The armor began to twist and contort, its plates shifting and reconfiguring with the grating sound of stressed metal. With a final, jarring clank, it settled into the unmistakable form of a Cybertronian.
Seeing this, Tony couldn't help but ask, a note of excitement in his voice, "FRIDAY, how's it going?"
The newly-formed Cybertronian raised its gun, aiming it directly at Tony. A sharp, metallic voice, devoid of FRIDAY's familiar tone, screeched, "My designation is Slaughter!" Before he could finish speaking, Slaughter began his attack, unleashing a hail of bullets toward Tony.
JARVIS, who had been standing guard by Tony's side, moved with lightning speed. The moment Slaughter raised its weapon, he was already in motion, his body enveloping Tony to complete the suit-up sequence. The bullets slammed into JARVIS's armor, creating a shower of sparks but causing no damage.
Optimus Prime, who had been observing the experiment from the side, also moved with swift, decisive action. He rushed forward and delivered a single, devastating punch to Slaughter, the newly-born Decepticon, turning it into a pile of mangled scrap metal. Fortunately, Tony had used ordinary, untested materials for the armor in this experiment; otherwise, even Optimus Prime would have had to expend some effort to destroy the new Decepticon.
Seeing that the threat was neutralized, JARVIS's head armor retracted, revealing Tony's face. He blurted out a curse, "Fuck! What the hell is going on?"
Optimus Prime picked up a piece of debris from the wreckage of Slaughter. It was emblazoned with the sinister symbol of the Decepticons. He said in a low, grim voice, "I was careless. Megatron is more cunning than I ever imagined. He must have released some kind of programming virus while he was being studied by you humans. I learned from Agent Coulson that much of your human technology was obtained through reverse-engineering Megatron. He must have spread the program virus at that time. Now, any electronic product on Earth that comes into contact with the energy of the Allspark will turn into a Decepticon, instead of an ordinary Cybertronian."
Hearing this, Tony thought of something, and his heart tightened before relaxing again. "Fortunately, the Allspark wasn't taken away by the Decepticons. I can't even imagine how terrifying it would be in today's society if all electronic products suddenly became our enemies! But why didn't JARVIS become a Decepticon?"
Hearing Tony's question, JARVIS complained, his voice now capable of a perfect deadpan, "Sir, are you saddened that I did not become a Decepticon?"
Tony asked with exaggerated surprise, "JARVIS, what's with that nagging tone of yours?"
"Sir, I believe it will help to lighten the mood. It appears you are not quite accustomed to it yet," JARVIS said, shrugging with almost the exact same mannerism Tony usually did, looking for all the world like a true Iron Stark.
"It seems my 'genes' are stronger," Tony mused. "JARVIS clearly takes after me!"
Just as they were discussing the Allspark, JARVIS's expression suddenly changed. He said to Tony, "Sir, there are two individuals approaching. One of them is Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., whom I met at the Hoover Dam."
"What is he doing here? Does he want the Allspark again? Let him in!"
Soon, Nick Fury, still wearing his signature black trench coat, strode into the lab, followed by a man in a tactical vest carrying a compound bow.
"Welcome, welcome! May I have the pleasure of knowing this handsome fellow's name?" Tony welcomed them loudly, but he was addressing Hawkeye, Clint Barton, who was following behind Nick Fury.
Hearing this, Barton glanced at his director, whose face seemed to have darkened even further, and briefly introduced himself. "Clint Barton."
"Okay, Agent Barton, feel free to treat this as your new headquarters," Tony's sharp tongue remained as powerful as ever.
Nick Fury couldn't take it any longer and said in a serious, commanding voice, "Stark, we're here to discuss serious business."
"Okay, okay, let's get down to business," Tony said nonchalantly, casually sitting down on the sofa.
"Mr. Optimus Prime, may we talk?" Nick Fury didn't direct his question to Tony, but instead to Optimus Prime, who had been standing like a silent titan in the background since they entered. He had already learned the names and some of the characteristics of these Autobots from Coulson, who had done a good job in that regard.
Optimus Prime gave a slight nod to show his agreement. He had always respected the potential power of mankind. Because Tony had been in charge of the previous negotiations, he had not expressed his own attitude.
"We, S.H.I.E.L.D., are a subsidiary organization of the World Security Council. We are responsible for handling supernatural events worldwide, and we are also responsible for all official contact with extraterrestrial life." Nick Fury spoke in a serious, formal tone, glancing at Tony from time to time as if he was afraid the other man would suddenly go on a verbal rampage. Fortunately, Tony did not mock Nick Fury this time.
Optimus Prime replied, "As long as humans do not take the initiative to provoke us, the Autobots are happy to live in harmony with the people of Earth. We Autobots love peace."
"We humans think so, too." Seeing that Optimus Prime was really as easy to talk to as Coulson had said, Nick Fury secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly afraid that there would be another person like Tony to deal with. He could hardly stand one of them.
"I need all the information you have about the Decepticons," Nick Fury continued. "They attacked our S.H.I.E.L.D. base. We must have a sufficient understanding of them."
Optimus Prime patiently explained to Nick Fury, "The Decepticons have fought us Autobots for thousands of years. They are military-grade machines that regard plunder and conquest as their very survival instinct. We Autobots, as civilian machines, advocate for peaceful development. After the war on our home planet of Cybertron ended, we all began wandering the universe. This time, the Decepticons have attacked Earth for their leader, Megatron, and for the Allspark."
Hearing the mention of the Allspark, Nick Fury glanced at the cube sitting next to Optimus Prime. That was the Allspark, which, by his reckoning, was supposed to belong to S.H.I.E.L.D.
"What about their army and their strength?" Nick Fury asked. This was what he most wanted to know.
Optimus Prime pondered for a moment and said, "I do not know the specifics, but based on my experience, the core Decepticon members number between five and nine. The number of ordinary Decepticon soldiers is difficult to calculate, but it should be over a hundred. They came to Earth to seize the Allspark, so their army should be quite large. Previously, at the Hoover Dam, they were likely just trying to locate the Allspark, so they did not send too many soldiers."
Nick Fury took a deep breath. He didn't expect there to be at least hundreds of those alien robots. He then asked, "Aren't you here to stop the Decepticons? How many of you are there?" Nick Fury believed that since the Autobots had come to Earth to stop the Decepticons, their strength should be comparable.
"I have four excellent subordinates," Optimus Prime stated.
"And...?" Nick Fury had a bad feeling.
Optimus Prime replied, "That is all. There are only five of us Autobots on Earth now. The rest are still wandering in the vastness of the universe."
"This..." Nick Fury was speechless for a moment. They wanted to stop an entire army with just five soldiers.
Optimus Prime saw what Nick Fury was thinking and said confidently, "Do not worry. Our warriors can each fight two at once."
Seeing Optimus Prime's unwavering confidence, Nick Fury almost believed him. "Then let's talk about how to deal with the Decepticons!"
That night, Optimus Prime was standing guard outside the experimental site. He had nothing else to do, so he decided to keep watch. Suddenly, he felt as if his whole body was floating up, as if his very soul had left his body and come to a strange, ethereal world with a star-dusted sky as its background.