DC HERO AT MARVEL

Although Starscream hoped Megatron had been disassembled, he still had to maintain appearances.

The members of the Decepticons weren't simpletons—each one was a force to be reckoned with.

Despite their constant rivalries, Megatron was the only one capable of uniting them into a formidable force capable of standing against the Autobots.

While Starscream believed he had the qualities to be a leader, he knew he couldn't immediately replace Megatron.

Even his current position as second-in-command had been assigned by Megatron himself.

If not for Megatron authority, the Decepticons on Earth would never obey Starscream orders.

"Sector Seven…"

Starscream mused for a moment, developing new ideas based on the information he had gathered.

The AllSpark.

Sector Seven base was highly likely to house this Cybertronian relic.

Whether or not Megatron had been disassembled, if Starscream could lead the remaining Decepticons to the AllSpark and use it to transform Earth mechanical constructs into Decepticon soldiers, he would instantly be hailed as the savior of the Transformers.

At that point, rebuilding Cybertron would only be the beginning.

He could reign supreme over both Earth and Cybertron!

Even Megatron wouldn't be able to threaten Starscream position then.

"Heh heh!"

The more Starscream thought about it, the more excited he became. Ambition swelled within him, threatening to explode.

This was even more exhilarating than any heroic tale.

Los Angeles, Riverbank, Scrapyard.

Bonecrusher lay dismantled, his massive head separated from his shattered body, lifeless.

Bumblebee remained composed.

Having witnessed Cyborg brutal takedown of Barricade just over an hour ago, he had grown somewhat desensitized.

Beside him, Optimus Prime looked more solemn. In his heart, he raised the threat level of Batman and his companions by another notch.

"Alright, back to business."

Anton voice brought Optimus Prime back to the present.

"Optimus Prime, since we share a common enemy and the Autobots bear no ill will toward humanity, we can work together to defeat the Decepticons," Anton suggested.

"No problem."

Optimus Prime pondered for a moment before replying, "So far, we've found little information about the Decepticons…"

He glanced at Bonecrusher remains and recalled what Bumblebee had told him earlier about Barricade and Frenzy demise.

"…aside from the ones you've already encountered," he added.

"The Decepticons!"

At last, Keller interjected. "If you're talking about Decepticons, and if one of them is a helicopter while another looks like a mechanical scorpion, I might have some clues."

"Oh?"

Everyone turned to Keller.

Feeling the weight of their stares, Keller shivered slightly.

The pressure these gazes exerted was immense.

"About half a month ago, a U.S. military base in Qatar was attacked by an unknown force. According to reports from the survivors—Captain Lennox and his team—they were ambushed by an armed helicopter and a mechanical scorpion…"

Hearing this, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime immediately had a suspicion.

"Blackout and Scorponok!"

Bumblebee said. "They're definitely Decepticons! But why would they attack your base in Qatar?"

"We're not sure!"

Keller shook his head. "But clearly, they've already started their operations. If we want to work together against them, we can't afford to sit idly by!"

"Agreed," Anton said, nodding.

"Inaction won't lead to results. Keller, if the Decepticons have targeted the military, it likely means they're after specific intelligence. I believe they might already have found clues about the AllSpark or other Decepticon operations!"

Keller was alarmed.

He understood that Batman was hinting at NBE-ONE.

Now that NBE-ONE identity had been clarified as the Decepticon leader Megatron, the situation was dire.

If the remaining Decepticons had indeed confirmed Megatron location...

That would be a disaster.

"I need to report this information immediately," Keller said, his expression grave.

As Secretary of Defense, any mishap would mean he could not escape the consequences.

This was a responsibility far beyond what he could bear.

"Thomas, you're coming with me," Keller said, turning to the Sector Seven leader. "You'll need to support me in presenting this to the military council, and we also need to meet with the president immediately."

"Understood."

Thomas nodded.

As the head of Sector Seven, he knew that Megatron was being studied at their facility by their researchers.

If something went wrong with Megatron, Sector Seven would be held accountable.

An alien appearing on Earth was a global event with massive implications.

Sector Seven would be the first in the firing line, subject to endless blame and scrutiny.

The thought of such an outcome sent a cold sweat down Thomas back. He couldn't allow the worst-case scenario to unfold.

"Should we leave now?" Thomas asked.

"Batman, I need your assistance to get to the White House immediately," Keller said, looking at the man in front of him.

"Don't move," Anton said, signaling to Cyborg.

Cyborg approached the two men, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

Whoosh!

The three vanished in an instant.

"What?"

The Sector Seven agents were left dumbfounded.

They had no idea what had just happened.

But none of them were fools. From the brief exchange between Keller and Batman, they had a strong suspicion that Keller and Thomas had likely gone to the White House.

No, perhaps they were already at the White House.

Teleportation?

The agents swallowed hard, overwhelmed by shock.

If this was true, then the abilities and methods displayed by Batman and his companions had completely surpassed their understanding.

Wasn't this more alien than the aliens themselves?

Meanwhile.

Optimus Prime and Bumblebee had also witnessed the scene firsthand.

As Transformers from Cybertron, they immediately recognized this as a form of teleportation technology.

Cybertron had similar methods.

Of course, such technologies were incredibly complex and required extremely stringent conditions to operate.

For instance, the Space Bridge.

The Space Bridge was a pinnacle of Cybertronian science, capable of enabling interstellar teleportation.

In theory, with sufficient energy, it could transport the entire planet of Cybertron to orbit alongside Earth.

There was only one Space Bridge on Cybertron.

This invaluable and highly advanced technology had been stored aboard a ship belonging to Optimus Prime mentor and the previous Autobot leader, Sentinel Prime. The ship also carried the pillars needed to power the Space Bridge, intended for restoring Cybertron.

However, countless millennia ago, during Sentinel Prime escape from Cybertron, the ship had been shot down by a Decepticon fleet and lost in a spatial vortex.

The Space Bridge technology was scattered across the universe.

A tragic loss.

As Optimus Prime contemplated this, he didn't dwell on it too much.

Given the advanced combat capabilities Cyborg had already demonstrated and the high-tech equipment integrated into his body, adding teleportation abilities to the mix didn't seem surprising.

Optimus Prime didn't believe that Cyborg teleportation technology could achieve interstellar distances.

It likely only allowed for short-range teleportation within Earth boundaries.

After all, teleportation on a planetary scale was fundamentally different from interplanetary or interstellar teleportation—there was an immense technological gulf between them.

Even though progress in science often mirrored a universal principle of "one discovery leading to many," overcoming such hurdles was no trivial task.

Humans were a species with great potential, but not to the extent of closing a million-year gap with Cybertron in just a few millennia.

Whoosh!

Cyborg reappeared at the scrapyard, with Keller and Thomas nowhere in sight.

He glanced at Batman.

Moments later, Optimus Prime received a transmission directly to his mind.

"Batman asked me to tell you that those who needed to leave have gone. Now, it time for us to discuss other matters."

"Hm?"

Optimus Prime immediately lowered his gaze to look at Batman.

Batman responded with a subtle smile.

Anton turned to the agents behind him.

"This is my responsibility now. You all should step back."

"Understood," the Sector Seven agents replied, confident in Batman abilities.

Moreover, they had no intention of lingering here in the face of the imposing presence of two massive alien mechanical beings.

The atmosphere was stifling.

While Batman and Cyborg might not feel it, the pressure emanating from Optimus Prime and Bumblebee caused their hearts to race uncontrollably.

Soon, the agents withdrew.

However, they didn't go far. A few stayed to monitor the scrapyard from a distance, while others returned to the residential area to regroup with Simmons.

At their core, the Sector Seven agents, including Thomas and Keller, didn't fully trust the aliens.

The recent alien invasion in New York had only solidified their perception of extraterrestrial beings as existential threats.

If not for Batman advocating collaboration with the Autobots, some of them might have already considered declaring war on them.

Frankly, the alien attack in New York had shattered many illusions the world had about extraterrestrial life.

"Batman, what do you want to discuss?"

Optimus Prime asked, curious about Batman intentions.

Why send the others away?

From his actions, it seemed Batman wasn't entirely aligned with these humans.

"The AllSpark."

Anton spoke calmly. "As you've suspected, the AllSpark is indeed in the military possession. Megatron, too, is under human control. But these are not things humanity should have at its current stage of development."

According to the narrative, the researchers at Sector Seven would likely have already conducted preliminary studies on the AllSpark energy.

At the very least, they would have discovered that the AllSpark could create an army of robots.

If the U.S. military were to fully harness the AllSpark power, it wouldn't just turn Earth into a scene from Cyberpunk 2077—it would completely upend the current global power balance.

The result? A world where the U.S. dominated completely.

And not just domination—a level of unchecked supremacy beyond anything the world had ever seen.

A global America?

No.

Anton wouldn't let things progress that way.

If Earth balance of power were disrupted, the Justice League and Earth superhuman population would find themselves in an untenable position.

Neither fully in nor fully out.

They would face two options:

Assimilate into the U.S. military complex.Be labeled as threats by the U.S. and dealt with accordingly.

There would be no middle ground.

Just like in the original storyline during the Civil War arc, the Avengers' unchecked power caused fear worldwide. Their unregulated actions, though intended to protect, often resulted in significant destruction to cities. Governments around the world could no longer tolerate their recklessness.

This led to the Sokovia Accords, a United Nations directive requiring Avengers members to reveal their identities, submit to governmental oversight, and act only with official approval.

Now consider: if the U.S. possessed the kind of military force capable of quelling all resistance, would it merely tolerate threats and attempt to restrain potential dangers with a document like the Accords?

Whether the Avengers were right or wrong is a matter of perspective. However, from the standpoint of a government, no official power would tolerate an independent group acting with impunity under the guise of saving the world.

The refusal to be subservient to authority is, understandably, unacceptable.

As for the rest, opinions may vary.

For Anton, allowing others to dictate his future was not an option.

Therefore, the AllSpark had no place on Earth.

Even if it remained on Earth, it should not fall into the hands of any official power.

On a personal note, Anton was very interested in the AllSpark.

It was a treasure capable of creating an endless army.

In many ways, it rivaled the Infinity Stones of the Marvel universe.

Had the Infinity Stones not been established as a "canonical cheat," the AllSpark might even surpass them in popularity.

"You're offering to help us?"

Optimus Prime asked, surprised by the implications in Batman words.

"I'm not helping you. I'm helping myself."

Anton clarified, "I won't hand over the AllSpark to the Transformers, but I will safeguard it for you."

"Safeguard it… I don't understand," Optimus Prime said, confused by Anton roundabout statement.

"To put it simply, I'll quietly take the AllSpark from the military," Anton explained. "Afterward, once we've eliminated the Decepticons on Earth, I'll send you back to Cybertron. I'll even use the AllSpark power to help you rebuild your home planet. However, if Earth faces threats in the future, you must return and assist the Justice League in defending it."

"We can use the AllSpark power, but it will remain under your custody… I see."

Optimus Prime nodded in realization.

As the leader of the Autobots, he could understand Batman reasoning.

A cosmic-level artifact like the AllSpark was not something any rational being would willingly hand over to an outsider—even one who harbored goodwill and was its original owner.

However, Optimus Prime had no intention of engaging in conflict with humanity, especially since Batman was willing to allow the Autobots to access the AllSpark power.

The only point of contention was its custody.

"If you truly deliver on your promises, I will agree to your terms, Batman."

Optimus Prime thought for a moment and replied, "If you can help us rebuild Cybertron, the Autobots will become your staunchest allies. It won't matter if the AllSpark is in your possession."

"Optimus Prime!"

Bumblebee exclaimed in shock.

He hadn't expected Optimus Prime to say such a thing.

The AllSpark, a treasure of the Transformers, handed over to humans?

"Bumblebee!"

Optimus Prime spoke solemnly:

"The AllSpark is the origin of the Transformers, but we did not rise in the universe solely because of it. Even without the AllSpark, the Transformers would remain who we are. The Autobots will still be the Autobots! As long as we can rebuild Cybertron and restore our home to its former glory, even without the AllSpark, it will still be the future we long for and tirelessly strive to achieve."

"Optimus Prime!"

Bumblebee was deeply moved—this was the leader he admired so greatly.

Hearing these words, Anton was also somewhat surprised. He realized he had underestimated Optimus Prime.

This leader of the Autobots possessed an incredibly broad mind.

Though he fought relentlessly for the sake of his species, he was not bound by the confines of his race. He did not use his strength to oppress the weak, choosing instead to treat all life with fairness and respect.

Optimus Prime charisma as a leader lay precisely in this.