Jacob, Allison, Lydia, Scott, and Stiles returned inside the mansion and settled in the living room. A moment later, Cogman followed them.
Jacob looked at him and asked. "Cogman, can you take the appearance of a human? I've seen some Transformers do it in the movies."
Cogman said. "Yes, sir. I can. But I would need to purchase certain materials to create a prosthetic skin using nanotechnology. That way, the skin would be capable of healing, and I could freely transform between a human form and my original one."
"How expensive are those materials?" Jacob asked.
"About $200,000, sir."
Jacob nodded. "Alright. I'll give you the money so you can make it. Having a human form will make it easier for you to move around without freaking people out."
Cogman tilted his head. "Understood, sir. But should I take the form of a man… or a woman?"
Allison raised her hands immediately. "No. Don't you dare turn into a woman."
Lydia quickly added, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah. The last thing I need is to share Jacob with some female robot."
Jacob gave them both a look and chuckled. "Girls, come on. I'm a pervert, sure, but not that much of a pervert. Besides, Cogman is a man. Even if he looked like a woman, I'd still think of him as a man."
"Doesn't matter." Allison said firmly. "I don't want him looking like a woman."
"Me neither." Lydia agreed.
Jacob said with a smirk. "You heard them, Cogman. Take the form of an old man. And although I wouldn't be attracted to you if you turn into a woman… I wouldn't recommend it anyway."
Cogman blinked. "May I ask why, sir?"
Jacob's smirk widened. "Because we have a friend who lusts after everything. He even humps and kisses pillows. If you looked like a woman, he'd definitely try to sleep with you."
Stiles' face went beet red as Scott, Allison, and Lydia burst out laughing.
Cogman slowly turned his glowing eyes toward Stiles. "It's you, isn't it?"
Stiles waved his arms defensively. "Don't listen to his nonsense! I was asleep, dreaming about a girl, that's all!"
Cogman muttered. "In cases like this, I've learned it's best to be safe than sorry."
"Hey, hey, hey! What's that supposed to mean, you crazy robot?!" Stiles shouted.
Without warning, Cogman tackled Stiles off the couch, pinning him down with a knee to his chest. One of Cogman's hands shifted into a pair of giant scissors, snapping open and shut menacingly. He glanced at Jacob. "If I castrate him, sir, he wouldn't heal from that, would he?"
Jacob burst out laughing. "No. He would not."
"Get off me, you psycho!" Stiles yelled, struggling.
Cogman's scissor-hand clicked again. "Then should I do it, sir? That way he won't try to sleep with me. And he won't hump your furniture when he visits either."
Jacob grinned. "Don't."
Cogman's head rotated a full 360 degrees as he muttered. "But I so very much want to hurt him, sir."
"Get off him." Jacob shook his head, still smiling. "And don't worry, I'm sure plenty of idiots will attack me in the future. You can have all the fun you want with them."
Cogman reluctantly let Stiles go. Stiles scrambled to his feet, glaring. "Stay away from me, you psychopath!"
Cogman snapped into a boxing stance, bouncing lightly on his feet and punching the air. "What's wrong? You want to fight? Let's go—I'm ready."
Jacob sighed. "That's enough, Cogman. Stiles is my friend. Be nice to him."
Cogman lowered his fists. "Fine, sir. I'll try. But I really don't like him."
"I don't like you either." Stiles shot back. "I think you've got a screw loose in that brain of yours."
"Enough, you two." Jacob cut in before it escalated further. He leaned forward. "Cogman, sit. Tell me—what year is it in the world I summoned you from?"
Cogman sat down on the couch. "It is the year 2022, sir."
Jacob said. "You're a butler, right? So… did you have a master there?"
Cogman's glowing eyes dimmed slightly. "No. My former master, Sir Edmund Burton, died a hero five years ago. After burying him, I remained in his castle… alone."
Allison's face softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It is quite alright, madame." Cogman replied calmly. "Though it is always the hardest part of my duty as a butler—to say goodbye to my masters—I have grown used to it after serving the aristocracy for seven centuries."
Scott blinked. "Seven centuries? Wait—how old are you exactly?"
Cogman said. "More than ten thousand years. I have long since lost count. But in truth, I am still young. Cybertronians live for millions of years… unlike you humans."
Stiles leaned forward, eyes wide. "Do you… do you know Sam Witwicky?"
"I never met him." Cogman admitted. "But I know of him."
"What about Optimus Prime? Bumblebee? The rest of the Autobots?" Stiles asked quickly.
Cogman nodded. "Yes. I fought at their side against the Great Deceiver, Quintessa, five years ago."
Allison tilted her head. "Did the Chicago War really happened in your world?"
"Yes. It did." Cogman said gravely.
Suddenly, both Jacob and Scott's noses twitched at the same time.
Jacob frowned. "What's that smell?"
Scott turned his head sharply toward Stiles. "What's wrong with you? You smell… bad."
Jacob narrowed his eyes. "That's the smell of anxiety. Stiles—what's going on?"
Stiles was visibly shaking, his face pale. "If… if the world of those movies is real, then which ones are real and which ones aren't?"
Lydia raised a brow. "Why do you even care?"
"Why do I care?!" Stiles nearly shouted. "Think about it! If movies based on comics are real worlds—like Cogman's—then we're screwed! Take Marvel, for example. They've already made Iron Man 1 and 2, Captain America, The Hulk, Spider-Man, and even Thor! And next year they're releasing The Avengers! I read spoilers—it's about a war between the Avengers and the Chitauri army!"
Lydia rolled her eyes. "So?"
"You don't get it!" Stiles snapped. "The Chitauri serve Thanos. Do you know what Thanos did in the Infinity Gauntlet comics? He gathered the six Infinity Gems and wiped out half the universe's population! What if he's real? What if he comes to our world with the gauntlet and snaps us out of existence?!" His voice cracked. "And what if Darkseid is real? Or... or one of the evil versions of Superman? Or..."
"Okay, Stiles, calm down." Jacob cut him off firmly. "Even if those beings exist, they're not going to come here."
"But you brought Cogman here with a summoning scroll! What if there are more scrolls like that out there?" Stiles countered.
Jacob exhaled. "Maybe it has something to do with what I am. Maybe the scroll was originally meant to summon a demon or some creature from this world, but because of me… it pulled Cogman in from another universe instead."
Stiles swallowed hard. "Then… what exactly are you?"
Jacob sighed. "Something people would try anything to kill… or capture. So give me time. At least until I become an Alpha. Then, I promise—I'll tell you what I am."
Scott asked. "Do you need to kill an Alpha to become one?"
Jacob shook his head. "No. My strength is growing every day. Once I'm strong enough, I'll naturally become an Alpha."
He smirked. "Now… while Stiles is anxious about the movie worlds being real, I'm actually excited."
Scott raised a brow. "Excited? Why?"
Jacob grinned. "Because maybe one day, I'll find a way to visit those worlds. Go on adventures, meet all the beautiful girls..."
Lydia and Allison instantly pinched his sides from both directions.
Jacob coughed. "I mean… go on adventures with you girls, of course."
Stiles said. "Then you've gotta take us with you too!"
Jacob tilted his head. "Didn't you just say you were terrified of those worlds a minute ago?"
Stiles said. "I am terrified. But come on… if there's a chance to visit those worlds, I'm not missing it."
Jacob chuckled. "Let's just hope there really is a way. But if there is, I'm definitely not going near Marvel or DC until I'm strong enough."
Stiles muttered. "Yeah, you've got a point there."
Jacob suddenly straightened. "Speaking of strength… let me show you one of my other abilities."
He extended his hand and a sleek handgun appeared out of thin air.
Scott, Stiles, and even Cogman widened their eyes.
Stiles nearly jumped out of his seat. "How did you do that?"
Jacob smirked. "Just like my lightning abilities, I can use spatial abilities. I have my own pocket dimension where I can store things."
Stiles stared at him in disbelief. "I really want to know what kind of creature you are."
Jacob ignored him, putting the gun away. He then pulled out a box filled with thirty Ribeye Wagyu steaks and handed it to Cogman. "Here. Make us lunch."
Cogman opened the box, his glowing eyes brightening. "Oh! Wagyu steaks. Delightful. How many shall I prepare, sir?"
"Cook fifteen." Jacob said. "Give me the rest so I can put them back in my dimension to keep them fresh."
Cogman tilted his head. "Fifteen, sir?" Then his eyes shifted to Stiles.
"Don't look at me!" Stiles said quickly, pointing at Jacob. "He's the one who eats like a black hole."
Jacob grinned. "Correct. Now go cook the steaks. Make some side dishes too. The fridge is stocked, and there's a cold room full of ingredients."
"Understood, sir." Cogman stood, took the steaks, and marched off toward the kitchen.
Jacob stored the remaining steaks back into his dimension, then caught Stiles staring at him. "What?"
Stiles asked bluntly. "How many abilities do you have?"
Jacob smirked. "A few more… but I'm not telling you. Gotta keep some mystery alive."
They hung out in the living room, chatting about movie worlds until Cogman called them for lunch. After feasting, they returned to the living room. Cogman joined them once he'd cleaned the kitchen.
Jacob reached into his pocket dimension, pulled out a bank card, and handed it to him. "Here. There's two million on this card. Order the materials you need for your synthetic skin. Then invest the rest. Since you're from 2022, you should know which companies will blow up in the future—buy them now while they're small if you can."
Cogman tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I could also start a technology company—manufacturing computers, phones, electrical appliances. Perhaps even an app and software company. Or… a company that specializes in cars and motorcycles."
Jacob smiled. "Do whatever you think is best. Wait a month or two, and I'll give you more money."
He smirked to himself. 'I can get money from Peter, Derek… maybe even Kate.'
Cogman's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Sir, I'll need a laptop."
Jacob waved a hand. "Go grab mine. It's upstairs in my bedroom. And you can stay in the guest house behind the mansion. Turn it into your lab, workshop, or whatever you need."
Cogman gave a small bow. "Thank you, sir. I'll take my leave and begin researching this world before deciding the best way to invest your money."
"Wait." Jacob reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out the bestiary. He handed the heavy book to Cogman. "This is an encyclopedia of supernatural creatures in our world. I want you to digitize it. Turn it into a phone and computer app—something that lets us identify a creature based on its traits and abilities."
Cogman accepted the book with a nod. "Consider it done, sir." He then went upstairs, collected the laptop, and headed to the guest house.
Jacob and the others stayed in the living room chatting until Scott finally stood. "I've got work. Catch you later." He and Stiles left.
Afterward, Jacob settled in between Allison and Lydia on the couch, arms around both as they watched a movie.
By evening, Allison's phone rang. She sighed. "It's my mom. I've got to go. But Jay, don't forget—you're picking me up tomorrow for our date."
Jacob kissed her. "Of course. Want me to give you a ride home?"
Allison smirked. "No. Hand me your bike keys."
Jacob blinked. "What?"
"Don't want to?" She teased.
He hesitated. "W-what if you crash and hurt her?"
Allison frowned. "Are you seriously more worried about your stupid bike than me?"
Jacob said. "You're not a normal human anymore. Even if you get hurt, you'll heal in minutes. But Raven… she can't."
"Raven?" Allison raised a brow.
Jacob smirked proudly. "Yeah. I named her Raven."
Allison's face darkened. She grabbed his ear and twisted. "Give me the damn keys."
"Ouch, ouch! Fine!" He pulled the keys from his pocket dimension and handed them over.
Allison tried to snatch them, but Jacob refused to let go.
"Let go!" She demanded, twisting his ear harder.
Sniffling dramatically, Jacob finally released the keys and threw himself into Lydia's arms. "Aaahh, poor Raven. I might never see her again…"
Allison rolled her eyes. "She'll be fine, idiot."
Jacob muttered. "I don't trust you. Just two weeks ago you hit a dog. You're a terrible driver."
Allison kicked his shin. "Idiot." Then she smiled sweetly at Lydia. "Good night."
"Good night." Lydia replied warmly.
Allison left, and soon the rumble of Jacob's bike echoed outside. Jacob sniffled and buried his head into Lydia's chest while she laughed.
She lifted his chin, eyes glinting playfully. "How about we go take a bath… and do something fun?"
Jacob instantly dropped the act. Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms and sprinted upstairs. "You're the best, Lydia! You always know how to comfort my worried heart!"
To be continued… 😊