The Next Generation

C34: Trust Issues

There was widespread destruction. Large swaths of the forest had burned down and emergency services were running around the campsite. Newly arrived heroes were searching the area, making sure all villains had been found and apprehended, as well as looking for any of those who were announced missing.

Optimus dragged Megatron, bound with a tablecloth, through the woods. His appearance was dark, cloaked in energon and dirt and traces of ash. His uniform was unrecognizable and one of his audials was sliced open, coating his face in a dark mask.

He knew where he was going, back to the camp to regroup with the others. That's where they were, as far as he knew, from Mandalay's previous orders. He could assume the battle was over. He could see the water jets flying overhead to put out flames on the other side of the forest. Someone was screaming ahead of them, but Optimus could tell it wasn't physical pain that was the cause. He recognized the voice. Midoriya.

That didn't bode well.

Optimus forced himself to go faster and Megatron's body hang out of Optimus's right servo like a deadweight, an anchor preventing him from helping others, as it always had been. He emerged from the treeline and spotted his peers, crowded together and looking rough. Looking devastated.

"How could they take Bakugo?!" Mina sobbed. "Why?!"

Optimus stopped dead in his tracks, his optics widening.

"Another villain!" a deep male voice called out. The students flinched and stumbled to their feet, quirks ready but eyes full of fear. They turned to look at him, but Optimus couldn't wait to see how they reacted. He was being attacked.

The hero, Optimus recognized him as Gang Orca, powerful and fast, but not nearly enough to take Optimus by surprise while his battle senses were fully activated. The man ran forward and let off a paralyzing sonic wave, but Optimus raised Megatron's body and used him as a shield. A moment later and Optimus had the hero in his grip. He sent Gang Orca sailing overhead in a flip that broke the hero's wrist and slammed him headfirst into the dirt.

"Optimus!" his classmates ran to his aid and wrapped him in hugs. "We couldn't find you! You're okay!"

"Midoriya said you were thrown off a cliff by Muscular," Tsu croaked.

Gang Orca stood up shakily, cradling his wrist and looking between them. He realized his mistake and bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry for attacking you."

"Is that Megatron?" Iida asked, looking at the body at Optimus's pedes.

Optimus's optics flashed with darkness. "Bakugo has been taken?"

"Yeah," Kirishima clenched his fists and his eyes watered. He looked away in shame. "I wasn't even there. He fought for his life and I didn't even raise my fist."

"We will find him," Optimus lifted his chin and growled. "And we will bring him home."

Kaminari covered his face. "What if they're torturing him?"

"We will find him," Optimus repeated, but this time with more steel in his voice. "And we will bring him home."

"Yeah," Mina whispered brokenly before raising her voice and her head, eyes sparkling with determination. "Yeah!"

"How can we beat them?" Mineta demanded. "After everyth—"

"He's wakin—" Uraraka screeched as Megatron started moving. She cut herself off as Optimus raised a pede and slammed it back down into his helm. They all went quiet.

Todoroki stepped forward. "You fought that guy on your own? He stabbed Endeavor."

Before Optimus could respond to that, their ranks were split open by a mangy teacher with wild black hair. Gang Orca looked on from a distance, having just told him they found the missing student. The one who's kidnapping wasn't confirmed by eyewitnesses, at least.