C190 Meeting Optimus

C190 Meeting Optimus

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Peter stood frozen under the glaring lights of multiple news helicopters, his face illuminated for the world to see. In that moment, all Peter could think about was how his face was likely being broadcasted across the country—if not the world.

‘Well, there goes my identity,’ he thought, grimacing as the weight of the situation settled in.

He had always hoped to keep his identity hidden from the public. Living with a low profile was key for someone like him, especially considering everything he did with his crew, the Jedi, and even Shield. But that hope had just been shattered.

His annoyance grew, but after a few moments, Peter forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath, running through the facts in his mind. ‘Alright, my face is out there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean my identity is.’

He was right. As far as the world knew, there was no Peter Quill. Not really. His childhood records were minimal—a birth certificate and a missing person case, nothing more. He had disappeared from Earth as a kid, and no one had followed up since. No school records, no work history, nothing to trace back to him.

Still, the thought of people knowing his face left a bitter taste in his mouth. He’d have to deal with recognition from here on out, though it was a small comfort that no one knew who he really was.

Just as Peter was working through his concerns, the lights shifted. He noticed the news cameras weren’t focusing on him as much as he feared.

Instead, they were pointing toward the more... unusual members of their group—like Beast, whose blue fur was already drawing the attention of every helicopter camera above. The sight of the Autobots, massive metallic forms, also became an instant spectacle.

But, even more than that, the world—and the reporters—were utterly stunned by someone else.

Tony Stark.

Peter blinked as the realization hit him. Tony had stepped out of the water earlier with his suits helmet open, his face fully exposed to the cameras.

In the chaos of the situation, Tony hadn’t expected the media presence, and now, there was no hiding it. The billionaire, playboy, and tech mogul was standing alongside a group of mutants and giant robots, donned in red and gold armor.

The air felt tense as the helicopters circled, and the reporters’ voices came through the speakers in the distance, broadcasting every moment across the country.

“Wait, is that... Tony Stark?” one of the news anchors stammered, his voice cracking in disbelief. “We’re seeing... yes, that’s Tony Stark?! What the hell is he doing here?”

Another anchor cut in, her voice rising in shock. “Tony Stark, majority shareholder and future CEO of Stark Industries, is at the scene of the Hoover Dam disaster. What’s going on here? Is Stark Industries involved with mutants? Is he a mutant himself?”

"Could this be a Stark Industries project gone wrong?" one reporter asked, her tone frantic. "Is Tony Stark responsible for these robots? Or are they here to help?"

Others latched onto the mutant angle, stoking fear and uncertainty.

"With mutants involved, we have to ask—could this be the beginning of a larger mutant conspiracy? Are they working with Stark Industries?"

The speculation grew wilder by the second, the media whipping up confusion and fear as they struggled to make sense of what was happening at the dam.

Peter glanced at Tony, seeing the man smile tiredly and wave as the helicopters continued their relentless focus on him.

Tony’s reputation was about to take a wild turn, and he seemed to know it. But for now, there wasn’t much they could do except deal with the immediate crisis.

Peter sighed. “Great... Just what we needed.” He could feel the weight of the world watching them, but there was no time to worry about that now.

He walked toward Optimus, his footsteps light but purposeful, his eyes locking onto the massive Autobot leader who towered over the rest of the group.

This was the first time Peter had met Optimus in person. Up until now, their only communication had been through a brief hologram conversation.

Now, face to face, the sheer size and presence of the Autobot leader was hard to ignore. ‘He’s almost twice the size of Bee...’ Peter thought unconsciously.

Soon enough, Peggy stepped forward, her military instincts kicking in as she reached into her pocket. But, the motion made the already skittish police even more anxious, and they screamed, “Freeze! Hands up! Now!”

Peggy ignored them, calmly pulling out her Shield badge and flashing it to the officers. “I’m Agent Peggy Carter of Shield. You need to lower your weapons, now. This is all a big misunderstanding.”

The officers stared at her, confused and uncertain. The name Shield meant nothing to them. They hadn’t heard of it, and from their perspective, they were staring at a group of giant robots, mutants with dangerous abilities, and heavily armed individuals who clearly had more firepower than they did.

One of the officers, his hand shaking, shouted back, “We’re not lowering anything!”

Peggy’s expression hardened, but she knew arguing wouldn’t get them anywhere. Despite her authority, the situation was teetering on the edge of chaos, with both sides moments away from a violent clash.

The Autobots were still aiming their plasma blasters, and the Brotherhood was watching the police like predators eyeing prey.

Realizing Peggy’s credentials weren’t calming the situation, Peter stepped forward, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to diffuse things. The last thing he wanted was for the news to broadcast a live fight between the police and them.

After all, mutants already had a bad reputation, and introducing the world to Cybertronians this way would only make things worse.

Turning to Tony, Peter said quickly, “I need a phone.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, incredulous. “A phone? Right now?”

“Yes, right now. Just hand it over.”

Tony sighed but complied, his Iron Man suit opening up to reveal a sleek, compact cellphone that Peter had never seen before. It was much smaller than the clunky phones that he’s been using since he came to Earth.

Peter took it, raising an eyebrow. “Where did you get this?”

“I made it,” Tony replied with a shrug. “Don’t worry about it.”

Peter smirked. “Make me one later.” Without wasting another second, he started dialing a number, bringing the phone to his ear as it rang. The police, noticing his movement, immediately reacted.

“Hey! Stop that!” one of the officers yelled, panic lacing his voice. “Put the phone down!”

Peter raised his free hand, holding up a finger. “Give me a minute,” he said calmly, completely ignoring their demand as he walked forward, moving past Peggy.

The police, now even more on edge, shouted at him to stop as he got closer, their fingers twitching on the triggers.

Just as it seemed like the officers were about to fire out of sheer fear, someone answered the call on the other end of the line. Peter smiled, his tension easing as he spoke into the phone. “Hey, sorry to wake you up, but I’ve found myself in a bit of a situation and could use your help.”

The police hesitated, their confusion growing. Who was he talking to?

Peter listened for a moment, nodding before continuing. “No, I don’t need much. Just talk to the cops for me. It’s all a misunderstanding, but they don’t know about Shield, so Peggy wasn’t much help.”

Another pause as Peter listened to the response on the other end, his smile widening slightly. “Thanks. I’ll hand you over to them.”

Peter turned to the lead officer, the one who had been shouting the most, and extended the phone toward him. “He wants to talk to you.”

The officer blinked, hesitating before reaching for the phone. His hand was shaking slightly as he put the device to his ear. “Hello? Who is this?”

There was a pause, and then the officer’s face went pale as the voice on the other end responded.

“This is President Bill Clinton. Who am I speaking to?”

The lead officer nearly dropped the phone, his eyes widening in shock. “P-President Clinton?!” His voice cracked as the weight of the situation finally sank in. He quickly realized that whatever was going on here was way, way above his pay grade.

A/N: 2200 words :)