The White House.
"What did you just say?"
"Those weren't robots—but aliens?"
"And the AllSpark… it emits some kind of energy radiation that can transform ordinary objects into those mechanical lifeforms?"
"And there are more of these things already hiding on Earth?"
The President—nicknamed "Smiling Boy" for his ever-present grin—was anything but cheerful now. His voice rose with every question, disbelief twisting his face into something unrecognizable.
He looked like someone who'd just been bitten by a pack of rabid huskies.
Even with the Secretary of Defense, two S.H.I.E.L.D. founders, and Howard Stark himself standing in front of him giving an official briefing, he couldn't help asking again:
"Stark… are you absolutely sure?"
"Mr. President, I am," Stark said solemnly.
Smiling Boy groaned and buried his face in his hands, massaging his temples.
No one had told him aliens were in the job description when he ran for office.
So what now?
This was a problem of global proportions—and it couldn't be swept under the rug.
The President immediately called for an emergency meeting, summoning top officials from every intelligence and defense agency across the country.
---
BREAKING NEWS SEGMENT
> "UB6 is a classified R&D project developed by the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division—more commonly known as S.H.I.E.L.D.—as part of ongoing military competition with the Eastern bloc."
"Due to security protocols, both S.H.I.E.L.D. and affiliated agencies have declined to share more information. However, spokesperson Katrina assured us that UB6 is simply a prototype for autonomous combat units."
"The footage from the 12th, which some news outlets misrepresented as a 'military base being destroyed,' was in fact just a joint training exercise."
"Katrina urges the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and not spread misinformation."
Three days had passed since the Decepticons obliterated the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Only now did the government offer an "official explanation."
In short:
"Relax, folks. Everything's under control."
Of course, not everyone bought that.
Plenty of people remained skeptical. But thanks to a media blackout, coordinated messaging, and online suppression, public panic was—for the moment—kept in check.
---
Mutant Base.
The room was filled with quiet disbelief as the group watched the latest news broadcast.
"Weapon development? That's the story they're going with?" Raven muttered, shaking her head.
Everyone here knew the truth. They had seen the Decepticons in action. This was no secret weapons test.
But none of them were surprised.
It was classic misdirection—standard procedure for any government caught with its pants down.
"Emma," Hank turned toward the White Queen. "Could you check again? We need to know what the Decepticons are doing now."
"Seriously?" Emma sighed. "Didn't we just do this yesterday?"
She gave Hank a long-suffering look.
"Oh, come on," Mystique said. "I'm curious too."
Even Copy Cat chimed in, grinning, "We've got real aliens on Earth, Emma. We've gotta find out what they're up to."
Emma rolled her eyes—but finally stood up.
With Hank's help, she entered the enhanced telepathy chamber and began scanning the global psychic field.
One by one, she isolated the minds of people who'd seen or sensed the Decepticons.
Minutes passed.
When she finally removed the Cerebro-style helmet, her expression had changed—calm replaced by gravity.
"What is it?" Hank asked, sensing her unease.
Everyone turned to face her.
"They're everywhere," Emma said grimly. "The number of Decepticons far exceeds anything I imagined. They're converging from all over the world—and most of them are heading straight for the U.S."
The room fell silent.
"Okay… but how many?" Copy cat asked, raising an eyebrow.
Emma paused.
"Three hundred and twenty-seven."
The words dropped like a bomb.
Hank and Raven's faces darkened instantly.
Just eight had razed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most secure base and annihilated a military response team.
What would three hundred do?
And Emma made it clear—this number only included the ones seen by people. There were undoubtedly more in hiding.
"They're regrouping," Alex said quietly, eyes gleaming. "Megatron is preparing for something big."
This wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
As far as the world was concerned, the crisis had been contained.
But those who knew better could already feel it—
The calm before the storm.
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