Chapter 62: The Car Can Talk

At the moment, it wasn't just the crowd and reporters who were anxiously watching the yellow Camaro tear across the street. Inside the car, Captain America himself was gripping the seat like it was a life raft. Steve's knuckles were white as he clutched the door handle with one hand and the back of the front seat with the other. His voice broke out in raw panic. "Slow down! Are you insane?!" he shouted, eyes locked on the two massive armored figures battling up ahead. From his seat, he could clearly see them, hulking metallic giants, sparks flying as fists collided with steel. "You're driving towards them?! Are you trying to get us killed?!" When Steve had first gotten into Luke's car, he was already surprised by how fast it moved. But now? Now it felt like he was strapped to a missile headed straight into a warzone. Back in his day, the fastest car he'd ridden couldn't dream of reaching half this speed. And after waking up from a seventy-year slumber into this future-tech nightmare, his brain simply hadn't caught up yet. And now... robot suits? What the hell happened while he was on ice? He looked to Sharon for help, but she wasn't panicking at all. In fact, she looked calm. Too calm. ... Compared to Steve's visible horror, Sharon Carter was sitting in the passenger seat with serene confidence in her eyes. It wasn't bravery. Not exactly. It was trust. Somehow, even with chaos just ahead and an increasingly alarmed super-soldier behind her, she trusted Luke. Her eyes remained fixed on his profile, steady hands on the wheel, gaze focused yet relaxed. He wasn't even flinching. Not even when the Iron Monger picked up a car like it was a toy. 'How can someone be so calm in a situation like this?' she thought. Then, without even meaning to, her lips curved upward. 'That's the kind of man I...' She shook her head, cheeks turning slightly pink. 'Focus, Sharon.' ... Meanwhile, Luke sat confidently at the wheel, barely blinking. He wasn't being reckless. Everything he did had purpose, and right now, the system had just delivered something amazing. [Ding! Your car saw Tony Stark's battle suit from a distance and felt jealous. It wants to take a closer look at these amazing pieces of technology.] Jealous? Luke blinked, momentarily stunned. 'My car is... jealous?' Even for him, this was new. Still, he knew better than to ignore the system. If the Camaro wanted to get closer to the battle, he'd oblige. Especially when there were potential plot points and evolution rewards on the line. He didn't respond to Steve's yelling. Didn't flinch at Sharon's silence. His foot pressed harder on the accelerator. And the Camaro roared forward. ... At less than a hundred meters from the clash between Iron Monger and Iron Man, Obadiah's glowing red eyes locked on the incoming car. He lifted a massive foot with a twisted smile. "Come on, then. Let's see if your toy can survive this." Steve leaned forward, yelling, "Brake! Brake! LUKE, BRAKE!" But Luke didn't budge. And then... [Ding! Your car has seen Tony Stark's battle suit technology up close and triggered an evolution. Transformation complete: your Camaro is now an Autobot.] Luke's eyes widened with joy. Finally. He'd always loved the Transformers movies, at least the first three, and now he had his own Autobot. And not just any random one, but his car, born from the system, would be completely loyal. No chance of it leaving, no emotional robot drama. Just pure steel and firepower on command. He could barely contain his grin. But what came next still caught him off guard. A mechanical voice echoed through the speakers: "Boss, sit tight. I'm going to transform." Luke's brows shot up. "You can talk?!" In the back seat, Steve's jaw dropped. "Wh–who said that?! Who's talking?!" "The car," Luke said nonchalantly, his grin widening. "Don't worry about it." Steve's hands gripped the seat even harder. "Don't worry?! The CAR is TALKING!" Luke smirked. "Welcome to the future, old man." Sharon blinked in shock, glancing at the dashboard. "Wait... your car can talk?" ...