"Merlin... is this you?" Arcee asked blankly, her gaze fixed on the mission screen as she stood on the rooftop.
"I don't have a twin brother," Merlin replied jokingly, putting away his umbrella. There was no trace of panic on his face, only an eager anticipation as if he was ready for the challenge ahead.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
The roars of engines and explosions echoed through the streets below. A burly lizard man was engulfed in the chaos, seemingly wiped out by the blast. However, as the smoke cleared, his charred form began to heal at a visible pace. His broken limbs regenerated, and after just a few steps, his injuries were almost entirely gone. Aside from the tattered, burned clothes clinging to his body, it was as if nothing had happened.
"Bang!"
A burning bullet exploded, and the newly healed lizard man instantly became a massive figure wreathed in flames, the stench of burnt flesh filling the air. What shocked the nearby players was that, despite being engulfed in flames, the lizard man didn't fall. Instead, he let out a furious roar and lunged forward, tearing a player in half with brutal force. The bloody scene splattered across the street, sending waves of fear through the surrounding players. Only now did they begin to realize that this game was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
Fireballs erupted again, and the Drosso convoy roared through the sky, unleashing a barrage of missiles that blanketed the entire neighborhood, targeting all the lizardmen within range.
A player looked down at the MK2 rifle in his hands, standing silent for a moment. It was clear now—this game wasn't just difficult, it was a brutal test, especially for those with too little money to equip themselves properly.
"Let's go to Osborne Industries first. I'm going to make the serum," Merlin said, turning to Arcee, who was still a little dazed.
"Oh, okay!" Arcee snapped back to reality and quickly nodded. Her mechanical body began to twist and transform, rapidly turning into a sleek Ducati motorcycle that stopped right in front of Merlin.
Merlin mounted Arcee, and she started her atomic engine, switching into flying motorcycle mode as they left the rooftop. From the sky, they could see various flying vehicles navigating between the city buildings, all converging towards the Osborne Industries Building. As the tallest structure in the area, it was the obvious target in this competition.
"Whoosh!" Just as they were about to take off, a sharp sound suddenly cut through the sky. A bright white light pierced the night as Iron Man arrived on the scene.
"Merlin! Wait, where are you going?" Stark asked, hovering in front of Merlin in a graceful pose, his mask retracting to reveal his face.
"To Osborne Industries, of course. I'm going to make more serum and end this crisis," Merlin replied, pointing in the direction of the Osborne Industries Building. "To be honest, being a savior for the first time is still a bit...unusual."
"It's not easy being a savior. Now the whole city is looking for you and a girl named Gwen," Stark remarked. "By the way, do you know where Gwen is? I checked, and it seems you two are pretty close. Oh, and there's also a girl named Hannah. You're not planning on being in two places at once, are you?" Stark's tone became increasingly animated, and a gossipy expression crossed his face.
Merlin sighed, "When did this guy start picking up Spider-Man's chatty habits?" He shook his head and replied, "It's enough for me to handle this alone. Don't worry about Gwen; she won't be found."
"Why?" Stark asked, clearly surprised by Merlin's confidence.
"You can ask her yourself," Merlin said, tilting his head to gesture behind him.
Stark turned around and saw a sexy woman wearing a tight black leather jacket and burgundy pants, her presence commanding attention.
Stark looked around and saw a striking woman with burgundy curly hair, dressed in a tight black leather jacket, driving a Tyrant MK2 at high speed towards them. It was none other than Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff.
"Who's she?" Stark asked, intrigued.
"An agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division—a department that specializes in dealing with extraterrestrial and supernatural incidents. She's also a player," Merlin explained.
"An agent..." Stark nodded in understanding. For something this significant, it made sense that agents would respond quickly. "Of course, there's no one on this team who isn't formidable."
"Hey, you two, mind if I join your team?" Natasha asked with a smile as she stopped next to them.
"Of course, no problem," Stark quickly agreed before Merlin could respond. "And maybe after the battle, we can have some...wonderful encounters." Stark couldn't resist making a flirtatious remark.
"But does Gwen's situation have anything to do with her?" Stark asked, still curious.
"Gwen? I know about her. Don't worry, she should have arrived at Osborne Industries before any of us," Natasha replied, a hint of knowing in her tone. Since her last mission to Afghanistan to rescue Stark, she had begun investigating Merlin's connections and had discovered Gwen's identity as Spider-Man. For a skilled agent like Natasha, it didn't take much to figure that out.
Stark was about to say something more when Merlin suddenly noticed something and quickly patted Arcee. "Arcee, use the electromagnetic gun! The AllSpark is about to be taken!"
On the Transformers battlefield, Sam was fleeing desperately under the cover of Bumblebee and the U.S. military forces. However, as he was running, a missile from Starscream struck nearby, and Sam was thrown into the ruins, still clutching the backpack containing the AllSpark.
At that moment, Megatron, having just knocked Optimus Prime to the ground with a powerful energy blast, rushed towards Sam.
"Boy! Give me the AllSpark! It belongs to us!" Megatron growled as he bent down, extending a massive, clawed metal hand towards the backpack clutched tightly by Sam. Sam stared in terror at the enormous metal face and the sharp claws inching closer, gripping the AllSpark as if his life depended on it. He knew that if Megatron got hold of the AllSpark, Earth would fall under the control of the Transformers, and humanity would be doomed.
With Optimus Prime and the others too far away to help, Sam closed his eyes in despair, bracing for the worst. Just as Megatron's enormous hand was about to seize the backpack, a sudden blast echoed through the air.
"Boom!"
An electromagnetic gun fired from the side, striking Megatron's palm.
"Zzzzt..."
A crackling arc of electricity danced through the air, and a smoking, blackened hole appeared in Megatron's hand. The force of the impact sent Megatron staggering backward.
"Ah!!! Arcee!?" Megatron roared, clutching his injured hand, disbelief etched on his metal face as he looked in the direction of the attack. A cold, square electromagnetic gun barrel had emerged from Arcee's side, glowing with a blue arc of electricity. While Megatron was still reeling from the shock, Arcee sped towards Sam.
"Stab it!"
Merlin, perched on Arcee, flipped his palm to reveal a web-shooter on his wrist. With a quick press of his finger, a thin strand of spider silk shot out, sticking firmly to the backpack in Sam's arms.
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