Unlike before, when she had been so dismissive, Mikaela Banes now couldn't keep her hands off Bumblebee. She really was an aged green tea bitch, straight out of '82.
While Bumblebee was taking them along, Optimus Prime and his companions arrived on Earth in the form of meteorites. Notably, the one who crawled out of the swimming pool was actually Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime (Peterbilt 389), Jazz (Pontiac), Ratchet (Hummer H2), and Ironhide (GMC C4500 off-road pickup): watching the vehicles gradually approach, Rimuru felt his blood start to boil.
Optimus Prime led the way, slowly transforming amid the deep resonance of his mechanical chassis, the low hum of his engine, the rapid scraping of metal plates, the meshing of gears, the extension and contraction of hydraulic rods, and the spinning of parts. With clicks, clangs, thuds, creaks, and hisses, hundreds of components rearranged themselves in an instant. The sound alone gave Rimuru an orgasm in his head. Guys, who gets it? Watching a Transformer transform right in front of me is an ascension of machinery and life.
The sounds of the other four transforming afterward complemented one another perfectly.
"Optimus Prime, come here and let me touch you!" Rimuru gave an excited howl, shattering the solemn atmosphere in an instant.
But this left Optimus Prime, who had just arrived on Earth, at a loss. Wait, how do you know me? He looked at the other four around him, who all shook their heads, indicating that they didn't know, didn't recognize him, and had never seen him before.
But when he looked again at the little fellow touching and examining him, it was obvious that the little fellow knew him. So why couldn't he remember him at all? Could his memory system have been damaged in the landing?
Puzzled, Optimus Prime spoke. "Earthling, do you know us?"
"Of course I do. You're mechanical life-forms from Cybertron." That wasn't all. Rimuru's fingers brushed lightly over the battle-scarred armor plates on Optimus Prime's lower leg. "I also know you came looking for the AllSpark. The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons has already spread to this star system."
"That's impossible." Ironhide stepped half a pace forward, the outline of his cannon barrel faintly visible as he transformed. "Earth's civilization has not yet developed the ability to gather intelligence across star systems."
The Autobots looked at Bumblebee, assuming he had told Rimuru all this. Bumblebee hurriedly shook his head, indicating that it wasn't him and he hadn't done it.
Ratchet stepped forward. "My scans show that you seem quite different from other Earthlings. You're very unusual, unlike anything I've ever seen."
"That's right. You know about parallel universes, don't you? I'm not an Earthling from this Earth. I came from another universe to ask you for help."
As Rimuru spoke, he changed back into his slime form, but the sight made the two people beside him scream in fright. From their perspective, a living person had suddenly turned into a blue monster with eyes. In that instant, their pupils contracted, the hairs all over their bodies stood on end, and their brains crashed on the spot.
Their first reaction wasn't that he was cute. He was bizarre, unfamiliar, disgusting, and creepy: a soft, transparent blob of jelly squirming on the ground, with no face, hands, or feet, yet moving slowly.
The thought that they had just been in a car with something like that sent a chill down their backs, made their scalps tingle, and covered them in goosebumps.
Their reaction left Rimuru at a loss too. Seriously, what are you two screaming about? Pepper didn't react this strongly when she saw me as a slime.
System: "That's normal. This universe is a proper technological universe, so it's normal for it to be incompatible with a slime like you. Looking the way you do now, you're lucky they didn't kick you away like a soccer ball."
Damn it~
Rimuru's appearance, however, excited several of the Autobots. Everyone where they came from was a hard metal being, and this was their first time seeing something so soft. They even poked him with their fingers.
Seeing his comrades lying on the ground and poking the little ball, Optimus Prime couldn't bear to watch anymore. He hurriedly told them to stop and get down to business.
What did he mean, he wasn't an Earthling from this Earth? What did he mean, he came from another universe? This day had been surreal enough already.
Optimus Prime's shock was mixed with curiosity. "Then how did you know we existed? And what problem did you encounter that made you cross into a parallel universe to ask us for help? Could it be that we failed in your universe?"
"Where I come from, your story... is known in some form. Perhaps a record, perhaps a legend, perhaps just... entertainment."
Rimuru chose an explanation that was relatively vague but easy to understand. "But the important thing isn't how I know. It's the information and warning I've brought. The reason I came to ask for help isn't because of you, either. It's because a madman appeared in our universe."
Jazz's voice was full of disbelief. "You crossed universes and found us because of one madman?"
"A Titan named Thanos appeared in our universe. He believes that the universe's resources are finite, but life is infinite, and that this will exhaust those resources and cause life to eventually die out. So every time he goes to a planet, he wipes out half the life on it to achieve what he considers balance. His ultimate goal is to randomly wipe out half the life in the entire universe. That's why I came to this universe to ask you for help.
Ratchet: "There must be something wrong with his brain. It can only be replaced, not fixed."
Ironhide: "Replacing it would be a waste. Let me use my cannon to end his evil life."
Jazz: "Folded his arms and sank into thought."
Bumblebee: "Woo-ah, woo-ah. No idea what he was saying."
Optimus Prime was also shocked by this madman. Compared with him, Megatron was practically a saint. "I'm deeply sorry for what your universe is going through, but we still have our own business to attend to. We must find the AllSpark before Megatron does..."
"I know, I know. That's why I plan to help you get the AllSpark. I hope you can come to my universe and help me afterward. In return, I'm willing to help you rebuild Cybertron."
Rebuild Cybertron? At those words, all five Autobots became excited.
Optimus Prime pondered for a while. "We're willing to come to your universe and help you, but rebuilding Cybertron is no small matter. That would mean recreating an entire planet, and Cybertron is much bigger than Earth."
"No problem. The fact that I could come to this universe proves what I'm capable of. Rebuilding a planet may be a little difficult, but it's only a matter of time." If all else failed, he could borrow the Time Stone from the Ancient One, or, failing that, go snatch the Reality Stone. There were always more solutions than problems.
Hearing this, Optimus Prime agreed to Rimuru's request, and they formally entered into a partnership. So, next, shouldn't they go to Sam's house and look for the glasses first?
As for why he trusted Optimus Prime so much? Come on, did that even need asking? This was someone who, for Earth's sake, could personally destroy the chance to rebuild his own home planet. To keep the Decepticons from getting the AllSpark, he was even willing to sacrifice himself. What did that make him? He was practically a saint. No wonder he was a great leader.