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…

89. The Flip Side: Class B

A/N: Morning, everybody! Welcome back to Transformers MHA and… well, before we get things started, I wanted to say something first. And that is… I'm sorry. I've been seeing all the feedback and I recognize that the story has been in a pretty big lull for the past few chapters. And believe me, I've taken in ALL the feedback, and I'm appreciative of it. With that said, I'm hoping to get this story back on track starting next time, because really, I've been spending the past couple of months plotting out the Final Arc of this story, which has been a project in and of itself. I want to make sure I end this off with a bang, so hopefully things will start picking up steam as we head into the Spring months. With that said, this time, we're just gonna be chilling out with a short and simple chapter. So, let's get it started, shall we? This is…

Chapter 89: The Flip Side: Class B

…..

When the Firefighter Hero, Backdraft, had gotten the call saying that a massive explosion had just occurred at the Oki Mariner Agency, he wasted no time getting his crew ready. Selkie was a good friend of his, so he wasn't about to lollygag on this one. And so, once his fleet of fire engines pulled up to the shipyard, he connected himself to one of them and took the lead, ushering his team of firefighters toward the front entrance. "Alright, everybody, stay sharp! We don't know what we're in for!" he called out to them. "Reports are saying that this could be the result of a villain attack, so stay on your toes!"

"YES SIR!" the men and women of his team all echoed.

"Good! Now, hoses up!" The firefighters wasted no time, connecting their hoses to the trucks and the nearest hydrant. "And move in!" Backdraft led the march into the yard, blasting the gate open with a concentrated stream of water from his hose hands. But once they were all inside, they were met with a stunning sight.

The entire dock and parking lot were left in cinders and ash, with small fires still burning all around. Thankfully, it wasn't the inferno that they were expecting, but the damage was extensive, to say the least. Burnt out cars, an unusable dock, and the agency building itself had been torn through, likely from the explosion that had happened. Not far away, Backdraft was surprised to see both Selkie and Sirius, the pair busy putting out fires with water buckets themselves. "C-Captain Selkie!"

The seal man perked his head up, only to smile as he saw his friend approaching. "Ha! Well if it isn't Backdraft? How're ya doin', bud?"

"How am I doing? I should be asking YOU that!" Backdraft raised his arms out toward the yard. "What in the world happened here? Everyone's saying they saw some sort of explosion happen here."

"Ah-hah… yeah, about that…" Selkie rubbed his head sheepishly. "It was kind of an accident. The fuel barrels that I keep for the Oki Mariner caught a spark and then BOOM! Big blast tore through my agency building and pretty much caught everything on fire."

That, however, only confused Backdraft even more. "I-I don't understand, though… how were you able to put it out?"

His question got a small chortle out of Sirius, who answered; "Hah, well you're not gonna believe this; that explosion managed to shake the place so much that it formed a HUGE wave that crashed down not long after it happened. It put a lot of the fire out, but we're still working on a few of the smaller ones left." In her head, though, Sirius was praying that he'd believe her. 'Please buy it, please buy it, PLEASE buy it!'

"Hmm…" Backdraft hummed before giving a shrug. "Well, I've heard of stranger things happening. Still, that explosion must've been pretty bad if it did all THIS." The Firefighter Hero failed to notice Sirius sighing in relief as he turned back to Selkie. "We'll help out however we can with this. Gotta say, though, it's pretty crazy that this whole thing was the result of JUST some fuel barrels blowing up. You'd think a bunch of villains attacked this place."

The Spotted Seal Hero chuckled and gave a shrug. "Ah, well, hey, on the bright side, at least this was only an accident. Nothing much to do but make some insurance claims…" Selkie couldn't help but smirk inwardly to himself. 'Which thankfully, I'm guaranteed to get if these "Sector Seven" people pull through. Thanks, guys.'

…..

Further down the coast, meanwhile, Grimlock, Jetfire, Airazor and Flare Up were all waiting by the shore near Autobot Headquarters, with all of the Mini-Cons gathered there as well. Near the front of the group were Red Alert and Signal Flare, with Mei perched on the former's shoulder. The three of them had bridged back to base with a whole trailer full of Vehicon remains, reporting that the mission was a success, though they hadn't elaborated on much else that had happened. Instead, they had relayed orders from Prime, saying that they should all wait outside on the beach and wait for the others' arrival… by sea.

It was certainly a strange request, but they complied nonetheless. "You know, I like it when Prime gives us somethin' fun to look forward to…" Flare Up started. "But at the same time, I HATE how secretive he can be about it."

"Heh, well you DO remember how he used to be before he became a Prime, right?" Jetfire recalled, shaking his head. "Doesn't surprise me in the least."

Airazor, however, was somewhat apprehensive. "Still, it's quite curious that the others are coming by sea instead of the GroundBridge." She glancing inquisitively toward the medic and the weapon maker. "Are you certain that there is nothing wrong?"

"Nope." Red Alert answered simply, with Mei swinging her legs back and forth in excitement. "It's just a surprise, nothing more."

"Forgive us for being skeptical, Red Alert." Grimlock said, his gaze locked firmly out toward the ocean. "After all, that Decepticon attack was completely unexpected."

Red nodded in understanding. "I can sympathize with your concern, but trust me when I say that there is nothing to worry about. You'll see soon ehough."

"Hm… well, I certainly HOPE they arrive soon." Sureshock spoke up, her arms folded across her chest. "Those children's curfew is coming up soon. They may not have school tomorrow, but it's still the rule."

Her teammates were much less concerned, though. "Ah, c'mon, Sureshock, you're bein' way too worried 'bout this." Grindor said, his hands leisurely placed behind his head. "I'm sure Prime's got the curfew thing remembered by now."

High Wire nodded at that. "Yeah, Optimus wouldn't let something like that slip. Not when Izuku, Kyoka and Momo's parents are keeping a sharp eye on that…"

All of a sudden, the unmistakable sound of jet thrusters and helicopter blades greeted the group from above, their heads snapping up in unison. "Ah-ha, there! Incoming!" Longarm pointed up as Windblade and Springer came in for a landing on the beach, kicking up a bit of sand before they transformed into their robot modes.

"Haha, welcome back!" Grimlock greeted the two, approaching them with open arms. "We've been waiting!"

Just then, Flare Up zipped ahead of him, her optics wide with excitement. "Windy! C'mon, give me the deets! What happened over there?"

"Oh… a lot." Windblade said. "A WHOLE lot."

Grimlock approached with a questioning gaze. "What about the Decepticons? We saw that a lot of 'em got taken out all at once."

His statement got a chuckle out of Springer. "Hehe… you can thank our newest addition for that. He and the others are on their way right now."

"By sea, we heard." Airazor affirmed. "But Optimus Prime wasn't entirely clear on what that meant." Her optics narrowed at the two, placing her hands on her hips. "So, would YOU care to enlighten us, or are you going to keep us in the dark as well?"

Windblade simply smiled and shook her head. "Heh, relax, Airazor. The rest of the team should be here VERY soon. In fact…" Craning her head toward the sea, she could hear the distinct sounds of crashing waves in the distance, and not far away, bright headlights could be seeing getting closer and closer toward the shore. "…I'd say they're already here."

The Autobots were left gob smacked as they watched a MASSIVE sea vessel come sailing toward their little section of the coast. Once it got close enough, they saw that it was a white and blue military hovercraft with hints of gold throughout, and situated in its massive rear bed were the rest of their Autobot allies. Somehow, Optimus, Jazz, Arcee, Bulkhead, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Strongarm AND Bumblebee had all managed to fit. Granted, it was pretty snug, and all of their human friends were riding on their shoulders, but they somehow made it work. "W-What the…" Flare Up muttered.

"Holy slag!" Jetfire exclaimed.

Red Alert, meanwhile, was smirking to himself. "See? Told you it'd be worth it."

As the hovercraft backed up toward the shore, its rear ramp came down and struck the beach, allowing the Autobots to file onto land one by one. "Ahoy, Grimlock!" Kaida waved as she jogged up to her guardian. "Surprised or what?"

"Hah… I think I'll go with "or what"." Grimlock stammered, reaching down to scoop her up as he approached the group. He watched as the hovercraft's ramp retracted on its own, and he looked to Prime as he made his conclusion. "So, uh… I take it that this is our new friend?"

"Not a new one, Grimlock." Optimus answered, right as the sea vessel began its transformation. "…But rather, one who we're all very familiar with."

*WHRR-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-CHKT*

The remaining Autobots were absolutely in awe as the huge Cybertronian took to his robot form, his back facing them at first and casting a huge shadow in the moonlight. It didn't take him long to turn around, though, and that's when it became clear who he was. "Ahoy, everyone!" Seaspray waved as he trudged his way through the water, coming ashore once again. "Hah, Prime wasn't kidding, there's a LOT of you here!"

Flare Up's open mouth widened into an elated smile. "AAAAAAHH! SEASPRAY!"

Airazor, though, was simply astonished by the sheer size of him. "S-Seaspray? H-He's…"

"Humongous!" High Wire, Sureshock and Grindor all exclaimed at once, raising their arms in unison.

"AHAHAHA!" Grimlock bellowed in laughter, approaching Seaspray with an extended hand. "Seaspray, as I live and pump! It's good to see you, Old Chum!"

Seaspray knelt down, accepting the handshake. "Grimlock! So you escaped the Ark, too? Fantastic! …Also, it's good to see you like your old self again."

The Dinobot leader sighed, nodding at his point. "Yes, well… I had quite a long time to think about everything that'd happened. But those are stories for another time."

"Are there any others here who escaped the crash?"

"No, just us… at least for now." Grimlock craned his head up toward the sky. "I DID see other pods scatter down toward the planet… and there's an escape ship that the rest of my team are in SOMEWHERE on the planet, but we aren't sure where it is yet."

Seaspray hummed, processing the information. "I see… well then, that's all the more reason that we'll need to retrieve my stasis pod in the morning. But for now…" He set his sights on the unfamiliar bot who was sticking close to the Dinobot leader. "Ah, but who's your feathery friend here? A Maximal, I presume?"

Airazor nodded sheepishly up to him. "I-I am. My name is Airazor. I have recently joined the Autobot cause. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Ah, no need to be so formal." Seaspray extended his large hand down to her. "Just call me "Seaspray"… or any one of the MANY nicknames I have. Ask around, they'll tell ya all of them." Once they shook hands, the Wrecker directed his attention to the two familiar bots he had yet to greet. "And Flare Up! You seem chipper as always."

Flare Up winked up and gave him a high five. "You know it, big guy! So good to see ya!"

"And Jetfire! Holy scrap, I thought you were—"

"Dead? Nah, just… lost for a while." Jetfire raised his fist, bumping it against Seaspray's larger one. "But how're ya doin', Barnacle Butt? Yer lookin' well."

"Heh, I am NOW, that's for sure. I was pretty rough around the edges before these two helped me out." Seaspray nudged his head toward Red Alert and Signal Flare. "Thanks for that, by the way. I feel a lot better now."

Red was about to respond… when Mei suddenly stood up on his shoulder. "Uh, AHEM! They weren't the ONLY ones to help ya out, ya know! I helped get all of the finer details inside of ya!" she said, sticking her head up proudly.

Seeing her, Seaspray chuckled and bowed his head apologetically. "Hah, right, where are my manners? Thank you, erm…"

"Mei Hatsume!" the pink-haired inventor introduced herself with a salute. "Pleasure to meet ya, Seaspray!"

"Likewise." Seaspray said, which brought his attention down to the rest of the humans, who were all gathered around near his feet. "And that brings me to all of you! Outside of Tsuyu, I don't know a lick about ya. So how 'bout we get to some much-needed introductions, hm?" The 1-A Students and All Might were happy to oblige, introducing themselves one by one starting with Izuku and capping it off with the Number One Hero himself. Needless to say, the large Autobot was quite surprised by just how many faces there were to meet. "Hah, well, it's very nice to meet all of you. Gotta say, though, wasn't expecting so many organics to be in on the secret."

The group of teens sheepishly laughed at his point. "Ah, hehe… yeah, well, the secret isn't exactly the BEST at being kept…" Izuku admitted sheepishly. "Granted, it hasn't gotten out to the general public yet, but it's like someone new finds out every week."

Toshinori sighed and rubbed his head. "Indeed, so you might want to be ready to meet even MORE humans, Seaspray. Especially once school gets out and all of the students who're in the know get to come here daily."

If anything, that made the aquatic Cybertronian all the more excited. "Haha, great! I'm always up for meeting people. When you're out on the ocean as much as I am, things tend to get lonely a lot…"

"Wait… Cybertron has oceans?" Kyoka asked.

"That's right." Arcee confirmed, counting off on her fingers. "There's three actually; the Argon Sea, the Mithril See, and the Sea of Rust. …You can probably take a guess at what that last one is filled with. Very scary place."

Strongarm continued off from there. "The Argon Sea, meanwhile, is a gaseous ocean, and then the Mithril Sea is also known as "The Great Sea of Energon"."

"If it still has ANY energon left in it." Seaspray lamented, craning his head down. "Last time I saw it, it was more like a lake than a sea…" He clenched his fist in frustration. "And we ALL know who's responsible for that."

Tsu placed a finger on her chin, making an easy deduction. "Megatron, right? Ribbit…"

Standing at his full height, Seaspray confirmed her guess. "Yep, you're exactly right, Tsu…" He swiped his hand in disgust. "And it disgusts me. Do you know how many native mechanimal species make that ocean their home? And Megatron has NO qualms draining it! My friend, Cybershark, was fighting tooth and nail to stop him… but when so many of his fellow Sharkticons fell in line with Megatron, he couldn't keep the fight up for long."

"Then the Wreckers got involved." Bulkhead interjected, placing a hand on his large friend's arm. "Because we knew how much the Energon Sea meant to ya, Barnacle Butt."

"Managed to drive off most of the Cons within a few weeks, too." Springer commented. "And then the Autobots left a few outposts there… but I can only wonder if they're even still around after all this time…"

The children all sent Seaspray sympathetic looks, with Momo hugging her arms around herself. "Goodness… I suppose it really IS that bad on Cybertron, isn't it?"

Optimus nodded to her. "It is, Momo… you're all quite lucky that, out of all the Decepticon forces, it was Starscream's team that found this planet." However, his metal brows furrowed seriously. "Unfortunately… I have a sinking feeling that may not last."

"Hey, hey, let's not use the word "sinking" around here." Seaspray wagged his finger in disapproval. "I'm sure as scrap ain't gonna let ANYONE here sink, especially now that I'm back in tip-top shape!" He raised a determined fist. "No matter what Con comes my way, I'm gonna sink THEM. Starscream, Shockwave, even Megatron himself, doesn't matter! They're ALL gettin' shipwrecked!"

Kyoka couldn't help but smirk to herself at that. 'I know a certain Joe who'd REALLY get behind what this guy is saying.'

Bulkhead gave a laugh and punched Seaspray on the arm. "Haha! That's the ticket! Let's send those Cons down to the bottom of the deepest trench this planet's got to offer!"

"Er, how 'bout we not and just say we did?" Sunstreaker suggested. "Would rather not pollute this beautiful planet."

"Oh yeah, I'm right there with ya." Seaspray agreed, setting his optics out toward the ocean. "I don't think I've ever seen such blue waters in all my travels. Would be a shame if the Cons decided to ruin it…" He trailed off before remembering something else. "Ah, but speakin' of wreckage in the water, we'd better go get my stasis pod. See if anything can be salvaged from it so we can find the Ark!"

Optimus strolled over and nodded up to him. "I wholeheartedly agree, Seaspray. But right now, it's getting late and tomorrow is another day." He set his sights over to the students. "For now, we need to get the children home before curfew."

"Ah, I gotcha." Seapspray knelt down in front of the group, his optics set upon Tsu. "I'm guessing that you've got school tomorrow, too, right?"

However, the frog girl shook her head. "Actually, no. The teachers are gonna be busy doing Class 1-B's practical exams, so we have the day off."

Tenya reinforced her words. "Indeed, just as they had the day off today while our exams were happening. So if any of you need assistance with the pod retrieval tomorrow, we are all available to help."

The news made Seaspray quite happy, to be sure. "Haha, that's great! Lookin' forward to it. But if you're gonna come along, then you'll wanna get plenty of sleep." He winked down to them and raised a single finger. "After all, early to bed, early to rise, and you're gonna want to get up early for this if we wanna get it done without drawing attention."

"Very true." Optimus concurred, craning his head toward his medic. "Red Alert, ready the GroundBridge to take the children home." Red saluted and went into the base, prompting the Autobots to escort their human partners after him.

"C'mon, Tsu." Arcee offered, extending a hand down to her. "I'll take you and Ochako home."

Tsu bowed to the pink femme gratefully. "Thank you, Arcee, ribbit." Before she could, however, she was suddenly onset by the Mini-Cons, who gathered around her while gazing inquisitively at her. "…Um, is there something I can help you with?"

Upon asking that, Sureshock shoved the others away while scolding them. "Boys! It's rude to stare!" She then turned back and bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry, dear, but as you can probably tell, my compatriots are intrigued by your presence, considering you ARE new around here and all."

"Oh, that's right…" Tsu placed her finger on her chin. "I didn't get introduced to you guys yet, did I? Sorry 'bout that."

"Ah, that's alright!" Grindor waved off. "With how many newbies show up here, sometimes introductions don't happen right off the bat." He jerked a thumb toward himself. "But now that we're here, I'm Grindor!"

"Sureshock." the orange Mini-Con picked up.

"And I'm High Wire." the little bike Transformer finished. "We're the Street Action Mini-Con Team, and we're partnered up with Setsuna, Tetsutetsu, and Ibara."

That took Tsu aback just a bit. "Oh! So there are 1-B students who know about you guys, too?"

On that note, Flare Up zipped up in a blink of blue light, which managed to startle Tsu just a little bit further. "Sure are! An' you're lookin' at the femme who's partnered with the BEST of 'em!" She sent the frog girl a salute. "Name's Flare Up, guardian of Miss Itsuka Kendo! Good to meet ya, luv!"

"…A British Cybertronian." Tsu concluded from that exchange. "Never would've guessed that was a thing. But nice to meet you, too."

Flare Up let out a sheepish laugh, unsure of how to take the comment. "Ah-hehe… thank you?" She leaned down toward Momo and whispered; "She likes to speak her mind, doesn't she?"

"She's certainly not shy about it." Momo concurred. "But she really is a nice person, Flare Up, trust me."

Airazor cleared her throat, interjecting into the conversation. "Ahem, in any case…" She craned her head down toward Tsu as Grimlock and Jetfire came up to join her as well. "It's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Tsuyu. I am Airazor." She gestured to the larger mechs behind her. "And these two are Grimlock and Jetfire."

"Sup?" Jetfire nudged his chin toward Tsu.

Grimlock, meanwhile, gave a formal bow. "A true pleasure, Miss Tsuyu."

"Likewise!" Tsu bowed back politely. "But please, call me Tsu."

Behind the other bots, Seaspray leaned down, his head hovering over the others. "Trust me, she's VERY instant on that." His focus went back to his friend as he extended his large hand down, extending his finger to gently poke her on the head. "But, now that introductions are out of the way, it's time for YOU to go home and get some sleep. You've had a long day, after all."

Tsuyu giggled at the gestured and nodded up to him. "Hmhm, yeah, you're right. But I'll see you tomorrow, Big Sea!"

"Count on it!" Seaspray gave her one last thumbs up before the others went back into the base, leaving himself and Optimus outside to have a small conversation. "So… I think you can guess what I'm gonna say next, right?"

Optimus gave a sigh through his vents. "Yes… this place is MUCH too small for you." Still, the Autobot leader was not without options to provide. "Still, there are other places that can house you comfortably, I'm sure. Signal Flare, the Mini-Con Council and the Omnicons all make Sector Seven's Headquarters their home, so that is a viable option."

Even so, Seaspray shook his head. "Ah, sorry, Optimus, but bein' cramped up in some underground base… after bein' down in Selkie's basement for so long…"

"Hm, I see the problem." Optimus sympathized.

Seaspray's gaze once again went back out to the ocean. "Besides, after bein' cooped up, not knowing who I was for three weeks, I wanna reconnect with who I am, ya know? I think I'm gonna keep hanging out around Oki Mariner Agency for a while, stay in vehicle mode a bit." The larger bot craned his head back toward his leader. "That is, if you would allow it, sir."

After considering the request for a moment, Optimus quickly came to his answer. "Well… if that is your preference, Seaspray, then I'll allow it." He pointed up to the Wrecker as he sternly added; "However, I cannot stress this enough; switch off your energy signature while you're out there. The base has a signal dampener, but it doesn't reach that far out." He grimaced to himself, bringing his fists down at his sides. "…You do not wish to make the same mistake that I did. Leading so many Autobots to a populated area… it was completely foolish of me."

Reaching a hand out, Seaspray tried to console his leader. "I'll keep that in mind, but don't beat yourself up over it too much, Prime. We all make mistakes, after all."

"I appreciate your kind words, Seaspray… but unfortunately, I cannot afford to make those mistakes. Especially not now." Setting his optics skyward, Optimus stared up at the stars above, an unsettling feeling weighing down on his spark. "We may have an advantage over the Decepticons right now… but I am worried that may not last very long."

…..

~U.A. High, The Next Day~

"Finally… over."

Upon saying those words, Itsuka Kendo flopped herself down on the nearest cushy bench she could find, sprawling herself along the back of it with her head facing the ceiling. That had to be one of THE most stressful experiences she had ever gone through in her time at this school… and that was saying a lot, because she insulted the Decepticon second-in-command to his face. As it turned out, the information she had gotten from that upper classman friend of hers was total BUNK, at least when it came to THIS year's practical. Of all things, Principal Nezu had decided to change things up considerably, and now they were going up against their TEACHERS in teams of two! It was insanity, even WITH those specialty weights on them.

"I blame those 1-A cretins for this!" Monoma had immediately blamed their peers when the news had been dropped. "Their shenanigans this semester have undoubtedly influenced this change in the curriculum! When next I see them, I'm going to give them a piece of my—URK!"

That chop had felt SO vindicating… but when she found out that she was actually PARTNERED with Monoma, Itsuka had slightly regretted her decision. Thankfully, like always, it didn't take long for Neito to recover, and from there, they formed a plan of attack against their assigned opponent; Midnight. With his Copy Quirk, Monoma would replicate Itsuka's Big Hands and together, they'd blow away all of Midnight's Somnambulist mist. From there, they'd go in, knock Midnight over with their large hands, and then rush for the escape gate. The plan was foolproof.

…Unfortunately, Monoma proved to be the fool as Midnight got the drop on them not long after the test started. Itsuka had to run away, holding her breath while formulating a NEW plan from the old one. Thankfully, SHE was the one holding the cuffs, so after blowing away Midnight's mist, Itsuka went in to take her opportunity. She had to take a strike from Midnight's whip to do it, but she only got a cut on her hand to show for it. And one cuff later, she had passed.

Though again, Monoma's prospects weren't looking too good as he was laid out, sound asleep having done nothing. "I wouldn't worry about it." Midnight said, aiding Itsuka in taking him back to the main building. "Another boy in Class 1-A suffered the same fate, so at least he's not the ONLY one who took a little nap."

As much as Itsuka wanted to take comfort in that, she had a feeling that Monoma wouldn't exactly like that news. 'He'll probably freak out learning he shares ANYTHING with anyone in 1-A…' She let out a deep sigh as she reclined in her seat. "Hah… still, that was a close call."

"You're telling me." The redhead perked her head up at the sound of a familiar voice, craning her head to see two of her classmates walking up to her. "Heya, Kendo. Great job out there."

Itsuka smiled back at the duo, bowing slightly to the tall boy who addressed her. His name was Juzo Hanenuki, and he was… not someone who you'd think of as "nice" at first glance, but he was! His appearance was certainly jarring, what with his pale complexion, ashen hair, flat nose and most of all, his teeth being OUTSIDE of his mouth, meaning he had no lips. But really, he was probably one of the nicest guys in class. "Thanks, Honenuki. And hey, nice work on your guys' exams, too. I didn't expect you guys to jump Mr. Power Loader like that."

Next to Honenuki, another boy let out a laugh. While Juzo's face was jarring, Togaru Kamakiri was pretty much the textbook example of someone with a mutant quirk, given his insectoid appearance. He had a pale green complexion and an elongated snout with sharp mandibles protruding from the corners of his mouth, his dark green mohawk serving as a bright accent. "Haha! Well, whaddya expect? Mr. Power Loader's digging ability is amazing, sure…" Kamakiri raised his arm, extending a long blade out from his forearm. "But between my Razor Sharp and Juzo's Softening Quirk, we had it in the bag!"

Juzo chortled a bit himself. "Heh, yeah, glad we came up with that plan before going in. …Though of course, SOMEONE alerting Power Loader early put a slight delay in those plans."

"H-Hey, just because I'm bug-like doesn't mean I'm stealthy, dude!"

"Hehehe…" Itsuka giggled as the boys bantered, only for the waiting room door to open up. There, she saw two more of her classmates enter; Yosetsu Awase and Yui Kodai. The former was a young man with long, spikey black hair that was held up with a white and blue headband, while the other was a young lady with shoulder-length, straight black hair that framed her lovely features, which were only accented by her bright, blue eyes. "Oh, hey you two." Itsuka greeted.

"Aw, man!" Yosetsu bemoaned, though he smiled as he brought his hands behind his head. "Here I thought WE'D be the first to congratulate ya, but I guess we were beaten here."

Juzo gave him a shrug. "Does it really matter who does the congratulating first?"

"Nah, but I'd hurry it along." Yosetsu smirked. "There's a LOT of people who wanna praise our Class Rep, after all."

Yui, her expression at first unreadable, turned her head toward Itsuka and offered a small smile. "Congrats."

Itsuka nodded back. She knew that Yui was a girl of few words, so her brief commendation wasn't unexpected. "Thank you. …But, uh, Awase, what did you mean by that?"

But before the young man could reply, the sound of stampeding feet could be heard from the other side of the door, which burst open with echoing screams of; "ITSUKA!" coming through. The redhead cried out as two of her classmates practically spilled onto her lap, one of them staring up at her through long, brunette locks while the other's bright blue eyes shined up at her in admiration. "You did it!" they both exclaimed.

"K-Kinoko, Pony!" Itsuka exclaimed. "Where did—"

"Hah… hah… I-I'm sorry, Kendo!" Ibara said breathlessly, propping herself up against the doorframe after running all the way there. "We tried to stop them, but they just charged in!"

Next to her was another girl, one who was also trying to regain her breath. Though she appeared rather tired in general thanks to the dark circles under her blue eyes, and her pale grey hair covering one of them gave her a rather spooky appearance. "Yes… sorry…"

"I-It's okay, Reiko." Itsuka assured the ghostly-looking girl before ushering the other girls to move off of her. "Gals, I appreciate the love, but I gotta breathe."

However, said gals were still beaming from ear to ear, even as they got off of her. The brunette's hair was so long that it appeared to be shaped like a mushroom, which was a theme that extended into her red and white polka dot hero costume complete with a mushroom cap-styled hat. "Sorry, Itsuka, but we're just so excited!" Kinoko Komori gushed, bouncing up and down in excitement. "At this rate, we'll ALL pass the finals!"

"…Well, maybe." Itsuka corrected, feeling bad about Monoma once again. "I couldn't exactly prevent Monoma from getting got."

"Aw, I wouldn't worry 'bout Monoma." Pony Tsunotori waved off. She was a shorter girl with a bit of a curvier physique, though said curves gave her some… equine proportions, mainly in her legs. On top of that, she didn't even have regular feet, instead having hooves in their place. On top of that, her nose was structured more like a short muzzle, making her even more horse-like. And then, for the finishing touch, she had a long pair of horns sticking out the top of her head, owing to her Quirk. "I'll bet you he'll still be comin' along on the camping trip with the rest of us. For now, we should be celebrating, by god!"

Itsuka had to resist a laugh. Being an exchange student from America, Pony would sometimes slip into her native English from time to time, something that all of them found incredibly charming… though it did sometimes lead to awkward situations. "Heh, well, I wouldn't jump the shark, Pony. After all, Tetsu and Setsuna haven't finished their exam yet."

"Well, maybe not…" Reiko Yanagi said as she slowly walked over, her arms bent up while her hands hung limp like a zombie's. "But I think it's a safe bet that they'll win this no problem…"

Pony pumped her fists into the air. "Heck yeah! So I'd say it's the PERFECT time to be celebrating!"

Rolling her eyes, Itsuka shook her head and tried to tamper their expectations. "Guys, don't you even remember WHO they're going up against? You know… Principal Nezu?"

The mention of their principal managed to give everyone pause. Granted, they knew that Nezu himself was an incredibly capable hero in his own right thanks to his Quirk-enhanced tactical mind. But even so, it was hard for them to imagine just WHAT he could do to Tetsu and Setsuna. "Ah, I-I dunno, Kendo…" Kamakiri said, scratching his face as he thought about it. "I mean, sure, Nezu's smart, but I doubt he could do much—"

*BAM! KRA-CHAM! SHA-KOOOOOM!*

All at once, the floor beneath everyone began to shake, causing many of them to grip the walls in surprise. Eventually, it stopped, and they were left reeling by what had happened. "W-W-What in the WORLD was that?!" Ibara exclaimed.

"My guess?" Itsuka replied. "…Principal Nezu going to work."

…..

~Training Ground Gamma~

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

When Setsuna had found out that her and Tetsu's opponent would be Principal Nezu of all people, she was sure that this would be a piece of cake. After all, he was just a mouse… bear… dog… thing! At his diminutive height, there was no way he'd be able to take them both on. …But oh, was she wrong. Was she EVER wrong. Because not long after she and her partner had stepped into the jungle of factories that was Training Ground Gamma, they had been assaulted by… the buildings themselves as they crumbled around them. All they could really do was run, run as fast as possible from the collapsing structures while hastily thinking of a plan.

"GAH! What the hell is going on?!" Tetsu screamed over the falling debris as they jumped away in unison. "How is this happening?!"

"I don't know!" Setsuna screamed. "But I'm pretty sure our opponent is behind it!"

Meanwhile, situated high above the buildings, a big yellow crane sat perpetuated on a swivel, with a large wrecking ball attached to its thick cable. And, in the control seat, Principal Nezu himself sat, gingerly holding a cup of tea in one hand while handling the controls in his other paw. "Why yes, I am!" he said, hearing exactly what the two were saying.

…..

~Observation Room~

The second day of Practical Exams had proven much livelier for Recovery Girl, and involved several more injuries than the day previous. Though all of them were relatively minor ones, she still ended up getting up out of her seat more frequently. …And now, she was certain that this last test would prove to have the most egregious injuries of all. "Pay attention now, boy." she advised the two students standing next to her. "This is how a genius can affect the battlefield."

The first boy, a young man with bushy dark brown hair, nodded in fear. "Y-Yeah, I can see that."

And the one who stood next to him, a tall, beastly young man who had shaggy brown hair all over his body and long, sharp teeth sticking out from his lower lip, was inclined to agree. "Indeed…" he said in a well-spoken manner, adjusting his glasses. "Principal Nezu is quite the opponent with that High Specs Quirk of his."

"You think they got a chance, Shishida?"

"I do not know, Kaibara. We'll have to wait and see…" Upon saying that, though, Shishida's ears perked up when the door behind them opened, wherein half of their class came pouring in. "Ah, there you all are!"

Kaibara smiled and craned his head toward the group, their Class Rep at the very front. "Hey, we were wondering when you'd be back!" He gave Itsuka a thumbs up. "Nice work out there, Class Rep. We're all proud of ya."

"Yes, a hearty congratulations from myself as well."

Itsuka smiled and bowed her head graciously at the duo. "Thank you, Kaibara, Shishida." Her attention went straight back to the screen, where Tetsu and Setsuna were running for their lives. "So, did we miss much?"

"Nah, they just started." Kaibara replied. "…Though Tokage and Tetsu aren't exactly having the best time right now." On the screen, the 1-B students watched as the duo were run down through the entire field, frantically sprinting as fast as they could away from the debris. "I'm just trying to figure out how Principal Nezu's doing this."

"It's all calculated." Juzo revealed, taking to the front of the group. "Remember, his Quirk is "High Specs", so that means that he's thinking of all the ways he can dismantle the course in real time. And that means that this stuff is as easy for him as flicking his finger."

…..

Back on the training ground itself, Nezu was starting to thoroughly enjoy himself, to the point where he was actually monologuing to his students even though they couldn't hear him. "I would say that there's no use in resisting, students. I can cause chain reactions depending on what I destroy." Just so, he moved the control lever and sent the wrecking ball down, smashing it into a building that knocked down more structures like a bunch of dominoes. "Such calculations are as easy for me to make as a simple cup of tea. Unfortunately, those two don't realize that one by one, I'm sealing off every path to the escape gate!" As he spoke, the Quirked mammal's voice slowly became more and more unhinged, to the point that he was shouting hysterically. "A genius villain can ALWAYS win from afar! AAAAHAHAHAHA!"

…..

The kids in the observation room were galled by the sight of their principal, holding his tea cup to his lips while he laughed maniacally, spilling the liquid everywhere down his face. "…W-What is happening right now?" Ibara uttered.

"Oh, in the past, humans conducted horrible experiments on poor Nezu." Recovery Girl revealed, still smiling despite the chaos. "So in times like these, this is how he gets his vengeance."

"No way." Yosetsu uttered. "So, like, does he secretly hate us?"

Recovery Girl shook her head. "Oh, no dear. Not you. Just the ones that hurt him. But he always says that he seeks to make the future generations less like those people, and sometimes, some tough lessons need to be learned to get that across." The old lady's sights went back to the screen. "Besides, Tokage and Tetsutetsu are in no real danger. Just watch…"

…..

"TOKAGE, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY OUTTA THIS!"

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT ALREADY?! I'M THINKING!" Unfortunately, Setsuna might not have been able to think fast enough, as the debris was already right on their heels. 'C'mon, think, think, THINK! We need to get away from this line of wreckage and find our way to—AH! That's IT!' Without warning, she grabbed Tetsu by the wrist and pulled him down the nearest alley. "Get your metal coat on, big guy! I've got a plan!"

That was something that the Metal Quirk user was more than happy to hear. "Great!" His entire body hardened up into his steel form. "Whatcha got?"

All at once, Setsuna detached her arms and lower legs, the former floating down toward Tetsu's boots while the latter floated above his head. "Grab my ankles and step onto my hands! We're goin' UP!"

The request was… odd, to say the least, but it was something that Tetsu wasn't about to question the moment. "Er, okay…" He gingerly stepped onto Setsuna's floating hands, which surprisingly, was able to take his weight while he hung onto her floating ankles.

Even so, the green-haired girl's muscles were still struggling a bit. "Oof, woah! Gettin' enough iron in your diet?"

"Haha, very funny." Tetsu rolled his eyes at her little quip. "Let's try and cut the jokes and focus up! What're we doin' here?"

"Simply put; we're gonna bust Principal Nezu's ball!" …There was a long and very uncomfortable pause after Setsuna said that, with Tetsu's eyes becoming completely blank as his face scrunched up. "…Yeah, probably should've worded that differently."

"YA THINK?!" The Metal user bellowed before shaking his head. "W-Whatever! We're here, we're doing this, let's get him!"

As they floated above the buildings, however, it didn't take Nezu long to spot them. "AHAHAHA! I see! So you're trying to take the fight directly to me, are you?! Well, have at you, then!" With another shift of the stick, Nezu sent his wrecking ball straight toward the duo, forcing Setsuna to take evasive maneuvers.

Her body and limbs bobbed and weaved through the air, leaving Tetsu feeling slightly nauseous. "Urp! Ugh! Tokage, if we're gonna do somethin' now would be the best time!"

"I'm working on it!" Setsuna assured, looking for the right angle for their attack. Thankfully, that didn't take long as she saw the wrecking ball swing away from them… in the same direction as the Escape Gate, which she spotted off in the distances. "There! One Fastball Special, coming RIGHT UP!"

"W-Wait, a Fastball WHAT now—AAAAAHHH!" Without any further warning, Setsuna launched Tetsutetsu straight toward the top of the wrecking ball. And while it took him a couple seconds to compose himself, he quickly spotted his target; the ring that the cable was hooked to. "Hehe!" With a sharp-toothed grin, Tetsu laid his palm out flat and went in for a hard chop. "Say bye-bye to your toy, Principal Nezu!"

*CHHHH—KLANK*

Sparks flew off of the hard metal ring before Tetsu managed to break through it, detaching the heavy iron ball from the cable and sending it hurdling to the streets below. "AH! Oh my!" Nezu exclaimed, sobering up from his manic demeanor.

Setsuna came back around and caught Tetsu with her floating limbs, whisking him away and flying them both straight toward the gate. "HAHA! YES! Nice work!"

"Same to you!" Tetsu gave a thumbs up. "Comin' up with that plan was pretty choice!" With that, they were free to cross the line, high-fiving in the process.

"Team Tetsutetsu and Tokage have passed the final! Class 1-B's Practical Exams have now concluded!"

…..

Needless to say, there was an immense amount of celebration after the fact, with the entirety of Class 1-B regrouping to commemorate the occasion with excited screaming and shows of camaraderie. …Well, all except for Monoma, who was still very much asleep. He would end up being in Recovery Girl's office for a while, even as the students got changed back into their uniforms and were being dismissed for the day. "You've all done exceptionally well today." Vlad King commended, showing a gruff smile as he gave a concluding speech. "I look forward to grading each and every one of your tests. You're dismissed, rest well for tomorrow!"

With that, the 1-B students filed out of the school, with a large portion of them heading to the U.A. parking lot. "Man, I still can't believe you guys got one over on Principal Nezu like that." Kamakiri commented to Tetsu and Setsuna. "You'd think he'd have seen that coming!"

"Honestly? I think he did." Setsuna replied. "He just knew there wasn't much he could do about it. Ya know, being so small and all."

"Eh, either way, a win is a win!" Testu placed his hands behind his head. "Betcha the 1-A guys couldn't pull somethin' like THAT off."

"…Pardon me, but didn't three of them have to fight All Might yesterday?" Reiko reminded, which took the wind out of Tetsu's sails. "And even then, they only just barely passed, from what I heard. I'd say that's a bit more impressive."

Behind her, Kaibara sighed, partially in relief and in sympathy. "Man, I couldn't imagine what it was like for those guys. Glad we didn't have to go up against All Might."

"Yeah, but dude, I heard something SUPER crazy." Yosetsu butted in, his eyes wide as he described; "Okay, so the ones who actually fought All Might were Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki. Well, apparently, word's going around that they didn't JUST fight All Might."

"Say WHAT?!" Pony exclaimed in English before quickly switching back to Japanese. "Whaddya mean they had another opponent?"

Yosetsu furrowed his brows seriously. "Well, while Yui and I were passing by the teacher's lounge on our way to our practical, we heard the teachers talking about them fighting someone named… "Optimus"."

The very second that word left Awase's mouth, Itsuka, Ibara, Setsuna and Tetsu all screeched to a halt mid-step, completely startled by the revelation. …They had NOT heard about this until now, and all four of them were glancing nervously at one another as a result. …Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by an observant Yui. "…You know something about it?"

And just like that, everyone's sights were on the quartet, Kinoko tilting her head. "Wait a minute… does this have something to do with you guys hanging out with the Class A students more often recently?" A loud gasp escaped her lungs once she realized something; "AH! Wait! Does that mean you're keeping secrets from us?!"

"…I must say, that doesn't make for a good look, Class Rep." Shishida said with a judgmental gaze, crossing his large, furry arms over his chest. "Care to explain what exactly is going on?"

Clearing her throat, Itsuka quickly came up with an explanation in her head. "Y-Yes, well… do you guys remember those people who came to watch the Sports Festival? The ones who sat down with Class A?"

The group wracked their brains for a moment before Honenuki snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah! They were those specialist people, weren't they? The ones who Monoma keeps complaining about giving Class A some sort of special training."

"Ah, yes! I remember now as well." Shishida affirmed. "They were led by that tall man with the gentlemanly mustache, if I recall."

"Y-Yep, that's Orion Pax!" Tetsutetsu nodded. "But get this; he's actually really good friends with All Might. And his code name… is Optimus Prime."

All at once, a chorus of understanding "oohs" rang across the group, with Pony pounding her fist into her open palm. "Ah, gotcha! That makes sense!"

Kamakiri, though, was still confused. "It's kinda weird, though, don't you think? Why would they have THOSE three fight two opponents?"

"Eh…" Setsuna pondered. "I couldn't give ya an answer to that. But if I had to guess… maybe the teachers see something with those three that we aren't?"

"You mean aside from the fact that they're stupidly powerful?" Reiko stated.

Pony nodded her head vehemently. "Yeah, yeah! At the Sports Festival, they were all like—KA-POW! And SHA-BOOM! Wouldn't surprise me if they're getting special treatment."

Kaibara couldn't help but tilt his head to her. "How'd that qualify as "special treatment", though? Sounds more like things are getting harder and harder for them."

"Well, perhaps once we see Midoriya, we could ask him." Ibara stated as she, Itsuka, Tetsu and Setsuna grouped up together. "On that note, however, this is where we must part ways for the time being."

"Snrk, if you say so." Kaibara snickered. "But don't forget to "take notes on them to find the best way to beat them!"."

The entire group groaned, yet also laughed at his impression of Monoma before they all said their goodbyes and parted ways. However, once the others were gone, the four remaining 1-B students went back to eyeing one another warily. "So… whaddya think happened yesterday?" Tetsu wondered. "'Cause I'm pretty sure I heard about somethin' goin' down in Shizuoka last night, too."

"You think Prime taking part in the exam is related to that?" Setsuna inquired.

However, Itsuka shook her head. "Probably not directly, but when she got home last night, Ochako DID tell me that there'd be some big news to share when we get to HQ. So, shall we?" The quartet shared another nod before moving toward their departure point, where they saw their rides all waiting for them.

Propped up on their kickstands were Flare Up, High Wire and Sureshock, while Grindor was in his skateboard mode leaning against the bike rack. Of course, Flare Up was using her holoform, keeping watch to make sure that no vagrants would come along and try to steal them. But, once she saw their friends approaching, "Tracey" broke out into a smile and dashed toward them, coming up to bring Itsuka into a big hug. "AH! There's my GIRL! I'm so PROUD of you!"

"F-Flare!" the redhead stammered, trying to reciprocate the embrace. "H-How did you know I passed?"

"I watched it live!" Tracey set Itsuka down, giving her a wink. "In fact, we watched ALL of your tests!" She sent a thumbs up to the other three. "Crackin' job, everyone!"

On that note, the Street Action Mini-Cons all rolled up to their respective partners, offering their own praises. "Indeed! Very well done, Lady Ibara!" Sureshock said joyously. "You and that lovely Kinoko girl did so well against Cementoss. Your Quirks compliment each other quite nicely."

The vine-haired girl gave a little giggle at that, remembering just how much of a mess Cementoss was after the whole test was over. He was covered in so many vines and mushrooms, he resembled a walking planter. "Hehe, you're right, Sureshock. And thank you. Kinoko is very nice, and I hope I can introduce you to her one day."

"And I very much anticipate getting to meet her, my dear!"

Meanwhile, High Wire and Grindor were practically circling their partners while delivering their tribute. "Bro, that move you did to take out Nezu's wreckin' ball was CHOICE." Grindor complimented.

High Wire, meanwhile, was quick to remind his teammate; "It sure was, but remember who actually CAME UP with it in the first place! Give my girl some credit!"

"Well sure, dude, but MY boy was the one who took the ball out."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but there's a REASON my gal got in on recommendations!"

"Bro, the plan wouldn't have worked without my GUY—"

Tetsu put his foot down and stopped Grindor before he could smash headlong into High Wire. "Grindor! Dude, chill!"

Setsuna also stopped High Wire, propping her foot against his front tire. "Yeah, boys, stop. It's not a competition. We BOTH passed the test, didn't we? We shouldn't be arguing over who did what better."

The two Mini-Cons both backed up, their voices taking on a sorrowful tone. "…Sorry." they said in unison.

"Hm, good." The green-haired girl nodded… though not without thinking to herself; 'Besides, if this WAS a competition, I would've won already.' She shook that thought away before getting serious. "Besides, we can talk about how we did later. Right now, we've got something we wanna talk to you about."

Tracey's head bobbed to the side curiously. "Hm? An' what's that, luv?"

Itsuka cleared her throat and took things from there. "Yes, well… on our way out today, one of our classmates told us that he heard the teachers talking about Midoriya's test… and how he, Bakugo and Todoroki all faced off against All Might… and Optimus." The mention of Prime made Tracey recoil, and the Mini-Cons visibly jumped a bit. "…So I'm guessing there's some truth to that. Also, Ochako already told me that there was gonna be something important for us to see once we got back to base. Any chance it's related to what happened in the city overnight?"

The Autobot scout was silent for a moment before giving a relenting sigh. "Hah… s'pose there's no gettin' 'round it now. Time to fess up." She sent the group a reassuring smile. "But I promise, it's not as bas as you think it is. C'mon, let's roll out."

…..

After radioing in to Red Alert, the group of students and Autobots rolled through a GroundBridge straight into Autobot base, where the medic and Optimus Prime were already waiting for them. After dismounting their guardians, Itsuka, Tetsu, Ibara and Setsuna marched straight up to Prime, allowing Flare Up and the Mini-Cons to transform. "Greetings, everyone." Optimus said with a raised hand. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make it to your tests, but it's been a rather busy day…"

"It's no big, Prime." Setsuna placed her hands on her hips. "What WE wanna know, though, is what it is you guys are keepin' from us."

"Yeah, what's the big deal?!" Tetsu exclaimed irritably. "First we hear from our classmate that YOU apparently were part of Midoriya's test yesterday, and now there's all this crap about somethin' goin' on in Shizuoka Bay? What gives?"

Ibara placed a hand over her chest in concern. "Optimus, is there something going on? I'm rather worried that you're… leaving us out."

Scanning his optics across the group, Optimus became visibly crest fallen as he lowered his head. "Hah… I apologize for leaving you out of the loop. I was afraid that informing you all would distract you from your tests, and I didn't want to jeopardize your grades." He met their eyes as he asked; "Although… what is this about one of your classmates hearing about my participation the test?"

"Our friend, Awase, was passing by the teacher's lounge and he overheard them talking about it." Itsuka explained. "And they mentioned you by name… your REAL name."

"I see… they must've thought that they were in the clear." Optimus lamented.

"B-But we gave 'em a cover story!" Tetsu hurriedly added. "Anyone who heard about this thinks that "Optimus Prime" is your codename."

That helped alleviate the tension that Prime was feeling considerably. "As it should be. Thank you, Tetsutetsu."

Red Alert, however, was still not entirely satisfied. "Still, we should remind the faculty that even in the most secure places, they shouldn't refer to us by our real names. Especially after the incident from last night."

"Very true, Red Alert." Optimus concurred before moving back to the students. "But to answer your previous questions, the reason why I teamed with All Might for Izuku's test was because we felt the need to truly test their might. Apparently, the principal and the other teachers believe Izuku, Shoto and Bakugo have what it takes to become the next "Big 3"."

Immediately, the teens' eyes widened at the very idea. "Woah, seriously?" Setsuna uttered. "That's HUGE. I know one of 'em, and trust me, they're no slouches!"

"That's what we heard." Flare Up nodded. "An' if the teachers think they've found their next "Big 3", then I guess that's an even BIGGER deal."

"Alright, that answers that, then." Itsuka concluded. "But what about this "big news"? And what exactly happened last night?"

Optimus cleared his vents. "Ahem, that will take a bit longer to answer…" *HONK-HOOOOONK* Just then, the sound of a loud ship horn caught everyone's attention, which Prime took as an opportunity to usher them out of the base. "But, I think it'd be better to show you than tell you. Come, this way…"

Curiously, the teens followed the Autobots outside… and what they saw made their eyes widen. Approaching the beach, where all of the other bots and the 1-A students were gathered, was a HUGE white, blue and gold hovercraft. And once it approached the beach… *WHRR-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-TSCHZZ-CHKT* …It transformed, taking the form of a MASSIVE Autobot that was even bigger than the base itself. The quartet felt their jaws drop to the floor, watching Seaspray walk onto the beach while dragging the barge behind him. And, perched on his shoulder, was none other than Tsuyu Asui.

"Well, that takes care of that." Tsu proclaimed, with Seaspray lowering her down to her friends. "We took Captain Selkie's barge back to him."

"Great." Izuku said, glancing over to the pile of twisted wreckage not far away from them. "Getting that here was a hassle, but it was worth—huh?" But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of their friends from 1-B arriving, to which he smiled and waved them down. "Oh! Hey guys! Glad you could make it!"

"Hope your tests went well!" Kyoka shouted out as well. "C'mon, there's some people we want you to meet!"

Seaspray's optics eventually found the new arrivals, giving them a salute of his own. "Ahoy, all!" he said in his gurgling voice. "Guess I've got even MORE new people to meet!"

Despite how jovial the others were being, though, Itsuka, Setsuna, Ibara and Tetsu were still utterly baffled. And eventually, once they came to their senses, the only thing any of them could say was; "WHAT IN THE WORLD DID WE MISS?!"

…..

A/N: A lot, guys. You missed a LOT. But hey, nothing you can't catch up on, and after your Practical Exams, something tells me you could use something to relax with. And meeting Seaspray while getting to know Tsu better sounds like the perfect thing!

Speaking of those practical exams, you'll notice that I repurposed Nezu's test from the canon timeline here! Honestly, I still really wanted to showcase just how unhinged the bear-dog-mouse guy can be, so I just shifted the scenario a bit and brought it here. Thankfully, Tetsutetsu and Setsuna were able to work through it a LOT easier than Mina and Kaminari did in the main timeline, so that's a plus for them.

…Also, yes, Monoma still gets completely done in. Only this time, we actually SEE how he was the only one to fail! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

But yeah, like I said, this was pretty much a chill chapter that wraps up the Seaspray Mini-Arc before we head in to the final stretch. From here on out, expect things to take a bit of a turn, because it's finally gonna be time for Megatron's personal away team to arrive, and trust me, things ain't gonna be the same after this. With that said…

And now, The Preview! We see the Decepticon leader himself deliver the news; his team is going to be arriving MUCH sooner than expected. But while the Cons are working to accelerate the current plans with M.E.C.H., we see Starscream… go out on the town in Japan. He's searching for a certain group of bad guys, ones who could provide as a… healthy alternative in case the alliance with M.E.C.H. doesn't work out. …And thankfully, he finds a certain grumbling Decay user out and about. Meanwhile, the students get their final grades back, and afterward, they decide to go do some shopping! And there… Izuku comes across a rather familiar face, one that he met not too long ago. Who IS this mysterious man… with the red and white scarf? Next Time; Divergent Encounters. Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll see you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!