Brotherhood

Clanking sounds rang out as a new Optimus Prime slowly took shape. Numerous new components assembled themselves and covered Optimus Prime's body.

Donnie had entrusted S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel with giving Optimus Prime some basic repairs. For reasons unknown, S.H.I.E.L.D. had merely restored his missing parts and done nothing further.

Optimus Prime had noticed the moment S.H.I.E.L.D. came into contact with him, but he merely watched in silence. After the basic repairs, S.H.I.E.L.D. left him alone, perhaps out of concern for Donnie, or perhaps because they had obtained valuable intelligence and saw no need to provoke him.

Optimus Prime shed his battered appearance. After incorporating motorcycles, he faced the world in a new body.

Donnie was about to unleash a massacre.

The waters of this universe ran too deep. He had no time to wrangle with countless large and small factions. It would be better to beat them senseless in one battle and make those insignificant organizations give up for good.

Two Gatling Guns assembled themselves, their icy muzzles aimed at the pursuers. People seemed to see countless wailing souls within them.

"Kill him, now!"

Someone cried out in terror and raised a gun to fire.

Optimus Prime operated both Gatling Guns and unleashed a frenzied barrage. Like the whisper of death, he slaughtered without restraint. Anyone standing in his way was sent to their grave. None would be spared.

Thunderous gunfire erupted.

Every bullet burst into a vivid spray of blood, blooming brilliantly through the air amid piercing screams and death's savage grin.

People tried to fight back, but they could not bring down Optimus Prime. In the end, they fell.

The alley became a slaughterhouse, filled with corpses and blood. The cramped terrain doomed many of them. They could not charge forward, nor could they escape. Some Mutants who had joined the fray midway were wiped out before they could use their powers, dying in utter frustration.

The overwhelming scent of blood lingered for a long time, drifting lightly on the wind and driving the Vampires hiding in the darkness nearly mad. They let out hungry roars!

But they feared sunlight and dared not expose themselves beneath it, or they would be reduced to ashes. They could only stir restlessly in the dark.

The ground was covered in mangled remains. It was difficult to find a single intact corpse.

Clap! Clap, clap!

Someone slowly stepped out, applauding with a hint of amusement and appreciation. He had gained a genuine understanding of Donnie's ruthlessness. This was the kind of person they needed.

"Who are you?"

Donnie panted. The excessive drain not only weighed heavily on his body, but the stabbing pain in his brain nearly drove him mad.

"You may call me Red Devil. I was ordered to come and collect you," the man said as he stepped out of the shadows. His crimson skin was striking, giving him the appearance of a demon from hell.

The name Red Devil suited him perfectly.

Donnie frowned and controlled Optimus Prime to take a warning step forward. He did not trust Red Devil.

"Magneto sent you? I thought Professor X would be the first to come looking for me," Donnie said.

"You were born to stand with us. There is no need to doubt that," Red Devil said. "Charles is too cautious. He was among the first to discover you and among the first to help you, but he was not the first to approach you directly. He is too cautious. It seems your personality has made him wary."

Donnie took the opportunity to restore the AllSpark and was happy to stall for time, so he pressed for details. By all rights, Professor X should have rushed over first to take him back to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Red Devil smiled and told him plainly that Professor X had discovered him the moment his abilities awakened. A Mutant born as a Level 4 Mutant had alarmed him.

He was the one who contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. and had them save Donnie.

He was the one who warned S.H.I.E.L.D. not to touch Donnie recklessly.

The streets of New York had been the center of the battlefield, the focus of the government and military. If Professor X had intervened and taken Donnie away, it would have been tantamount to declaring war on the government, breaking the unspoken agreement, and meddling in the government's internal affairs as the leader of the Mutants.

Not to mention that no faction would allow him to gain another Level 4 Mutant. The threat was too great, beyond the limits of what they could tolerate.

Donnie demanded to know why Magneto had come for him without regard for the consequences.

"When has Erik ever cared what the authorities think?" Red Devil said.

Donnie fell silent. For a moment, he understood the thinking of certain organizations.

Just how strong were Professor X and Magneto? In truth, many people, including members of the two major factions, only knew that the two were "very powerful." As for exactly how powerful?

No one knew. They were probably formidable, far stronger than Level 3 Mutants.

Donnie knew best. He knew better than anyone in this world how absurdly powerful those two were.

Professor X possessed Psionic Ability, a power that was truly close to divine.

Mental power could easily alter or implant memories, turning people into loyal slaves until their deaths. With the aid of specialized equipment, he could even wipe out half of humanity in an instant!

The authorities had directly classified Professor X's brain as a weapon of mass extermination. That tiny brain was simply powerful beyond reason, incomprehensible and terrifying.

As one of the twin poles of Mutants, Magneto possessed the ability to control all magnetic fields, enough to turn the entire Earth into his backyard. The achievements of modern human civilization were nothing but a joke before Magneto. Guns, artillery, missiles, even Nuclear Bombs—anything involving metal was merely a toy in his hands.

Magneto seemed more likely to be targeted than Professor X, but he could control the planet's magnetic fields, overturn a continent, unleash colossal tsunamis across the globe, and rewrite human history.

The twin poles of Mutants were unimaginably powerful. Their strength could shake a civilization, inspiring fear in countless people and worshipful fanaticism in countless others. This gave rise to numerous institutions dedicated to studying Mutants, attempting to decipher their secrets and become gods themselves.

Fortunately, Professor X and Magneto were enemies. One was a moderate who protected the world and maintained friendly relations with the authorities, while the other was a hardliner who sought to exterminate ordinary humans and establish a world for Mutants. The two sides stood in fierce opposition, maintaining a reassuring balance.

But if Donnie, a Mutant who had awakened directly as a Level 4 Mutant, joined either side, that balance might collapse. No faction wanted to see that happen.

To be honest, Donnie had no desire to get involved in the game between those two giants at this point. No matter which side he joined, he would have no means of resisting the other.

Could he handle Professor X's mental power? He would be crushed into dust with ease.

As for Magneto? That was even more terrifying.

Donnie's AllSpark ability created Transformers. Although they were lifeless objects firmly under his control, if he was fortunate enough to obtain the Mind Stone or something similar in the future, he would surely evolve into a creator, granting Transformers intelligence and souls. But he was still far from that point.

Taking a heap of metal creations and swaggering up to Magneto? Perhaps if Donnie uncovered more potential in the AllSpark, he might have a chance to contend with Magneto, but right now he would simply be delivering himself to his death. Magneto could crush him effortlessly.

"What is your choice?" Red Devil asked.

"I want to know where Magneto is," Donnie said reluctantly, caught between a rock and a hard place.

Red Devil smiled. "Erik personally led people to intercept Professor X. Normally, the ones coming for you now should be the X-Men, not me."

Red Devil was forcing him to make a decision.

Donnie understood instantly.

"Then... I'll go take a look at your side first," Donnie said slowly. "But I have not decided to join your Brotherhood. Do not misunderstand. I merely want to speak with Erik."

Red Devil only smiled without speaking. He reached out and pressed a hand onto Donnie's shoulder, then touched Optimus Prime, who had turned back into a small truck, with his other hand. Activating his spatial ability, he vanished with Donnie in a puff.