"Ah! Of course, mighty Lord Megatron, I was just about to offer you the AllSpark!" Seeing Megatron appear, Starscream's electronic eyes flickered slightly. After confirming that no other Decepticons were around, a sinister smile crept onto his face.
Watching Starscream's behavior, Josh couldn't help but curl his lips.
Yep, Starscream was still the same old Starscream. All that talk about defeating Megatron face-to-face—yeah right. A dog can't change its ways.
Just as Josh expected, Starscream raised the AllSpark in his left hand, looking like he was going to hand it over to Megatron. But at the same time, his right hand reached behind him and popped out a blade made of vibranium.
Because Megatron landed with his left side facing Starscream, his attention was fully on the AllSpark in Starscream's hand. He didn't notice the sneaky move or expect Starscream to be bold enough to try something.
So, just as Megatron reached out for the AllSpark, Starscream stabbed the vibranium blade into Megatron's waist.
"Aaargh!!! Starscream, what are you doing?" Megatron's scream echoed through the sky, drawing the attention of the Decepticons still fighting near Hoover Dam.
They turned and saw the once-invincible Megatron now getting chased down and hacked at by Starscream.
Megatron wasn't just taking the beating—he fought back. He pulled out his own blade, but after just one clash, his blade snapped in half, while Starscream's remained untouched.
Megatron switched to a particle cannon, but Starscream blocked it with a shield, then spun around and chopped off Megatron's arm.
"Quick! Starscream is rebelling! Take him down!"
Badly injured and panicked, Megatron shouted orders. After all, he had just woken up on Earth after centuries, and now this? It was too much.
But no one listened. Most of the Decepticons here were loyal to Starscream anyway, and even Megatron's old followers weren't rushing to his aid.
Even Soundwave, who was in satellite mode in space, only sighed to himself and did nothing.
"Hahahahaha! Cry, scream, and then just die! Megatron is the past! The future belongs to me!"
With one more strike, Starscream chopped off Megatron's remaining arm and finally stabbed straight into his chest, ending the reign of the old king.
After finishing Megatron off, Starscream didn't say anything. He simply raised the AllSpark high above his head.
All the Decepticons around him dropped to one knee, declaring Starscream's new rule.
As for the human army at Hoover Dam? They had already been wiped out by the Decepticons. Only a few broken soldiers were still trying to run away, and any reinforcements were far from arriving.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the system, Josh looked at Starscream standing tall with the AllSpark in hand, surrounded by kneeling Decepticons. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud—and even a little jealous.
"Boss! We've arrived!"
Just as Josh was admiring Starscream's moment of glory, Vitto's voice came through the aircraft's communicator—it was almost time to land.
Josh told Starscream to remember to trade Megatron's body, then ended the call.
The plane landed in Chicago, at the private airport of Josh's home turf. After switching to a car, it only took about ten minutes to get to his mansion.
"Where are Margaret and the kids?" As soon as he entered the hall, Francesca, who had already been informed of his arrival, came to greet him with a few others.
"Madam invited Mrs. Ross and Mrs. Osborn over today. They're playing golf in the garden right now. The young master and young miss took Thaddeus to the animal park," Francesca replied while helping Josh take off his coat. "As for the little master and young Norman, they're still sleeping."
Earlier this year, since their youngest son had turned one and was in good health, the family moved back to their old home in the U.S. But as a one-year-old, he still spent most of his time sleeping.
Thaddeus and Norman, the children Francesca mentioned, were of course from the Ross and Osborn families—the same ones who, in the original timeline, would grow up to become the famous General Thunderbolt and the head of Osborn Industries, the Green Goblin.
At the end of last year, after WAA—thanks to Josh's help—had completed most of its wartime asset sales and taken the biggest cut, William Ross retired on Josh's advice and joined Blackwater Group as a consultant.
The timing of his retirement was no coincidence. It was mainly because of the unstable situation on the peninsula and the big war expected later in the year.
Even though, thanks to Josh, America's military technology was far more advanced than it had been in his previous life, after learning more about the power of the eastern superpower from Xu Wenwu, Josh had no confidence in America winning this upcoming war.
Not only would they lose, but they might also lose badly.
In that situation, staying in the military could easily drag William Ross into a mess he'd never escape. So, it was better for him to pull out early.
Once he joined Blackwater Group, the Ross family moved to Chicago and bought a small estate next to the Kahn family's—set up by Josh himself.
Of course, calling them neighbors sounded nice, but in reality, the difference was huge. The Ross estate only covered a few dozen acres, while the Kahn estate spanned over a thousand acres—completely different levels.
It even took quite some time to drive from the Ross mansion to the Kahn family's main house.
Because of this, and other reasons, even though they were neighbors, William Ross still didn't get to meet Josh easily.
His wife, though, was close to Margaret and often visited the Kahn estate. And his son, Thaddeus, being just a year younger than Mike and Carol, played with them often.
Plus, Thaddeus was Josh's godson. So after the Kahn's returned to the U.S., he also joined Mike and Carol in receiving the Kahn family's private education.
Even though public education was becoming more common in America at this time, most wealthy and upper-class families still preferred private home education, especially starting from around age five or six—just the right age for the three kids.
As for Norman, he was born earlier this year when Josh and Margaret had just returned to the U.S. His parents, Amberson and Mary, got married late last year.
Thanks to Josh and Margaret, Amberson had been doing quite well in the Chicago financial circle these past two years. The newly formed Osborn Group wasn't top-tier yet, but it was gaining a solid reputation.
The couple officially married last year.
After Norman was born this year, he too became the godson of Josh and Margaret, just like Ross. With this status, baby Norman Osborn, only a few months old, quickly became well-known among Chicago's upper class.
"Amberson and Ross are both in Chicago, right?" Josh nodded and asked.
"Yes!" Francesca replied.
"Then invite them both over for dinner tonight," Josh instructed.
"Alright!" Francesca nodded and went off to make the arrangements.
Josh, however, didn't go to the garden to disturb the ladies. Even though both Mary and Mrs. Ross were known for their beauty, Josh wasn't the type to chase after any pretty woman he saw—especially not the wives of close friends. That was his bottom line: never touch a friend's wife. Unlike someone like Howard Stark.
Because Josh had always kept his personal life clean, William and Amberson felt comfortable letting their wives come and go from the Kahn estate. If it had been someone like Stark? Amberson might not know better, but William would've shown up with a gun long ago.
After thinking it over for a moment, Josh decided to head to the animal park to see the kids.
The so-called animal park was actually the home of Josh's big pets.
The white lion Simba had grown into a mighty beast. Thanks to some genetic modifications, he was nearly five meters long—much bigger than any lion on record. But because he was raised at home and altered genetically, he was very calm and smart. He wasn't dangerous to people—unless someone messed with him first.
The gorilla, Kong, was similar. Over five meters tall, not quite as massive as in the movies, but still incredibly intimidating to a regular person.
Then there were Monday through Thursday—the four big Saint Bernards.
When Josh arrived at the animal park, the three kids were already roughhousing with Kong.
"Dad!" ×2 — the two little troublemakers shouted casually when they saw Josh, then went right back to playing with Kong. They knew their father well. Unless it was for lessons or if they did something wrong, he was very easygoing with them.
In the Kahn family, there was no strict father and gentle mother. It was the opposite—a gentle father and a strict mother.
That also had a lot to do with the fact that Josh and Margaret came from very different times, and their personalities reflected that.
"Godfather!" Compared to the other two, the future General Ross seemed much more serious. Coming from a military family, William Ross raised him with strict discipline. Even at just six years old, he acted like a little adult—very proper and serious.
"Relax, Thaddeus. No need to be so formal with me," Josh smiled as he patted the boy's head.
Seeing how William had raised this kid to be so rigid from such a young age, Josh couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him.
Thinking back to how stern General Ross was in the original story, it was clear his family upbringing played a big role.
But even after Josh spoke, Thaddeus just nodded and didn't move.
Well, with him around, it was clear the kid couldn't fully relax and play.
"I just came by to check in. You guys go ahead and keep playing," Josh said, getting ready to leave.
"Got it!" His son and daughter didn't even turn their heads, just waved him off casually.
"Goodbye, Godfather!" Thaddeus, on the other hand, obediently waved and said goodbye.
Seriously... which one of them is actually my biological kid? Josh couldn't help but sigh helplessly at the contrast.
What he didn't know was that Thaddeus, watching his godfather walk away, then glancing at the carefree siblings still playing, was feeling a strong sense of envy in his heart.
——
"William, how's it going at Blackwater? Settling in alright?" Later that evening at dinner, Josh asked casually.
"Absolutely. Honestly, being at Blackwater doesn't feel much different from the military—actually, it's even better. At least I don't have to deal with all the bureaucrats at the Pentagon," William Ross replied with a shrug.
At first, when Josh suggested retirement, William was a bit hesitant—not because he was hungry for promotions, but because he believed he still had a lot to contribute in uniform. But after Josh laid out all the pros and cons, he eventually agreed.
Now that he was at Blackwater, William found the experience surprisingly enjoyable.
Blackwater's military gear was on par with the U.S. Army—if not better. And because many of its soldiers were of German descent, their discipline and quality far exceeded that of typical American troops. Leading them was a dream for someone like him.
What general didn't love highly trained soldiers?
At this point, William was actually starting to forget about the military altogether.
And it made sense. Most Blackwater soldiers were former veterans from Germany or even HYDRA—elite troops brought back into service. Their quality was naturally top-tier.
As for Blackwater's overall setup, Josh had modeled it on modern and even futuristic standards.
After all, Blackwater's future battlefields might not even be on Earth.
"I'm glad to hear you're settling in well. We've been friends for a long time—if anything ever bothers you or doesn't feel right, come to me directly," Josh said sincerely when he saw that William's smile wasn't fake in the slightest.
Then his gaze shifted to Amberson.
But before he could say anything, Margaret cut in. "Josh, this is a family dinner. If you want to talk business, go to your study."
With his wife stepping in, even a top-tier powerhouse like Josh could only shrug and obediently shut up.
That "submissive" attitude drew a round of laughter from the others—though behind the chuckles was a fair bit of envy.
Especially the other two ladies. Their husbands treated them well enough, sure, but none pampered them quite like Josh did Margaret.
Since business talk was off the table, Josh had no choice but to shift the conversation to lighter, more domestic topics.
And just like that, the family dinner wrapped up in a warm and cheerful atmosphere.
After dinner, the ladies resumed chatting and tending to the kids, while William and Amberson followed Josh into his study.
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