From the intelligence Nick Fury had gathered so far, Senju Haruto was no supervillain.
He had destroyed the Ten Rings organization and rescued Stark.
He had then gone on to defeat Stane in his Iron Monger armor.
Judging from these events, Haruto seemed to possess the heart of a hero.
But the most important fact was this—
He held terrifying power, enough to start a war all on his own.
"Get me Ross, now!" Fury barked at the agent beside him.
Hero's heart or not, that didn't mean Haruto would be easy to reason with.
If Ross continued pressing him with threats, there was every chance Haruto would resist.
And if that happened…
The entire district, which had already been paralyzed since Stark and Stane's fight began, would be dragged into chaos.
Countless cars were stranded here, unable to move.
Every rifle in the soldiers' hands, every armored vehicle arriving as backup—
All of it could fall under Haruto's influence, transformed into mechanical soldiers at his command.
No exaggeration—
If battle broke out, Ross would truly learn that he knew nothing of war.
This had to be stopped.
Fury drew in a sharp breath, tension knotting his chest.
He and Ross belonged to separate organizations. The two rarely saw eye to eye.
But even if they weren't allies, they weren't enemies either.
Everything they did was, in the end, for the same purpose: to protect the nation.
The difference lay only in their methods, approaches, and ideals.
So right now, Fury had no intention of watching Ross march to his own death.
"…And this damn helicopter."
To arrive quickly, Fury had no choice but to use a chopper.
His original plan was to land nearby, make contact with Haruto, and try to recruit him into the Avengers Initiative.
But Ross had arrived too.
And if Haruto's power extended far enough, even a helicopter might not be safe.
At that thought, Fury immediately ordered a parachute readied, while having the pilot climb higher.
One: if Haruto's ability had a radius, they might escape its range.
Two: if the helicopter itself turned into a living machine, Fury could still bail out.
A double-layered precaution.
As Fury worked through these thoughts, he finally established contact with General Ross.
After explaining the situation, Fury warned him—explicitly—not to engage. He urged Ross to pull his troops back immediately.
Otherwise, what would unfold here was far beyond Ross's ability to contain.
Hearing this, Ross's expression darkened.
As Thunderbolt Ross, he was no stranger to S.H.I.E.L.D.
But their systems were completely different.
Even if Fury was director, he had no right to dictate Ross's orders.
"This isn't your business!" Ross roared back, then cut the line without hesitation.
He turned at once and ordered his men to prepare for direct contact with Haruto.
"This is your final warning! Comply with my order—hands up, submit to investigation!" Ross bellowed through the loudspeaker.
"I can assure you, we won't harm you.
I can even arrange for you to become a legal U.S. citizen."
Seeing Haruto's Asian features, Ross had decided to offer such terms.
After all, America had long branded itself as the beacon of civilization.
Countless gifted people dreamed of coming here.
But this time, Ross had miscalculated.
"Legal citizen?"
Haruto scoffed.
And "beacon of civilization"? Please.
A nation that thrived on plunder and force—if that was a beacon, then its light was dim indeed.
"You have no idea what kind of man you're dealing with."
The moment Haruto's voice fell, Optimus Prime stepped forward, shielding him.
His right arm shifted, fist folding back as a cannon locked into place, glowing with a hot red charge.
His left arm twisted into a blade of the same crimson hue.
Every line of his body screamed readiness for war.
"So that's your choice, then," Ross sighed heavily.
"This world never lacks for fools who think a little strength gives them the right to run wild.
But against the power of a nation, you're nothing but fireflies against the sun."
His eyes hardened.
He swept his hand downward, signaling his men to prepare.
Haruto was to be taken alive with tranquilizers. Optimus would be captured and dismantled for research.
Ross didn't believe for a second that American scientists couldn't crack their secrets.
The order was given.
In the distance, a sniper fired first.
The shot bypassed Optimus and targeted straight for Haruto's chest.
Bang!
A dart the length of a man's palm whistled through the air, perfect in trajectory.
Haruto didn't move. Didn't flinch.
Ross held his breath, waiting for the boy to collapse.
But just as the sniper felt certain of success—
A yellow Volkswagen Beetle suddenly leapt up, intercepting the dart in mid-air.
The impact rang out.
Everyone froze.
"…There's no driver?"
Stark blinked, stunned. From his vantage, he could see clearly—the car was empty.
No one at the wheel.
By all logic, it shouldn't have been able to move.
And yet it had.
That same power again.
Stark's throat tightened. His gaze slid to Haruto's calm profile.
This just became a disaster.
"Motherf—!"
Up in the helicopter, Fury couldn't hold back a curse.
His worst fear had come true.
Ross's arrogance had pushed Haruto too far.
He was about to make his move.
And the Beetle's leap was only the beginning—a signal.
The power of the AllSpark surged, spreading across the entire district.
Vehicles abandoned in the streets began to quake and shift.
Panels split. Wheels twisted.
One after another, cars tore free from their forms, rising upright as mechanical giants.
In the span of a few breaths, every stranded vehicle had transformed into Haruto's mechanical army.
"This—this is impossible…"
Ross's eyes went wide, his face pale with disbelief.
What was happening?
How could one man command such terrifying power?
Weren't these cars built in factories?
Unless…
Ross swallowed hard, a terrible realization dawning.
That truck—the one called Optimus—wasn't Haruto's guardian.
And this wasn't advanced robotics stolen from some lab.
Haruto's true ability… was to awaken machines themselves.
To breathe life into them.
To make them fight at his side.
"…We're finished."
Ross muttered the words as the newly-born mechanical army unleashed a flood of firepower, crashing down upon his forces like a tidal wave.
"General Ross, you must retreat immediately!" his guards shouted desperately over the chaos.