be INSIDE of it. Sure enough, most of the rock wound up crumbling into the ocean… leaving a gigantic, metal… thing behind. Everyone, hero and villain alike, were completely baffled by its presence as it fell into the water, making a beeping noise all the while.

"ERROR! ERROR! Stasis Pod Damage Too Extensive. Awakening Occupant."

The pod began to list onto its side only to flip over entirely, right as it was opening up. And then… it sank into the ocean depths, leaving everyone scared and cautious. "W-What was that?!" the villain shouted. "Is this some sort of trick?!"

At this point, the ink had washed out of Selkie's eyes, and he glared at the bad guy. "I'm just as lost as you are, villain… but that doesn't matter!" He extended a hand toward his intern, warning her to stay back. "Froppy, leave this to me, I'll… huh?" But just then, the surface of the water began to bubble… and then it began to move upward. Before long, whatever was coming up finally breached, accompanied by a familiar sound;

*AOOGAH! AOOGAH! AOOGAH!*

As the alarm rang through the dead of night, the group were left completely bewildered and speechless at the sight before them. Towering over their heads was a MASSIVE bipedal being made of what appeared to be metal, standing about as tall as a four-story building. They couldn't really make out much detail of the being's body, but it was clear that it was entirely robotic, given not only its immense size, but also how its eyes glowed an unearthly shade of blue behind its built-in visor. The only other notable detail they could see were the protrusions coming out of its shoulders, each having large propellers mounted on them.

However, Tsu noticed something else about it once it came out of the water… it was barely able to stand up. There were several points across its body where the metal armor had been torn up and ripped apart. She wasn't sure if the injuries were from what had just happened or from something else, but it was clear that, whatever this was… it was in pain. And seeing it double over and let out a groan only assured her of that.

"W-W-W-What in the WORLD is THAT?!" the octopus villain exclaimed, quickly scrambling to get away from the scene. "GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

"N-No! Stop, villain!" Thankfully, his attempted escape is what got Selkie out of his stupor and he quickly gave chase… only for the robot to notice as well.

The sea-faring hero gasped as it reached out and brought its hand down onto the villain, imprinting a massive hand print into the now cleared out island… with a villain-shaped indent underneath. Even so, the villain was still alive, seeing as his body was still twitching in pain. As the bot brought its hand back, it peered down at the small humans below, scanning its optics across them before asking in a low, gurgling voice; "Excuse me… do you know where I am? …Or even who I am?"

…..

*U.A. High, Present*

"…And that's basically it." Tsu concluded.

The story had only taken about ten minutes to recount, but even so, the group of humans and Autobots hung on to every word. It was certainly a fantastic tale, and it managed to make them all very excited. "Woah, so an Autobot helped you take down those drug traffickers?!" Izuku said, his eyes shining in awe. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, but as you can imagine, Captain Selkie had us all keep it a secret." Tsu reminded.

"Completely understandable." Strongarm nodded. "After all, best not to attract too much attention when it comes to finding an Autobot trapped in a rock."

Sunstreaker, though, was incredibly confused. "But HOW did their stasis pod even end up in there in the first place? Seems like an odd spot, don't you think?"

Red Alert had an explanation. "My best guess would be that their pod got caught in a landslide of some kind millions of years ago, and from there, the stone solidified around it and was then pushed up out of the sea by continental shift." He craned his head toward Optimus. "Sir, if what Tsuyu says is true, then it's imperative that we locate this Autobot and retrieve them. We need to give them proper repairs."

"And if their memory is fractured, then I'll need to use my Cortical Psychic Patch to help them, too." Windblade added.

"I agree." Optimus concurred. "Though that does lead me to wonder…" He raised an eyeridge down to Tsu. "If this Autobot's memory core is damaged, then how did you know about us?"

The frog girl tapped the side of her head. "He's been able to piece a few things together over these past few weeks. We've been helping him along as best we can, but most he's able to remember was that he's an Autobot from Cybertron under your command, and was sent to Earth on a ship for some reason."

"That reason being to bring energon—the life blood of their race—BACK to Cybertron." Momo revealed to Tsuyu. "Your bot was likely part of the crew of the Ark, which crash landed on this world millions of years ago."

Tenya explained further. "Tsuyu, this may come as a shock to you, but the Autobots are currently in a war with a different group of Cybertronians; the Decepticons. All who defy them and their leader, Megatron, are sought to be destroyed."

"…A bit on the nose with the name there." Tsu commented. "But that certainly sounds pretty bad. So why DID this ship need to come to Earth to find this "energon" stuff?"

"Because our planet's supply is running out." Optimus revealed. "For a time, the core of Cybertron flowed with enough energon to satisfy everyone… but once the war broke out, Megatron and the Decepticons began to hoard it to power their weapons." He raised his hand to the sky, which began to darken as the sun set. "We knew, however, that energon could grow on different planets, so we sent the Ark out on an expedition to find more and bring it back so that we could revitalize our world."

"Zrkt—And now—zrkt—here we are!" Bumblebee concluded.

Just then, Mina brightened up as a thought occurred to her. "So, wait, if we can help this bot out, then maybe we'll be one step closer to finding the Ark?"

"It's a strong possibility." Red affirmed. "And it'll be even better if we can recover his pod."

"Well then, what're we waitin' for?!" Denki clapped his hands together. "Let's go get him!"

Eijiro, however, tried to temper his friend's expectations. "Woah there, dude, hold on just a sec. We don't even know where this bot IS yet."

"Not far, actually." Tsu piped up, placing a finger on her chin. "Captain Selkie's keeping him bunked up at his agency in Shizuoka City. He's had to keep the Oki Mariner floating on the water while Big Sea takes up her dock."

"…Er, I'm sorry, "Big Sea"?" Kyoka inquired.

"Oh, that's what we've been calling him." Tsu spread her arms out for emphasis. "Ya know, because he's big and he came out of the sea." The group exchanged odd looks to one another before the frog girl clarified further; "It was the captain's idea."

Kaida laughed awkwardly while rubbing her neck. "Hehe, yeah, I thought it was a bit on the nose…" She ultimately shook her head, getting back on track. "But this is great! We know exactly where the big guy is, so let's go help him, huh?"

Optimus was quick to agree. "I couldn't have said it any better myself, Kaida. Autobots… Transform and Roll Out!"

All at once, the bots transformed once again, which only made Tsuyu even more amazed. Once their holoforms appeared, Arcee pulled up and opened her door for her and Ochako. "So, Tsu, you up for a little drive in an Autobot?"

"I am, thank you." Tsu nodded before she went to climb into the back, only for Ochako to correct her and put her in the passenger side.

"Ah-ah, this is your first time!" the brunette insisted before climbing in the back herself. "You get shotgun!"

"Ribbit…" Tsu croaked sheepishly as her seatbelt automatically locked in place.

As Prime took the lead with All Might in his passenger's seat, the Autobots rolled out of the U.A. parking lot, the Number One Hero taking the opportunity to revert back to his skinny form. "Hah… thank god, that was a lot to keep up." Toshinori breathed a sigh of relief. "Can't believe I've been like this all day. I think those weights actually ended up conserving some of my energy for me…"

Optimus' holoform grinned to his friend. "Hm, perhaps. Though I wouldn't count out your force of will, All Might. No matter how old you get, that's something that never goes away."

"Hehe, I appreciate the words of encouragement." the blonde man chortled before shifting back to the topic of the hour. "So… if this Autobot was found in Japan, you think any of the other pods could be here, too?"

"It's a distinct possibility." the Prime nodded. "If that's the case, however, then it's imperative that we not only aid our comrade, but also recover the remains of his stasis pod. If we can salvage its internal computer… it may very well lead us to the Ark."

The Symbol of Peace hummed thoughtfully. "Hm, then if that's the case, we've not a moment to lose. Let's roll."

…..

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Darksyde, a certain general was quietly seething to himself. Unicronus had absolutely aggravated at how easily Starscream had lucked out in getting back into Megatron's good graces. He could kiss any chance of leading this mission by himself goodbye with that ruling, and all because the Seeker had managed to capture a relatively useful Decepticon deserter who just so happened to have good connections. It was enough to make his energon boil, and on top of that, the Away Team were now more likely to go directly TO Starscream instead of HIM because of his seniority!

"That damned Screamer…" Unicronus clenched his fist and struck it upon the center console, not caring if he broke it or not. "I swear to the PIT that I WILL take your place. I am the actual competent one on this ship, I should be the one giving the—"

"General Unicronus, sir!"

"WHAT?!" Whipping around, Unicronus glared down at the Vehicon informant, who flinched at the sudden outburst. Realizing what he did, the general composed himself as best he could, clearing his vents and standing up straight. "Ahem, I mean… report."

The Vehicon saluted while stammering what he had to say. "Y-Yes, sir! O-Our scanners have picked up s-several Autobot signatures on the move across the Japanese coastline."

Unicronus furrowed his metal brow, turning back to the central console. "That so? On screen." Upon his order, a large holoscreen appeared before him, showing a map of Japan. There, at least nine Autobot energy signatures could be seen moving across the Shizuoka prefecture to the eastern seaboard, which he found very interesting. "Hm… odd. What could justify all of this activity? The Autobots don't often move in a group this big in Japan, they normally stay in smaller ones. Makes 'em harder to track…"

"At the moment, we don't know, sir." the Vehicon lowered his head.

"Must be somethin' important if it means this many bots goin'." Unicronus perked his head up as Swift entered the room, with Barricade by her side. "Maybe a new relic?"

"Or a Mini-Con." Barricade shrugged. "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised by either."

However, the general shook his head. "Hmph, if it was a Mini-Con, our own sensors would've picked it up by now. …But I ain't about to rule out a relic." He pointed toward the green femme. "Swift, take a battalion of Vehicons and go pay the Autobots a little visit."

Swift, however, was hesitant. "You sure? I mean, Starscream ain't back yet and I'm pretty sure he'll wanna—"

"EXACTLY." Unicronus growled, stepping closer to loom over her. "Starscream ISN'T back yet. But guess what? I'm STILL co-commander, so either follow my orders or I'll confine you to quarters until further notice! Am I clear?"

Despite how much she wanted to tell him off, Swift reserved to grit her metal teeth and comply. "Yes… sir." On that note, she spun around on her heel and marched out, murmuring expletives under her breath the whole way. She looked back to Barricade briefly, and his sympathetic gaze was enough to make her relax, at least somewhat, before fully leaving. 'Whatever this is, it'd better be worth it.'

…..

Back in Japan, the team had just arrived in Shizuoka City as night fell, making a beeline toward the port the moment they got there. Not long ago, Tsu had actually called ahead to inform the Oki Mariner crew about their arrival, and from the sounds of it, they were quite excited. "Sirius is really interested to meet all of you." she said while smiling at Sadie. "I think you'll like her. She's great. And Captain Selkie is an amazing hero."

"I don't doubt it." Arcee replied. "Anyone who's willing to take in a damaged Autobot, even without knowing their origin, is certainly a great hero in my eyes." As the minutes passed, the buildings began to become fewer and far between, before eventually the group had a full view of the expansive ocean. "I have to say, though, Tsu, I'm surprised that these villains that you stopped didn't say anything at all about the Autobot who helped stopped them."

A small, amused grin formed on Tsu's features. "Oh, that's because the police thought that they were all spouting crazy nonsense. After all, who WOULD believe a giant robot of all things would just come out of the ocean like that?"

Ochako could only shrug in the back. "Yeah, that's fair. Pretty sure ANYONE would think the same if they heard that… without having actually SEEN the Autobots, that is."

"Heh, yeah…" Arcee trailed off as Optimus and the others ahead of them began to slow to a stop, turning into an empty lot with a sign above it that read; "Oki Mariner Hero Agency". "I'm guessing that this is the place, then. You're up, Tsu."

"Ribbit…" As the Autobots all pulled to a stop in the parking lot, Tsu was the first to climb out, craning her head around searching for the crew.

Thankfully, that didn't take very long. "Froppy! Hey, you made it!" Across the way, Tsu spotted the familiar young woman who called out to her, smiling as she waved her over.

"Sirius! Hi!" Tsu hopped over Arcee's hood to meet the blue-haired woman directly. "Glad that you guys didn't close for the day yet."

"Oh, you know the captain doesn't like to close until late." Sirius winked. "You would've had plenty of time."

As the other students climbed out of their respective bots, they were able to take in the lady's appearance themselves, and a certain electric blonde was quite stunned. "Woah-ho, dude, look at HER." Denki muttered, nudging Eijiro in the shoulder. "That sailor outfit has to be THE cutest thing I've ever seen on a girl!"

"Yeah, it's cute… but she is way out of ALL our leagues." the spikey redhead stated.

The declaration made Denki grimace gloomily. "…Sad thing is, you're totally right."

Sirius perked up when she saw the other students, smiling to all of them. "Oh! And these must be your friends!" She gave a welcoming bow to the teens. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Any friend of Froppy is a friend to us here at the Oki Mariner Hero Agency. Welcome!"

Bowing back, the students reciprocated with a united; "Thank you very much." Then, Izuku continued from there. "Asu—er, Tsu's told us a lot about you all, too. And thanks very much for keeping this Autobot safe, by the way."

"And how do YOU know about the Autobots, son?" All at once, everyone stiffened up at the sound of a gruff voice from further away, drawing their eyes up to see none other than Selkie approaching them. The spotted seal man scanned his eyes across the crowd, noting each and every one of the kids. "In fact, I could ask ALL of you kids that. Froppy, you're sure these friends of yours are on the up and up?"

"They are, Captain Selkie, sir." Tsu responded without batting an eye, even though most of her friends were feeling somewhat intimidated by the gruff man. "They've already known about the Cybertronians, MUCH longer than we have, in fact."

"Sh-She's right, sir." Tenya assured, placing a hand over his chest. "We can promise you, we are trust worthy."

Selkie, however, raised a skeptical brow. "That so? And how exactly HAVE you known about the giant alien robots?"

As if to answer, the kids all turned to Optimus. "Prime, you wanna take this one?" Kyoka asked. "He's probably not gonna be convinced until he hears it from you and All Might."

"Of course." Optimus obliged, his voice making Selkie and Sirius do a doubletake as he rolled forward. His passenger door opened up, allowing All Might to quickly buff back up and hop out to greet the two.

"Ah-ha! I am here to extend our gratitude to you both!"

Needless to say, both of the sea-faring heroes were astonished. "A-All Might?!" the exclaimed, with Sirius snapping her head toward Tsuyu. "F-Froppy, you didn't mention ANYTHING about All Might in your call!"

Tsu simply gave a cheeky grin. "I know. I just wanted to see your faces when you realized he was in on this, too."

"AHAHAHA! And quite the expressions you have, too!" All Might laughed again, coming forward to give the captain a salute. "But genuinely, Captain Selkie, thank you so much for keeping the Autobot's presence here a secret from the public. It genuinely means so much to the other bots and myself that our secret is still in safe hands."

Selkie hastily saluted back. "O-Of course, All Might, sir! And might I add, it's a privilege to have you here at my agency. I mean, I knew that you taught at, but never did I think you'd know about the Autobots." He promptly shifted his focus back to the children with a sheepish grin. "And to all of you, sorry if I put any of you off back there. I was only being cautious, you know? When it comes to a secret this big, you can't be too careful."

"That's perfectly understandable, Captain Selkie, sir." Momo affirmed, only to glance back to the rest of their group. "After all, considering how many of us here found out about the Autobots by accident, it's no wonder you'd go to such lengths."

"Hahaha! Is that so?" Selkie guffawed, his hand going to the back of his head. "Well then, guess I really DID have nothing to worry about…" And then, the seal man did… something odd. He brought his hands close to his chin and sent them all a big, toothy grin while squinting his eyes. "Fowgive Me!" he said in baby-talk.

…The results were expectedly mixed. Most of the guys, along with Kaida, Kyoka and Momo, all cringed uncomfortably at the face. Meanwhile, Tsu, Ochako and Mina were given pause by his behavior, as were the Autobots. "…Uh, what's that?" Bulkhead piped up.

In response, Sirius groaned and smacked her captain on the shoulder. "THAT is the captain's unsuccessful attempt at being "cute"."

"Ah, c'mon, Siwius!" Selkie implored, practically tilting his whole body to one side. "You still don't think this is endeawing?"

"No, no it isn't." the blue-haired woman pointed directly at him, her brow twitching all the while. "All it does it make people feel weirded out, and even little kids just point and laugh at you! I still can't believe this HAS to be pointed out!"

"HMM?!"

Little did Selkie know, however, that his "cuteness" had managed to garner some admirers. '…Adorable.' Tsu, Ochako and Mina all thought in unison, the former having already seen the display before. Still, the frog girl knew that they couldn't waste any more time. They had to get this done. "Uh, anyway, could we get some of these bots inside so that we can fix up Big Sea?"

Selkie's eyes widened, remembering the situation. "Oh, yes, of course!" He reached into his wet suit and aimed it toward the agency building, causing a garage door to open up. "My agency building serves both as an office AND a dock for the Oki Mariner. Big Sea is down below, though, so only a few of you can really come in, I'm afraid."

"Down below, you say?" Right at that moment, Windblade flew down from out of the sky, coming in for a landing much to the shock of the sailors. "Well then, I'm not going anywhere down there like this. Prime, I've checked the area, the coast is clear."

"Thank you, Windblade." Optimus said before giving the command; "Autobots, you may assume robot mode, but keep a low profile. And be ready to transform at any moment in case anyone comes around." *Whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chkt* With this instruction, the Autobots all transformed into robot mode, with some crouching down and remaining low behind the massive wall that separated the port from the main street.

And of course, Sirius and Selkie were completely awestruck. "O-Oh my gosh…" the former covered her mouth with her hand. "So that's how they do it!"

"Big Sea said you were capable of doing this, but seeing it with my own eyes is just crazy!" Selkie added, craning his head up to the kneeling Optimus. "That said, again, I can probably only fit a handful of you inside…"

"That is fine, Captain." Optimus assured. "I will likely be one of those few. Considering that "Big Sea" seems to remember me, he might find my presence reassuring." He raised a finger while adding; "But we do have one more Autobot we have to wait for. He should be here—" *CHOOM* "…right now." The sudden bright green flash of light alerted everyone to the GroundBridge opening up nearby, making the sailors' jaws drop.

Stepping through the portal came none other than Signal Flare, equipped once again with his Energon Transfusion pack attached to his arm apparatus. He was also carrying a large tool box in one hand, and, riding in on his shoulder… was a certain mad inventor. "Hey, everyone!" Mei announced their arrival.

"Sorry if we kept you waiting." Signal Flare continued. "Had to make sure we got everything."

Optimus shook his head, however. "Don't worry, Signal Flare, you're right on time. We were just about to get started.

The blue Autobot leaned down, allowing Mei to safely hop off his shoulder and jog toward her friends. She raised her hands with a happy smile and said; "Hey! Heard you guys SMASHED those practical exams! Congrats!"

"Hehe, thanks, Hatsume." Izuku reciprocated. "But let me tell you, it wasn't easy."

"Well, I don't doubt it! Buuuuut…" The pink-haired girl put on a knowing smirk, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. "Did my babies at least help a little bit? Surely they had to make things at least a BIT easier for ya!"

At first, the group were confused, but then Kaida remembered; "Oh yeah! Your weighted band thingies! Yeah, I say they helped big time!"

"Agreed." Shoto affirmed. "Without them, we'd probably have been toast against All Might."

Throwing his head back, the Number One Hero laughed and went over to Mei, patting her on the shoulder. "Hahaha! Young Hatsume, you continue to impress everyone with every invention you make! It's no wonder the faculty's been putting a good word in for you." He sent her a knowing wink. "Watch this space, because I've got a feeling that they've got BIG plans cooking for you."

Mei was bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet in her excitement. "Eeheeheehee! YES! Soon the whole WORLD will know exactly what my babies can accomplish!" However, she clapped her hands together to get back on track. "BUT, before that, we've got a bot to help! So, where is the big guy?"

"He's in the main agency building over there." Tsu pointed out. "Also, I didn't know you were in on this secret too, Hatsume."

With her eyebrows raised, Mei pointed back at Tsuyu. "Oh yeah! You're that girl with the frog Quirk from their class, right?"

"Yes, my name's Tsuyu Asui. But please, call me Tsu."

"Hmm… short, sweet and to the point! Nice to meet ya, Tsu!" Mei jerked her thumb over to the building. "So, you wanna show us to your friend in there?"

Just then, Selkie cleared his throat, interjecting himself into the conversation. "Ahem, young lady, this is my agency, so I'd be happy to show you in. Along with any other bots."

Mei craned her head up to the seal man, her smile unwavering. "Ha! Alright then, Mr. Seal! Lead the way!"

The hero wore an incredulous expression, while behind him, Sirius had to hold back her laughter. "…She always like this?" Selkie asked, glancing toward the students.

"Most of the time, yeah." Mina shrugged. "But she's a good hand with tech and stuff!"

"Hm." Selkie shrugged. "Well, if you say so. Froppy, you're comin' too, right?"

Tsu nodded without hesitation. "Of course, ribbit." With Optimus, Windblade, Red Alert and Signal Flare taking point, the group began following Selkie and Sirius toward the building, with Tsu giving the others a reassuring wave. "We'll be back, guys!"

"It probably won't take long." Mei winked. "You just hang back and relax while we tinker with the big guy in there." With their friends waving them off, the group entered the main agency, only to find that it wasn't much of a typical agency at all. Of course, there were rooms with offices that were closer to the entrance, but the main building was taken up by a giant swimming pool that was filled to the brim with water. Needless to say, Mei was both intrigued and perplexed by the setup. "Uh… what's with the giant pool? And where's the Autobot?"

Selkie threw his head back and laughed. "Hah! This is no pool, girl! This is the Oki Mariner's dock. When she's not in use, we put her in here. …Though that said, we've had to keep her outside for a while since our guest is just under here…" Selkie reached into his pocket and grabbed a remote control, pressing a big, red button in its center. Then, all at once, an alarm sounded off and the water began to drain from the dock, leaving it mostly dry before its bottom split open, revealing a rather large lift. "Shall we go down and see him?"

Optimus was hesitant, but stepped onto the lift, finding that it could support his weight just fine. "What is this, Captain Selkie?"

"Oh, just a little hidden elevator that I use to bring the Oki Mariner into my workshop. Gotta keep her in working condition, you know?" Once all of the Autobots and the ladies were on, Selkie pressed another button and the lift began to descent. "By the way… go easy on Big Sea, okay? He's had it pretty rough these past few weeks. …Honestly, he looks worse and worse with each passing day."

"Don't worry, captain." Signal Flare said, gesturing to the pack he was wearing. "That's what this is for. Once we repair him and revitalize his energon levels, he should be right as rain."

Sirius held her hand over her chest. "I certainly hope so. …It honestly feels like he's just slowly dying, and it's scary."

Mei couldn't help but notice that Tsu seemed to be shifting uncomfortably in place, making her tilt her head. "Hm? Something wrong?"

"…Well, it's just… Big Sea and I have become really good friends. The thought of him dying without even fulfilling the mission he came here to do just never sat well with me." Tsu replied with a small yet hopeful smile. "But now, with you all here, he may have a chance to do that."

"Without a doubt." Windblade gave her a thumbs up. "We'll make sure that he's okay, Tsuyu. Promise." On that note, the lift came to a halt at the bottom, leading the Autobots and humans to step off.

"BIG SEA!" Selkie called out into the dimly lit room. "We've got a surprise for you!"

Tsu hopped ahead of them all and shouted; "You have guests, Big Sea! C'mon, get up!"

From further in, the group heard a low, weak gurgling groan. "Mmph… captain? Tsu?" From the shadows, a rather large shape began to turn and sit up. And once it really got moving, the Autobots were left taken aback. Even sitting down, it was clear that the bot known as "Big Sea" was MASSIVE, peering down at all of them through his blue visor. And what's more… they all recognized him for who he really was. The moment Big Sea saw them, though, he gasped and focused in on the Autobot commander first. "Y-You! …Optimus Prime?"

Beneath his faceplate, Optimus smiled and responded; "Hah… yes, old friend. Your optics don't deceive you. I am really here."

"I-I can't believe it!" Big Sea nearly got to his feet, but quickly found that wasn't agreeable with him right now. "Gah! Ow! OW!"

"Woah, woah, easy big fella!" Windblade raised her hand, trying to settle him down. "Don't get up on our account. We're here to help you, after all." Reaching into her subspace storage, the City Speaker took out her Cortical Psychic Patch, showing it to him. "And we're gonna start by getting your memory banks sorted out."

Red Alert and Signal Flare stepped forward as well. "And while she's doing that, we're going to give you some much needed repairs." the medic assured.

Optimus came forward, reaching up and placing a reassuring hand on the big bot's chest. "You're safe now, my friend. …Though you've always been safe, I should say." He craned his head down to the Oki Mariner crew and Tsu, who were all smiling happily. "You had such trusted allies to take care of you in your moment of need. And now, it's time we got you back to being ship shape."

"…Thank you." Big Sea said tiredly. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

…..

Meanwhile, as the minutes passed outside, the team decided to gather 'round and discuss how their practicals went, with many of them praising one another for their performances. "Ashido, I've gotta say, I was really impressed with how you did out there." Izuku commended. "The way you ate through Cementoss' wall with your acid so quickly is a real testament to how you've improved your Quirk."

The compliment made Mina grin widely. "Aw! Thanks, Midori! That means a lot!" She nudged her chin back at him. "And I can say the same for you. I still remember when you used to break your bones using your Quirk."

"Indeed, and that is now a non-issue." Tenya said with aplomb. "Well done, Midoriya."

Izuku rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Ah, thanks guys, you're too kind."

Kyoka elbowed her best friend encouragingly. "Don't be so modest, dude. Take pride in what you pulled off. 'Cause lemme tell ya, even if he was handicapped, going up against All Might must've not been easy…" However, the punk rocker shot him an annoyed eye. "Even if he DID also spring Optimus on you guys outta nowhere."

"Ah… haha…" Toshinori tried to laugh it off, having de-bulked himself again briefly. "About that, sorry that I couldn't tell you. Though to be fair, it wasn't me who came up with the idea. You can thank your homeroom teacher and the principal for that one."

However, Kyoka still wasn't impressed. "But you still supported it, right?"

As much as he wanted to say no, Toshinori knew there was no way out of it. "…Yes. But please understand…" He craned his head toward Izuku and Shoto. "Your class is special in more ways than one. ALL of you are improving at an astounding rate… but when it comes to Young Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo… let's just say that the faculty has recognized a pattern." His statement managed to leave the kids curious, to which he asked; "Are you all familiar with "The Big Three" of U.A. High?"

"Oh yeah, I have, actually." Kaida raised her hand. "In fact, I met one of 'em during my internship at Ryukyu's agency. She seemed nice… if a bit airheaded."

Eijiro added in; "Yeah, and I think I've seen them walking the halls together a bunch, too. I've heard that they're all pretty powerful."

"Exactly, and that's part of what earned them top marks as third year students." Izuku affirmed. "Though I also heard that their training regimen is off the charts, too… at least in terms of one of them."

"Oh, trust me, they ALL train intensively." All Might assured. "I've seen it in person… but of course, they'll be graduating next year. And by that time, that'll leave you all as second years." He focused on Izuku and Shoto. "And the faculty seems to expect you two and Bakugo will slip in to the hole they'll leave behind."

The boys eyed one another, trying to digest the information. "That's… a lot to take in." Shoto said.

"I know it is." A sigh passed Toshinori's thin lips. "But, realistically, it's the most likely outcome. Your performances at the Sports Festival only exemplify that. So, Aizawa wanted me AND Prime to really test your mettle, to see if you three were ready for more intensive regimens yourselves."

Kyoka couldn't help but purse her lips at the idea. "Don't you think you might be putting just a LITTLE bit more pressure on these guys than necessary?"

The Number One Hero raised his hands defensively. "H-Hey, don't look at me. Like I said, you can thank Aizawa and the principal for that."

Mina craned her head up toward the Autobots. "You guys have been pretty quiet about all this. Got any opinions?"

"Heh, well, to be honest, I think it's a pretty stellar opportunity to be given." Arcee replied.

"Yes, being at the top of your class is certainly a fine goal to reach for." Strongarm supported. "And considering just how potent those boys' Quirks are, it's only natural that they'd be the ones to be scoped out." However, her optics widened before she corrected herself; "N-Not that YOUR Quirks are any less impressive, mind you!"

However, Tenya didn't see a problem with it. "No, no, you are correct, Strongarm. As class representative, even I have to acknowledge when someone's Quirk outclasses my own." He raised a closed fist with determination. "Besides, if anything, that only makes me wish to stride even further for success."

"Exactly." Momo concurred. "More motivation to strengthen and improve our Quirks so we don't get left behind is always a good thing."

"Haha, that's the spirit." Bulkhead chuckled. "But back to this "Big Three" group, what're they like—" *beep-beep* *beep-beep* All of a sudden, the Wrecker's commlink began going off, taking him off guard. "What the…" He reached up and pressed on the side of his helmet as he answered; "This is Bulkhead, go ahead."

"BULK!" Flare Up's voice could be heard clear as day on the other end. "Oh, thank the maker, I FINALLY got through! I've been tryin' to contact Prime for ages, but the transmission won't go through for some reason!"

Jazz cut into the conversation on his own comm. "Prime's gone underground with the others to fix up our mystery bot. What's the sitch, Flare?"

"We have an emergency! We're picking up dozens of Decepticon signatures headed your way by sea! Do you have visual?!"

Just like that, everyone was on high alert and up on their feet, their heads collectively swinging out toward the ocean. And, sure enough, out toward the horizon… they could see several incoming dark objects closing in on the shoreline. "…Oh no." Denki uttered.

"On a scale of one to ten…" Ochako squeaked out, "…how bad is this?"

"RUN!" Kyoka screamed, grabbing the brunette and Mina while shoving them away. Izuku followed suit, doing the same to Eijiro and Denki while Momo, Tenya, Kaida and Shoto all booked it with them.

Despite how exhausted he was, All Might found enough resolve to once again buff up into his Muscle Form, ushering the kids toward the harbor's entry gate. "Move, children! MOVE!" He snapped his head toward the Autobots, who began forming a line of defense across the parking lot. "Bulkhead, what're you doing?! You all could get caught!"

Bulkhead shifted his arm into his pulse cannon, the rest of the Autobots bringing out their own weapons in the process. "Doesn't matter right now, All Might! The safety of our comrades and this city is what's most important! Take the kids and—"

*PA-PA-PA-POW*

However, the green Autobot didn't have time to finish as the Vehicon battalion open fired upon them all, a barrage of purple lasers raining down upon the port. The entire team, humans and Autobots, were sent scattering as several Vehicons broke from the pack and transformed, aiming their blasters at the group as they landed. And then… came the maniacal laughter. "AHAHAHA! Well, well, well!" From above, three small figures came jumping down from a Vehicon that was passing by, revealing themselves as none other than the Destruction Mini-Con Team. "Hahaha! Looks like we caught ourselves a whole HEAP of Bulks!" Dualor guffawed.

"Huhu, you said it, boss." Landslide chortled.

"Now, time to REALLY start the demolition derby!" Drill Bit added, raising his drill arm to spin it threateningly.

However, the arrival of whirling chopper blades brought everything to a halt, as a certain green Apache came hovering down before transforming into her robot mode. "Now, now, boys, let's not get too hasty…" Swift said with an insidious smirk. "After all, we still gotta find out what they're up to."

Strongarm managed to get herself up to her knees, glaring daggers at the lieutenant. "Swift!"

"Hey there, cadet. Long time, no fight." Swift waved off, narrowing her optics threateningly. "So… wanna tell me what the beach party's all about? And remember…" She motioned for Drill Bit to join her, and he powerlinked into her arm without hesitation, his drill mode glowing green as it spun rapidly. "…No wrong answers."

…..

A/N: And on that note, I think we can put a pin in this chapter right here. On the one hand, it seems that Tsu has led the team to an old ally (one who I think ALL of you can guess by now) and she and the Oki Mariner crew seem to be trustworthy secret-keepers. …But on the other hand, Unicronus is keen on seeing what the Autobots are up to and has sent Swift to do his dirty work. How could this possibly end up going? Well, we'll just have to wait and see.

But, on another note… it seems that Bakugo's once again on the receiving end of a chewing out from Izuku. And on TOP of that, he's also had his first taste of Optimus' speeches, and it seems to have resonated with him, if only a little bit. Quite the interesting development… let's hope it sticks with him.

And, of course, with this chapter we've also introduced Captain Selkie and Sirius into the story! I knew I probably wouldn't cover the WHOLE incident with their crew encountering the drug traffickers, but the fact that I was able to include that fight in the end is definitely something that I'm happy with, even if I gave it a different ending with our mystery Autobot coming out to deal the final blow. But, on that note…

And now, the Preview! As our mystery Autobot recovers his memories, Windblade sees just how kind Tsu has been to him over these past few weeks, something which our big friend takes to spark once he's up and raring to go. But they'll have to hurry if they have any chance of fending off the Cons before they get caught by the locals. Will they finish his repairs in time? Next Time; Oceanfront Battle! Oh no, Swift's going super! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!