New Threats or New Heroes: Eyewitness Interviews – The New York Times
"Downtown Battle: Military Can't Exculpate, Ross Should Be Court-Martialed" - Herald Daily
"On the Day of Disaster, Spider-Man Flees Without a Fight" - The Daily Bugle
The street fighting in New York caused a huge uproar and shocked the world's public opinion.
For the first time, a monstrous force completely abandoned law and morality, disregarding civilians. A fierce battle ensued, leaving countless casualties in the streets. Afterward, those brave enough to enter the battle zone saw devastation everywhere. One street was reduced to rubble, and several neighboring streets were also in ruins. It was a scene of doom, and countless people wept bitterly among the ruins for their fallen loved ones.
A large number of citizens spontaneously took to the streets, holding up banners and cursing the military for its incompetence during the march.
"Since I can't be protected, then I shouldn't pay taxes. I should pay taxes to the people who protect me... This is all Ross's fault."
A man on crutches was interviewed and spoke frankly.
"If it weren't for that man last night, I would have died. I'm very grateful to him... Mutant? He can love whoever he wants, it's none of my business! I only know that he can protect me when I need help the most."
The unprecedented changes have shocked the secular nerves. People have begun to worry about their own safety. Various protests have occurred one after another, and countless experts and professors have come out to quote classics and speak endlessly.
"What do you think of this bloody incident?" asked a well-known host.
"This is a man-made disaster that will go down in human history. Our generation will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history and will be publicly condemned. Someone must be held accountable for this..." said the old professor of human sociology.
"Could you please give me an estimate of the cause of this incident?"
"It's all Ross's fault," said the old professor.
The military remained silent for a long time. Faced with heavy pressure from the outside world and from above, they finally couldn't bear it anymore and claimed that everything was due to the failed super soldier program and the military would terminate the super soldier program.
Some victims angrily questioned the military spokesperson, asking if a simple "termination of the program" could compensate for the damage they suffered? Didn't the military, the culprit, have any explanation?
The military spokesman was silent for a long time before responding, "It's all Ross's fault."
General Ross is completely disgraced.
…
When Donnie woke up, it was two days later. He had been sleeping for two full days.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a hospital room, and he was the only patient in the room. It was obviously arranged by someone.
The curtains were half-drawn, the sun was shining brightly outside the window, and the occasional birdsong added a touch of tranquility.
"Is anyone there?" Donnie shouted, his voice so hoarse that even he was surprised.
Someone pushed the door open, but it wasn't the nurse Donnie expected, but a man in a suit with a gentle smile, yet giving people a capable feeling.
"The doctor said you'll wake up today. I've been waiting for you for a long time," the man said with a smile. "My name is Phil Coulson, and I'm from the Homeland Security Defense Attack and Logistics Agency. Mr. Downey, you can just call me Coulson."
Coulson always had a smile on his face, and was gentle yet polite. He was dressed in a formal suit and his tie was tied tightly around his neck.
"Coulson... So, it was you who saved me." Donnie sat up, picked up the water on the table, which was surprisingly warm, and drank it all in one gulp.
"It can be said that we did put in a lot of effort and stopped many people who had bad intentions towards Mr. Downey."
Coulson briefly described what happened after he collapsed, speaking directly. Many people were very interested in him and used their connections and tactics to try to drag Downey back for research, but were stopped. General Ross was the most eager and irritable, so furious that he nearly threw his service pistol in his face.
It is said that Ross received orders from some superiors at that time.
Specifically wanted to bring Donnie back.
Donnie scoffed, remained noncommittal, and gestured to Coulson to sit down and talk.
"Where are they?" Donnie suddenly asked.
"The car is outside. I guess you'll look for it when you wake up."
"It's him, not it. I pay attention to this and hope you don't make the mistake again." Donnie corrected stubbornly.
Coulson looked apologetic and asked Donnie to go out and check on his car because it didn't seem to be in good condition.
Donnie got up, and Coulson tried to help him, but was pushed away. Donnie used the fire, and his brain felt a sharp pain, only a trickle of pain passed through his body, which was completely different from the first time.
Coulson quickly said, "The doctor said your brain was the most severely injured. These two days of coma were mainly for your brain to heal itself."
Tang Ni remained silent, using the fire energy to flow through his body. His condition improved a lot, but he could only recover part of it, so the effect was not that obvious.
Donny understood that the main function of the spark was to create and control Transformers, and it had little effect on itself.
He already had a vague plan for future development, especially in terms of combat.
The two stood in the hospital campus, observing a scrapped pickup truck.
This Changan Xingka was in terrible condition. The hood was abandoned, revealing the wiring and engine underneath. The glass was almost completely shattered, with only remaining debris stubbornly clinging to the car. Three of the four tires were missing, and the remaining one was punctured, with most of the bearings gone.
There is no intact part of the entire car, it is a miracle that it did not fall apart.
Coulson took the initiative to tell him that the hospital was owned by the Homeland Security Defense Attack and Logistics Agency, so if he wanted to do anything, he didn't have to worry about causing any adverse effects.
"Mr. Downey, since we don't know the specifics of your abilities, we didn't rush to repair the car. We just wiped off the dust on the exterior to make it look better." Seeing that Downey was standing there without saying anything, Coulson took the initiative to find a topic and explain.
Donnie glanced at Coulson gratefully and said softly, "Thank you."
Donnie hadn't reacted much to his resettlement. Before he fell into a coma, he'd already anticipated his potential fate and was mentally prepared for any outcome. But now, he genuinely felt a fondness for Coulson. He was meticulous, yet measured, with impeccable control.
Coulson smiled gently and made a gesture of invitation. He already understood everything in his mind and had a deeper analysis of Donnie's psychological characteristics, which was enough to build a more complete psychological model.
Downey slowly extended his hand, and under the expectant gaze of Coulson and the surrounding lurking agents, he grasped the van from a distance. Invisible waves of power emanated, stirring up a gust of wind so strong that the crowd had to squint. The battered van suddenly roared, the sound of mechanical metal rubbing against each other incessantly as it transformed.
"This is truly… a miracle!"
Coulson's eyes widened in amazement, echoing the sentiments of many. Although he had rewatched the street camera footage from that night many times and was mentally prepared, he was still shocked when he saw the changes.
Countless hidden cameras around recorded this visually impactful scene from close range throughout the entire process, and frantically transmitted the video to the outside world, allowing more people to witness this thrilling and unprecedented scene.
There were continuous crackling sounds, and a humanoid metal man was formed. However, what made Donnie frown was that a large number of broken parts were scattered on the ground in the process. These were all waste metals and could not be used.
Optimus Prime was assembled majestically, and the tattered metal body still gave people a huge impact, and a fierce momentum came towards them.
"The change is about to be completed!" Someone couldn't help but exclaimed, looking excited.
"I'm looking forward to it." Once someone started talking, the others became less serious and started talking one after another, exclaiming in surprise and looking expectant.
Finally, as the transformation neared completion, the crowd grew even more excited, their faces flushed, eager to witness the miracle. Optimus Prime, with all his features intact, supported himself on one hand, looking majestic and proud, but with a thud, he fell cleanly to the ground, shattering his glasses.
Countless people were stunned, not knowing what was going on.
Donnie didn't show any surprise at all and sighed deeply, "Too fragile, too fragile... Optimus Prime, he's already reached his limit..."