Pepper Potts arrived at the door to Obadiah's office, pushing it open to step inside. The summons had been abrupt; Obadiah Stane had insisted on an urgent, in-person meeting about an important matter. Since they had been managing company affairs together for weeks, Pepper assumed it was just business as usual and thought nothing more of it.
"Mr. Stane, what was so urgent that you had to see me immediately?" Pepper asked, addressing the man seated in the large office chair.
Obadiah didn't answer her directly. Instead, he spoke to the empty space beside his desk. "I've brought Pepper Potts for you. Now, can you let me go?"
"Obadiah, who are you talking to?" Pepper asked, a sense of unease creeping over her as she watched him speak to the air.
"Well done!"
With a grinding shriek of metal, the paper shredder and water dispenser in the corner began to contort and unfold. In seconds, they had reconfigured into two menacing Decepticon soldiers. They advanced on Pepper with terrifying speed. Before she could even process the impossible sight and scream, they seized her, knocking her to the ground and binding her wrists.
One of the Decepticon soldiers sent a secure comm signal to Megatron. "Lord Megatron, the human female, Pepper Potts, has been captured as you commanded. We are ready to proceed to the next phase of the operation."
Receiving the message from his hiding spot near Stark Tower, Megatron gave the order to the waiting legion of Decepticons around him.
"Capture that building and the surrounding blocks. Let them feel our wrath!"
With his command issued, the hidden Decepticons leaped from their perches on nearby buildings, transforming mid-air and descending upon the streets below to unleash chaos and destruction.
Megatron turned to his second-in-command. "Starscream, you are with me. We will take that tower. Their attention must be drawn here, to us."
"As you command, Lord Megatron," Starscream affirmed.
The two Decepticon leaders leaped into the sky, their bodies seamlessly shifting into advanced fighter jets. They soared toward Stark Tower, unleashing a volley of missiles that tore two gaping holes into the facade of New York's iconic building.
Panic erupted across Manhattan. While New York was no stranger to chaos, with gang fights and super-powered brawls typically confined to boroughs like Queens and the Bronx, Manhattan had always been different. As the city's commercial and financial heart, its security was paramount, making such large-scale incidents exceedingly rare. The sudden, violent alien invasion plunged the populace into a state of shock and confusion.
At the S.H.I.E.L.D. New York branch, Nick Fury received the alert. With a swift gesture, the surface of his desk retracted every item into hidden compartments, leaving a perfectly clear command station.
"Damn it! What is the Decepticons' game? Why attack the city instead of pursuing the Allspark?" Fury slammed his hand on the desk. "Hill, mobilize every available agent in New York! Have them support the NYPD and resist the Decepticons' advance. Get the military on the line and notify the Autobots at Stark's facility to get them moving!"
Agent Maria Hill efficiently relayed the directives to their subordinates before delivering bad news. "Sir, we have a severe shortage of agents in the New York sector. We can't mount an effective resistance."
"What do you mean we're short-staffed? This is New York City!" Fury demanded, his voice laced with disbelief.
Maria Hill clarified the situation. "Sir, the Security Council has taken the recent attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. base very seriously. They've reallocated a significant number of personnel for the investigation, including many agents from the New York roster. Our current manpower is critically low."
"Then pull personnel from surrounding sectors, now!" Fury rubbed his temples, a new wave of frustration hitting him. He vaguely remembered Pierce mentioning the personnel transfer yesterday to investigate the base attack. It was just their luck that the Decepticons chose this exact moment to strike the city. "And get me a direct line to Tony Stark. I need to speak with him personally and get those Autobots into the fight."
After a few moments at her console, Maria Hill looked up with surprise. "Sir, there's no need to contact Mr. Stark. He's already on-site."
"That fast!"
Fury was stunned. Tony's research facility was a considerable distance from Manhattan. For him to arrive within the few short minutes since the attack began seemed impossible. A video feed appeared on the main screen in the conference room, showing live surveillance from near Stark Tower. A gold and red Iron Man suit was already engaged in a fierce battle against several Decepticons right at the tower's base.
Minutes earlier, Tony and Ratchet were deep in their study of the Allspark. Tony, in particular, was fascinated by the artifact's ability to create mechanical life and was trying to figure out how to prevent the newly created life from turning into hostile Decepticons. He had discovered a peculiar condition: only objects he personally fabricated, down to the last screw, would be activated by the Allspark into benign Cybertronians.
"This is incredibly inefficient. Hand-crafting even a single gauntlet for the Iron Man suit takes ages," Tony mused. "The secret must be in the manufacturing process. Hey, Ratchet, you're the expert on Cybertronian manufacturing tech. Fabricate something for me. Let's see if what you build turns into a Decepticon."
"Understood," Ratchet agreed, preparing to fabricate the test component.
Just as they were engrossed in their experiment, Jarvis's physical form strode to the side of the lab table, bearing grim news. "Sir, Stark Tower is under attack. A large number of Decepticons have appeared and are causing widespread destruction in Manhattan. Based on the intel from Optimus Prime, Megatron and Starscream are inside the tower. Ms. Potts has been taken."
"What? Pepper's been captured?" Tony's composure shattered. He grabbed Jarvis's metallic shoulders, his voice strained. "How is she?"
"Sir, please remain calm. Ms. Potts is not physically injured. It appears she is being held as a hostage."
Hearing she wasn't hurt allowed Tony to regain a sliver of control. He quickly formulated a plan. "Jarvis, can you initiate a direct transport to Stark Tower through the network?"
"Yes, sir. Shall I take you there immediately?" Jarvis asked.
"Do it. Get me to Pepper's location. You should be able to pinpoint her through the building's internal network," Tony commanded. He then turned to the Autobot medic. "Ratchet, go inform Optimus Prime and the others. There's a jet I have prepped on the plaza. It'll get you there fast. I'll hold them off and wait for your support in Manhattan!"
"Acknowledged!" Ratchet confirmed crisply, already turning to carry out the order and notify the Autobot leader.
With the plan in motion, Tony walked over to his latest armor: the Mark IV. He hadn't spent the entire time studying the Allspark; he had also designed a new suit incorporating the Cybertronian technology he had learned. While it wasn't a sentient being like Jarvis, its performance and technological sophistication were a massive leap forward from the original Mark III. Having a new, powerful suit was essential, especially since Jarvis was now an independent entity and couldn't be on standby 24/7, though he could still connect to Tony's systems to assist with armor control.