S.H.I.E.L.D. Base.
Bang!
The door to Peggy Carter's office was slammed open. A figure barged in, clearly in a rush.
Peggy, still on the phone, glanced up, saw who it was, and sighed. She quickly ended the call and looked at the intruder, helpless.
"Stark, is it really that hard for you to learn how to knock?"
"Sorry, Peggy. Want me to go back out and try again?"
Howard Stark pointed over his shoulder with a shrug, clearly not at all apologetic.
Peggy knew Howard too well to bother arguing. If she asked, he might just do it.
"Fine, spill it. What's got you this worked up?"
Peggy straightened her expression, sensing it had to be important. Howard Stark didn't barge in like this without reason—well, unless it was a really good gadget.
"I found it, Peggy! I've figured it out! Megatron—the one Alex mentioned—he's in the Arctic!"
As he spoke, Stark waved a sheet of paper in front of her, beaming with excitement.
"I even got the exact coordinates!"
"For real?"
Peggy's eyes lit up, her tone shifting from skeptical to intrigued.
But she quickly reined in her excitement and asked carefully, "Did you get those coordinates from that captain's son? You're really going to trust a guy locked up in a psych ward?"
That man—Boulder Witwicky—wasn't exactly a credible source on paper.
"I trust him completely, Peggy!"
Howard's excitement was still written all over his face as he launched into an explanation.
"Throughout our entire conversation, he was sharp, clear, totally coherent. That man isn't crazy. He's in that institution because he knows something the world doesn't!"
"Peggy, he saw it with his own eyes—a UB6!"
"Back when he and his father, Captain Witwicky, were returning from an Arctic voyage, they accidentally stumbled across a UB6. That thing even attacked them—shattered the captain's glasses."
"Fortunately, the extreme cold there froze the UB6 in place. Otherwise, their whole expedition might have been wiped out."
"And these—" Howard held up the paper again, "—are the coordinates of that encounter. I've got them, Peggy!"
Peggy began piecing it all together, her mind racing through the data.
"According to what Alex told us, UB6s have been seeking out cold regions on Earth... that matches your intel perfectly."
"Exactly!" Howard nodded eagerly. "Our research shows extreme cold dramatically suppresses UB6 energy emissions—basically paralyzing them."
"That's why the one in the Arctic is dormant. And that's also why the others are trying to find it. Because that one is Megatron!"
"Peggy, this all lines up. Everything Alex said checks out."
"There's no more doubt. This is real!"
Peggy nodded, her reservations melting under the weight of matching intel. There wasn't a hole left to poke.
"Peggy," Howard said firmly, "we need to act. Earth has already been invaded."
---
Outside a luxurious villa.
A sleek Cadillac rolled to a quiet stop.
The door opened, and Alex stepped out alongside Selena.
"Selena, go on inside. I've got something to take care of," Alex said casually, waving her off.
"Do you need a ride, my lord? I can drive you," Selena offered immediately.
"No need. Where I'm going is... a little far."
Alex gave her a small, mysterious smile.
"If that's the case, we have a private jet, my lord. I can have it brought over at once," she suggested helpfully.
Alex chuckled. "A plane? That's way too slow."
Selena blinked.
Wait, what?
In this era, planes were the fastest thing around. If a jet wasn't fast enough… what else was there?
BOOM!
Before she could ask, a massive sonic boom ripped through the air, blasting her with a gust of powerful wind.
Selena stared, dumbfounded, as Alex rocketed into the sky.
He… could fly?
He wasn't undead, wasn't even a vampire, yet he'd humiliated Elder Marcus, and now he could freaking fly?
What kind of supreme being had she pledged herself to?
At that moment, Selena finally understood what Alex meant when he said the plane was too slow.
Shaking off her daze, she pulled the car into the garage and parked.
But just as she stepped out—
BOOM!
Another sonic boom tore through the air as Alex returned in a flash.
"You're back already, my lord? Is there something you need?" Selina rushed over, respectful as ever.
"Nothing for now. Let's head back inside."
Alex waved her off, giving no hint as to where he had gone or what he had done.
Selena, perceptive as she was, didn't press.
But judging by how quickly he returned, she quietly speculated that maybe... whatever he went to do hadn't gone so well?
And she wasn't wrong.
Alex had finally gotten some breathing room. The Cuban Missile aftermath was settled. The vampire issue resolved. So he flew out to Hoover Dam to personally scan for the AllSpark.
Unfortunately, even with his X-ray vision, the AllSpark was nowhere to be found.
Looks like both Megatron and the AllSpark were still buried somewhere in the Arctic or Antarctic ice.
That being the case...
Alex made a swift decision.
Let S.H.I.E.L.D. handle the messy part. He'd just keep an eye on them. The moment they located the AllSpark, he'd swoop in and "borrow" it.
Perfect plan.
As for now—
A cold gleam flashed in Alex's eyes.
It was time to settle things with Stryker.
And while he was at it, he'd take control of the secret mutant facility on that island. He needed more manpower anyway.
And knowing how the system worked, raiding that research base might even trigger a side mission.
Three birds with one stone.
But first—there were a few preparations to make.
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