The sports car Bumblebee had just transformed into was obviously something extraordinary. Its sleek curves glistened under the sunlight, its lines sharp and aggressive, yet elegant in a way that radiated both wealth and status.
Luke, however, didn't seem to grasp any of that. He simply tilted his head at the machine, still scratching the back of his neck. He had never paid attention to cars, engines, brands, or models were just meaningless words to him. If it could be driven and didn't explode, that was already good enough.
But before Luke could even ask Bumblebee what this new form was called, Wanda and Sharon rushed over like children spotting candy in a shop window. Their eyes widened, brimming with delight and reverence, and they hurried straight to the car's side.
They didn't just look, they placed their palms against the flawless surface of the sports car, almost afraid to blink, their hands tracing its polished frame like it was some sacred relic.
Luke blinked, completely speechless.
When Bumblebee had been just a Camaro, neither of them had shown much interest. They rode it, sure, but never showed such awe. Now, with this sudden change, they looked like devout believers kneeling before a shrine.
He crossed his arms with a frown on his face. "You two… do you need to be so exaggerated? Isn't it just a sports car? What's the big deal?"
Wanda's head whipped around so fast Luke thought her hair might slap Sharon. Her expression was a mixture of disappointment and disbelief, as though Luke had just called the Mona Lisa "a doodle."
"Just a sports car? Luke, how can you be so ignorant? Do you even know what this is?"
Luke blinked innocently. "…A car? A red sports car?"
Sharon stifled a laugh, covering her mouth, while Wanda just pinched the bridge of her nose. She had expected ignorance, but this level of cluelessness was beyond saving.
"This," Wanda said with dramatic weight, "is a Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita."
Luke tilted his head, repeating the unfamiliar syllables as though tasting something bitter, "Koni… what now?"
"Forget it." Wanda waved her hand, exasperated. "Explaining is pointless."
She straightened up, looked him dead in the eye, and delivered the killing blow: "The price of this car is… four point eight million dollars."
Luke froze, "…Huh?"
Nearly five million. For a single car?
He tried to calculate what else could be bought with that amount, but the number refused to fit in his brain. His helicarrier, how much was it worth again? Well, it had been given to him and not bought, so he wouldn't know. But this shiny little car was somehow worth millions?
Unable to resist, Luke stepped forward, reached out, and brushed his fingers across the car's cool metallic surface. For once, he felt a flicker of respect for the absurdity of human invention.
But Wanda leaned in close, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper in his ear, "Luke… let's sell it. Just imagine it. Nearly five million, all at once. I feel dizzy just thinking about it."
Luke nearly jumped back in horror. Sell? Was she out of her mind?
He stared at Wanda like she had suggested selling one of Doggo's legs. "Are you kidding me?! This isn't some ordinary sports car! It runs faster than any of those, it can fly, fight for us, and don't forget, it has the Reality Stone built into it now!"
Wanda blinked, hesitating, but Luke wasn't finished. "With it, we could even build a whole army of Transformers if we wanted, imagine how cool that would be! You think I'm gonna sell something like that for some paper bills? Go away! Even if we were broke I wouldn't sell it."
His glare was so sharp Wanda instinctively stepped back, but Sharon giggled softly at his overreaction.
…
Meanwhile, far away in the ancient halls of Kamar-Taj, shadows stirred.
The Ancient One returned through the golden spark of a portal, her disciples trailing behind her. The war with the dark elves was over without the need for them to interfere, but her expression betrayed no relief.
Instead of disappearing into the mirror dimension, where she had secluded herself in recent weeks, she walked calmly into Kamar-Taj's training courtyard. There, beneath the cold glow of lanterns, a dozen of her most trusted disciples assembled, waiting in silence. Among them stood Mordo, his posture firm, eyes sharp.
The Ancient One stood still at the front, hands folded, her gaze cast downward. For several minutes, the courtyard was filled only with the whisper of wind against prayer flags. Then, at last, she opened her eyes.
They glowed with a deep, unsettling green.
A flicker of light ran across them like emerald fire, eerily reminiscent of the Eye of Agamotto. Murmurs rippled through the disciples, but not a single one dared to speak.
Mordo's jaw tightened. He had been closest to his master in the past weeks, often the one carrying her food into the mirror dimension. He remembered her words clearly: this green energy is dangerous, corrupting, and evil. But now, it seemed like she had integrated with it...
Mordo's heart sank. Whatever glowed in her eyes, it was not the Time Stone. Not even someone as powerful as his master could merge with an Infinity Stone.
"Master?" Mordo finally stepped forward, his voice low and cautious.
But before he could say more, the Ancient One lifted her hand, silencing him. Her lips curved into a serene smile.
"I have seen it," she said softly, her voice calm as still water. "Through the Eye of Agamotto, I foresaw a calamity vast enough to consume the universe. Earth itself will not be spared either."
A ripple of unease spread among the disciples.
"We cannot face it as we are," she continued. "Our strength is insufficient. So I will grant you a new kind of power, one that will lift you higher, make you stronger, so that you may stand against what comes. Relax your minds… and I shall guide you."
The disciples bowed their heads, obedient, full of trust. To them, her words were law. To refuse her was unthinkable.
But Mordo felt his pulse quicken. His master's tone, her words, it was all wrong.
"Master," he pressed urgently, "you once told me this power is evil. Have you allowed yourself to be consumed by it?"
For a moment, silence stretched. Then the Ancient One's smile shifted, twisting and darkening in an instant. An edge of cruelty gleamed in her eyes.
Before Mordo could react, a bolt of green light shot from her palm, slamming into his chest. His breath caught as his body seized, the Fel energy rushing through his veins like fire.
Around them, her other disciples cried out in shock, but it was too late. The Ancient One raised her arms, and in an instant, a dozen more streams of green light burst forth, striking each one of them.
The courtyard blazed with the sickly green glow of Fel energy, every corner swallowed in its radiance.
Ten seconds. That was all it took.
When the light finally dimmed, the disciples opened their eyes, now tinged with the same green hue as their master's. Even Mordo, once defiant, stood still, with a strange smile curling across his lips.
The Ancient One surveyed them, feeling calm and satisfied that everything had gone perfectly.
"Good," she whispered. "Now… go. Invite the others. Share this gift. Let all of Kamar-Taj be reborn."
Her disciples bowed, then scattered like shadows, vanishing into the sanctums and hidden corridors.
The fall of Kamar-Taj had begun.
…
Back on the helicarrier, Luke had no idea of the corruption that spread like wildfire in those distant halls. Though he had seen Gul'dan pull the Ancient One into his camp, he could never have imagined she would move so quickly, turning disciples into vessels of Fel energy in the span of minutes.
Her efficiency was terrifying.
Luke, meanwhile, sat on the helicarrier's deck, squinting at Bumblebee.
"…So. What about the helicarrier? Think you could, you know, turn it into a Transformer?"
But the sheer size of the ship made even Bumblebee hesitate.
…