The golden portal closed in the quantum lab, everything unchanged—blinking consoles, Tony's half-drunk coffee steaming. "Sir, welcome back," Jarvis said.
Tony touched his face, dazed. "Feels like a long dream."
Wanda ran her fingers over the console, feeling reality. "That world felt so real, but now it's like nothing happened."
Kara looked out. "Time flow's unchanged. We weren't gone long."
James scanned the lab. "Don't open quantum tunnels casually."
Tony raised a brow. "Worried I'll mess up?"
James glanced at him. "Lucky, you hit a parallel world. Unlucky…" He paused, voice low, "you get a zombie apocalypse."
"Zombies?!" Tony jumped. "Seriously?"
"A parallel universe had it," James said. "Quantum leaks infected the globe. Avengers nearly wiped out."
Tony paled, picturing zombified James, Hulk, himself. "Fine, no tunnels without your okay."
James nodded. "Keep S.H.I.E.L.D. in check, too."
"Got it," Tony waved. "Coulson's too idle anyway."
Back at their New York villa, sunset bathed the living room in gold. Wanda flopped on the couch. "Home's best."
Kara, in casual clothes, handed her a drink. "TV? Maybe some fun news."
James poured whiskey. "To surviving, despite nearly ending the world." They clinked glasses.
At the window, James stared at the sky, thoughtful. Wanda asked, "What's up?"
"Thinking what to make for you," James grinned.
"What?" Wanda and Kara blinked.
Kara tilted her head. "Make what?"
James waved, opening a portal to the garage, where two black Audi R8s gleamed. Their bodies tensed with anticipation as James's eyes glowed, telekinesis lifting the cars into the courtyard.
"Something fun," he said, raising his hand, cyan energy swirling. "Transform."
Metal twisted, cars morphing—hoods became heads, engines chests, doors arms. Click! Two five-meter mechanical giants knelt, shaking the ground. Blue optical lenses glowed, locking on the trio. "Master," they intoned, voices mechanical yet intelligent.
Wanda and Kara froze. "Transformers?!" Wanda gasped.
Kara scanned one. "When did you learn to turn cars into Autobots? Did you get the AllSpark?"
James shook his head, energy lingering. "No, this is transformation and life magic." He patted a giant's knee. "Not Cybertronians, but my creations, infused with transformation and life concepts."
Wanda touched the armor, awed. "Incredible."
Kara circled them, excited. "Can they fight? Weapons?"
James smiled. "Of course." One giant's arm became a pulse cannon, the other's back sprouted missile pods.
Wanda gasped. "James, you just created a new lifeform!"
"A toy?" James teased.
"A revolutionary species!" Kara said. James cut her off, serious. "Keep these for us."
Wanda nodded, then smirked. "You've done this before, haven't you?"
James smiled silently. Kara crossed her arms. "Names?"
Wanda and James said in unison, "Origin."
"Origin?" Kara repeated.
Wanda smiled. "They're James's first Transformers—origins."
The giants' lenses flickered, pleased. "Designation confirmed: Origin-1, Origin-2."
James nodded, looking skyward. "Maybe we can make bigger toys."
"Bigger?" Kara's eyes lit up. "The space base?"
"What base?" Wanda asked. James opened a portal, Wanda pulling Kara through.
Orbit, Earth
The trio floated in the void, stars gleaming. Before them, a massive Skrull warship loomed, asteroid-sized. "Ready?" James asked.
Wanda's chaos shield glowed, eyes excited. "Show us."
Kara scanned it. "A spaceship's complex. You sure?"
James raised his hand, energy surging, enveloping the ship. Metal warped, humming. "Golden Crow."
Crack! The ship reshaped, armor folding into wings, engines glowing. A colossal mechanical bird emerged, wings spanning kilometers, eyes blazing gold.