"Buzz buzz..."
The early morning light crossed the horizon, casting a faint golden glow over the yellow sand Gobi.
Under the watchful eyes of Stark and the others, a dark armed helicopter slowly descended onto the camp like a massive black hawk. As the cockpit door opened and a young man with an immature face stepped out, Stark's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Merlin! My God, Merlin, is that really you?" Stark exclaimed. Even after Frank and the others had mentioned that Merlin was handling the logistics and planning for this mission, Stark had trouble believing it. The idea of a high school student traveling thousands of miles to Afghanistan to save him seemed almost inconceivable.
Merlin smiled and waved. "Long time no see, Mr. Stark."
"Long time no see. To be honest, I was really shocked when I saw you," Stark said, shaking his head in amazement.
The two chatted for a while, and Merlin's gaze eventually settled on the two people lying on the ground.
Elektra, dressed in red, had a short fork piercing through her chest and was clearly beyond saving. Bullseye, on the other hand, was in a pitiful state, surrounded by a mess of flesh and blood but still clinging to life.
"Bullseye's vitality is still quite strong," Frank commented, "but even if he is saved, he'll likely be paralyzed for the rest of his life." The Punisher's spray had shattered Bullseye's spine, leaving him in a grave condition. "If it had been closer, it could have been a fatal blow."
Merlin shook his head. "Tsk, why can't people just complete their missions properly? Instead, they end up with unnecessary complications." Despite the mission's overall success and his continuous updates ensuring minimal injuries, internal conflicts had led to one death and another in a state of paralysis.
"Still, I'm surprised you didn't finish him off with a last-ditch attack," Merlin remarked, considering Frank's usual methods.
"We're still teammates for now," Frank said calmly. "The game isn't over yet."
Merlin shrugged and then turned his attention to Stark. "Are you going to come back with us, or are you waiting for someone to pick you up?"
"There are exactly two empty seats now," Merlin pointed out, indicating the two people on the ground.
Ethan looked at Stark, still a bit dazed by the situation.
"Of course, I'll come with you. I don't want to stay in a camp full of corpses," Stark replied without hesitation.
"Alright then," Merlin said. "Lift them both and put them in the middle of the cabin. We can discuss everything on the plane."
"What should I do with my armor?" Stark asked, gesturing to the first-generation suit he was wearing.
"That will have to stay here. My plane can't accommodate it," Merlin replied.
"If you're reluctant to part with it, you can have your people come pick it up," Merlin suggested.
"That's the only option," Stark agreed. Reluctantly, he removed his armor. It was his first battle suit, and despite its simplicity, it held sentimental value.
After following Natasha and the others onto the helicopter, Stark called Obadiah and Pepper to inform them of his safety and to arrange for someone to retrieve the armor. With that sorted, they departed from the camp.
Natasha also updated Director Fury on the situation.
Meanwhile, Fury was dealing with a troubling mysterious intrusion signal.
In NY City, Broadway, located in Manhattan, is known as the theater and entertainment center of the city. It has always been a hub for the upper class, offering a variety of cultural and entertainment options.
However, today, chaos reigned on the usually bustling Broadway street. A yellow Chevrolet sports car was speeding down the road, being pursued by a police car.
In the driver's seat of the battered Chevrolet was a short-haired high school student, his hands gripping his head in panic as he shouted incoherently. The pursuing Ford Mustang police car had an empty driver's seat, with no one behind the wheel.
"Bumblebee, stop and hand that human over to me!" The command was transmitted in a specialized frequency.
Bumblebee, receiving the signal, did not respond verbally but drove Sam towards a more open area.
Eventually, they arrived at a deserted viaduct, surrounded by concrete pillars. Bumblebee skidded to a stop, threw Sam out of the car, and began to transform.
With a series of mechanical clicks and whirs, Bumblebee's parts reconfigured, and the Chevrolet sports car morphed into a towering robot.
Bumblebee immediately began to defend himself. His hand cannon fired at the pursuing police car.
"Boom!" The plasma cannon's blast created a thick cloud of smoke and sparks in front of the police car.
The police car, now transformed into a massive robot with crimson eyes, avoided the blast by skidding sideways. It continued its assault with cutting claws, charging directly at Bumblebee.
At the same time, a smaller robot, resembling a spider, emerged from the Decepticon's body and started pursuing Sam.
Roadblock, a scout and hunter among the Decepticons, was equipped with a reconnaissance Cybertron spider. Faced with the relentless pursuit, Sam, still bewildered, fled in terror among the concrete pillars.
But in his panic, Sam couldn't outrun the small robot chasing him. Soon, it caught him by hooking onto his backpack.
"Plop!" Sam was yanked to the ground by the small robot.
"Buzz buzz..." The small robot's sharp claw spun rapidly, advancing towards Sam like a drill.
"Tell me! Are you Mr. Heartthrob?" the small robot demanded.
"No, no, no! I'm Sam, Sam Witwicky!" Sam shouted in terror as the drill bit got closer and closer.
"No, you are Mr. Heartthrob."
As the drill neared, Sam suddenly recalled something. "Wait a minute, wait a minute! My online username is Heartthrob..."
Before he could finish, a red laser pierced the small robot's head.
Sam turned in shock to see a modified red Ducati motorcycle speeding toward the two massive Autobots.
"Boom!!!" A loud explosion filled the sky as a gray F-22 Raptor fighter jet suddenly appeared over the battlefield.
"Puff! Puff!!!" Four missiles streaked through the air, targeting Bumblebee.
"Boom boom boom!!!" The missiles exploded, hurling Bumblebee against a concrete pillar with tremendous force.
Just as Starscream prepared to transform and seize Bumblebee, a barrage of missiles exploded around him.
"Boom boom boom!!!" Fireballs erupted from the F-22 Raptor as Starscream, now transformed into a jet, plummeted toward the ground.
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