A Piece of Vibranium

Donnie spent a long time touring this steel metropolis, utterly awestruck.

It was a colossal city where many mutants lived, studied combat, slept on their weapons, and stood ready for war at any moment—all to fight for Magneto.

This was less a city and more a military fortress, churning out a steady stream of warriors for the Brotherhood to throw into battle.

A massive war machine, led by a Level 4 Mutant. Every year, the Brotherhood scoured the globe for gifted young mutants, bringing them here for training.

That was precisely why nations worldwide viewed it with deep suspicion. Magneto, the world's biggest terrorist, brazenly raised a personal army in plain sight, defying everyone with ironclad resolve.

Yet, this place was also Magneto's Achilles' heel. He couldn't abandon it or his people, which gave nations and organizations leverage, barely preserving a strange, uneasy truce.

After all, Magneto couldn't stay holed up on this island forever.

That aside, what really made Donnie's eyes sting with envy was the island's vast hoard of precious metals.

His Transformers' defense had never been satisfactory, and the core flaw was the material. Ordinary vehicle parts weren't tough—even minor collisions caused damage, let alone actual combat.

Right now, the Transformers' defense relied heavily on a constant flow of Spark Energy for reinforcement, but that strengthening had its limits.

Slap a god-tier gem on a plain piece of gear—even if it could pierce the heavens, how much power could that plain gear actually unleash?

Donnie drove his little truck around, watching mutants on the streets use their abilities, lost in thought, eyes wide open.

This was an independent nation—a nation of mutants.

But it wasn't his. He had to go back to New York, the center of all major events, where superheroes were a dime a dozen.

A sharp sound rang out, and the Red Devil appeared beside Donnie.

The Red Devil regretfully told him that Magneto couldn't see him yet—there was a monumental matter he had to handle.

"Erik really wants to meet you, but he can't. Something more urgent is at stake, something that could affect the future of mutants."

The Red Devil relayed Magneto's words: if this succeeded, it would reshape the mutant landscape overnight, potentially ending their awkward status.

Donnie shrugged, noncommittal.

The Red Devil said that if Donnie didn't want to stay here, he could send him back to New York.

"Magneto is lenient with you. He feels close to you. It's been years since a natural Level 4 Mutant appeared... though, seems you're pretty weak now, just Level 3?" the Red Devil teased.

"Hey, let's talk business—do you have any Adamantium or Vibranium around here?"

Donnie gestured, changing the subject, and had Optimus Prime shrink to a two-meter-tall form to negotiate with the Red Devil. He was the type to talk anything out, as long as it wasn't a blood feud like with the Hulk.

Passing mutants noticed Optimus Prime, gasped, stopped to stare, and murmured about a new mutant arriving.

Donnie wanted to hash things out with the Red Devil.

"Just give me this much Adamantium or Vibranium—enough to cover two meters tall, times ten—and I'll join the Brotherhood. Should be easy for a big organization like yours," Donnie said.

"Easy my ass!" The Red Devil's face flushed purple with irritation. "Two meters tall? Times ten? You want to rebuild your war machine with Adamantium and Vibranium? You couldn't find that much on the whole damn planet!"

"That's just your ignorance!" Donnie shot back. "Oh, and the Adamantium has to be at least second-gen. Anything later won't cut it."

The Red Devil's face darkened. He wanted to punch this brat—what thick skin.

Even with the Brotherhood's vast resources, they couldn't afford that. He couldn't agree to it; Magneto would have to decide.

"Is the Brotherhood strapped for cash or what?" Donnie argued loudly, demanding perks from the Red Devil, swearing that once the metal was in hand, he'd be the Brotherhood's man, ready to shed blood and guts for the cause.

Who was the richest in this world? Tony Stark and his Stark Industries? Bruce Wayne and his Wayne Enterprises? Or the king of Wakanda and his kingdom?

Wrong. If Magneto heard that, he'd laugh. Not counting the priceless Vibranium mines, Magneto was the richest—he could control all the world's precious metals and bury you in cash without breaking a sweat.

The Red Devil naturally scoffed at Donnie's words. Shed blood and guts? He didn't believe a word. With Magneto away, if Donnie got his hands on enough metal, he'd probably bolt with the loot without a second thought.

"Besides, are you sure you can control Adamantium or Vibranium right now? Can you alter their molecular structure?" the Red Devil said with a sneer.

That hit Donnie right in his weak spot.

First-gen Adamantium was called the universe's hardest metal, and Vibranium could absorb and reflect energy—both were priceless.

Even if Donnie got a weakened, subpar Adamantium, he'd be tied in knots trying to modify it.

He didn't have the ability now. He'd need to recover to at least Level 4 before he could even touch Adamantium.

Even Magneto himself, going all out against an Adamantium construct, would have to fight tooth and nail to break it.

In the end, Donnie wrangled a small piece of Vibranium from the Brotherhood. It wasn't big—just a bit larger than a palm—enough to thinly coat one arm and part of a shoulder after modification.

The awkward part was that Donnie was stumped. He couldn't modify it.

Donnie used the AllSpark, letting energy seep in, but it was instantly absorbed. Curious, he fed in more—only for it to rebound with a bang, sending him tumbling.

"What am I supposed to do with this Vibranium? Use it as a brick and hurl it at someone in a fight?"

The Red Devil cackled eerily, sending chills down the spine. He was a devil, after all, no good guy.

Donnie had always been wary of the Red Devil.

"I'll send you back to New York. Erik says you can return anytime." The Red Devil grabbed Donnie and his Optimus Prime, teleporting straight to the outskirts of America.

The Red Devil let him go and told him he could leave, welcome back to the Brotherhood whenever.

"Erik told me to warn you: don't listen to Charles's sweet talk. His philosophy is too hypocritical." The Red Devil warned him sternly—Professor X's side was no good. If Donnie joined them, they'd be enemies.

Donnie asked, "You're in such a hurry—what's the rush?"

"I just heard someone report that a new mutant with wings has appeared."

"You want to bring that person back to the Brotherhood?"

"No, how could that be? I need to confirm if he's an Angel, then kill the bastard." The Red Devil said lightly. "The Devil and Angel mutant clans have been at each other's throats for thousands of years."

"...Aren't you afraid Erik will kill you?" Donnie was speechless.

The Red Devil didn't say more; after greeting Donnie, he vanished.

Donnie frowned deeply. He had always been highly wary of this old monster who had lived for thousands of years—the Red Devil was far from easy to get along with.

He didn't believe a single word the Red Devil said, either. Every sentence had to be picked apart repeatedly to see if there was some trap laid out.

At least the Vibranium in his hand was real—he hadn't made the trip for nothing.