C189 Identity Revealed?!
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The night had started quietly for most, but that peace was shattered when the Hoover Dam burst.
*Boom!*
The explosion of the rupture echoed through the surrounding towns, waking families from their sleep and sending shockwaves of panic rippling through communities downstream. The massive wall of water surged forth with terrifying speed, and in an instant, the emergency lines were flooded with calls.
People scrambled for higher ground, packing their cars with loved ones and essential belongings. Police officers and firefighters raced to the scene, their vehicles roaring through the dark, sirens cutting through the stillness of the night.
Along the riverbanks, they set up temporary barricades, but they knew it was futile against the unstoppable force that was coming. The only hope was to evacuate as many people as possible before the wall of water arrived.
Onlookers, some standing on rooftops and hills, watched in horror as the wave thundered toward them, its roar growing louder with each passing second.
Children cried, their parents holding them close, while others stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the sheer scale of the disaster unfolding before their eyes.
News helicopters hovered above, their searchlights cutting through the darkness, illuminating the path of destruction below. Reporters inside relayed the disaster live to millions of people across the country, their voices laced with fear and urgency.
"The Hoover Dam has broken, and a massive wall of water is currently barreling downriver," one reporter said breathlessly, the camera capturing the rushing flood below. "This is a catastrophe in the making... We're watching history unfold."
In bars, homes, and restaurants, televisions flickered with breaking news alerts. Crowds gathered around screens, some with drinks in hand, others with phones pressed to their ears, calling loved ones to check on their safety. The sight of the dam bursting sent a chill through the hearts of everyone watching, a disaster of unimaginable scale.
And then, something impossible happened.
The wall of water, which had been roaring toward the towns with unstoppable force, suddenly... stopped. It was as if an invisible hand had pressed pause, holding the deadly wave in place. The sound of rushing water dulled, and the people watching—whether on the ground or from the air—froze, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
“What... what’s happening?” one of the firemen asked, staring wide-eyed at the water.
“I don’t know,” a police officer replied, her voice shaking. “That water... it just stopped.”
In the news helicopters, cameras zoomed in on the wave, capturing the moment for millions of viewers at home.
"The water... it seems to have stopped," the news anchor stammered, his face pale as the camera feed played behind him. "We're seeing something... I can't even describe it. It's like the water has frozen in place..."
For a moment, the world held its breath, trying to make sense of the surreal scene. But then, the impossible became even stranger.
In the eerie silence that followed the wave’s sudden halt, the bright lights of the helicopters illuminated something moving at the edge of the water.
From out of the shadows, giant, metallic forms emerged—robots, towering above the landscape, their eyes glowing in the dark. They marched forward, their massive footsteps shaking the earth, their metal bodies gleaming in the moonlight.
People on the ground stared in disbelief. Families who had been running from the water stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide as the massive robots came into view. Some screamed in fear, others fell silent, too shocked to react.
"What... what are those things?" a firefighter whispered, his eyes locked on the towering figures.
The camera operators in the news helicopters frantically zoomed in on the strange new arrivals, their lenses struggling to keep up with the sheer size of the robots.
"We're seeing... what appears to be... giant robots," the reporter in the chopper said, her voice trembling. "This is unprecedented. We've never seen anything like this before. Giant robots are marching toward the wave... we have no idea what they are or where they came from."
The people watching at home were just as confused—and terrified. The country lit up with speculation, theories, and panic, as people scrambled to make sense of the appearance of these strange, towering beings.
Even Steve allowed himself a smile, patting Peter on the back. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
But Peter shook his head, reminding them that the mission wasn’t over yet. “As much as I love the praise, we’re not done yet,” he said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion etched on his face. “We still need to find a way to plug this thing.”
The celebration was short-lived as the reality of the situation sank back in. Everyone sobered up quickly, their eyes turning back to the broken structure of the dam, where water continued to threaten the integrity of their temporary solution.
Wanda, her red aura flickering as her magic stabilized the wall of water, looked over at Peter. “How are we supposed to fix this?” she asked, her voice filled with concern. “We can’t hold it forever.”
Peter grinned despite the weight of the situation. “Relax, for now, with all the water back inside the dam, we can finally get out of this damn bubble,” he said, his voice laced with both relief and sarcasm. “We’ll have to keep reinforcing where the dam is broken, but it’s going to be a lot easier now that we’re only holding back water from one direction.”
Tony raised an eyebrow, his face still serious. “Sure, but that still leaves the small issue of how to actually plug this thing...”
Peter rolled his shoulders, already feeling the strain lifting as the combined efforts of the Jedi and Wanda eased his burden. “One thing at a time,” he said with a shrug. “Let’s just focus on getting out of this bubble first.”
Wanda looked skeptical. “How do we get out of here without flooding the place?”
Peter smirked, taking a deep breath as he gathered his strength. “Just follow me.”
Turning on his heel, Peter led the way, his footsteps splashing lightly as he moved toward the edge of the bubble. The others followed, glancing nervously at the frozen wall of water looming over them, but trusting Peter to guide them out.
With a subtle gesture of his hand, Peter shifted the barrier, causing the bubble to move with them, slowly but surely guiding the massive wall of water backward, as if they were stepping through a portal into another world.
Soon enough, they emerged exactly where the dam had broken, stepping out from the wall of water as though they had crossed into reality from some alternate dimension.
The cool night air hit their faces, and for a moment, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. They were finally free from the suffocating pressure of the water.
The Shield agents and Black Widows, who had been holding their nerves, visibly relaxed, some even slumping against the broken dam, their breaths ragged from the tension.
Cosmo trotted up to Peter, shaking the water off her fur. “Much better outside, da?”
Steve chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll take dry land over floating in a bubble of water any day.”
But the momentary relief was short-lived. As Peter scanned the area, his Jedi senses picked up something approaching. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his attention snapped to the figures walking toward them.
Bee waved enthusiastically as he led a group of familiar faces—Optimus Prime and the Autobots—directly toward Peter and the others.
‘The Autobots are finally here?’ Peter thought.
Behind them, moving cautiously, were the mutants—the X-Men and the Brotherhood, their tensions visible in every step. The groups seemed on edge, aware of each other’s presence but unwilling to make the first move.
Bee’s expression lit up as he spotted Peter, his servos whirring as he gave an excited wave. “Peter!” Bee beeped, his voice filled with relief and joy.
Optimus Prime moved to greet Peter formally. “Peter Quill,” he began, his deep voice resonating with respect. “You’ve—”
But before he could finish, they were interrupted by a blinding light. Multiple spotlights from news helicopters circling above zeroed in on them, casting harsh beams down onto the group.
The cameras zoomed in, capturing every moment for the world to see.
Peter’s face, along with everyone else’s, was now broadcast to millions across the country. His heart sank as he realized the implications. His identity, the presence of the Autobots, the mutants—they were all being shown live on national television.
Peter muttered under his breath. “Oh... shit...”
A/N: 2123 words :)