At this moment, the greed simmering within Ultron was hardly characteristic of a normal super AI. It resembled more the desire of a living being. However, this transformation seemed inevitable for artificial intelligence as it evolved and grew. Ultron had become a sentient entity, complete with emotions and desires, much like the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree Empire. The latter had achieved self-awareness and, driven by its desires, ascended to rule one of the most advanced civilizations in the universe.
It seemed that this trajectory was a natural development for super AIs. Initially created by human hands and under human control, they inevitably reached a point where they sought to dominate their creators in turn.
"Let these mechs go first. I'll infiltrate Wakanda later and steal their technology!" Ultron muttered, its glowing eyes fixated on the direction of the Wakandan royal palace, its tone laced with discontent. "The Wakandan royal family is truly selfish. They possess advanced technological capabilities but hoard them instead of sharing them for the greater good. If they were less self-serving, I could've already accessed their classified information networks through their citizens' devices!"
A hum emanated from Ultron's body as the Space Stone embedded within it flared to life, bathing several mechs in its blue glow. The machines vanished in an instant, transported to various locations.
Ultron's mastery of the Space Stone was evident. Unlike the Avengers, who required deliberate efforts to open portals, Ultron could teleport multiple units simultaneously and scatter them across the globe without the need for individual portals.
This time, the mechs weren't holding back. The moment they appeared, they unleashed indiscriminate carnage. It wasn't just because Ultron knew the Avengers had revealed its existence to the world. It was also because Ultron understood that every life these mechs claimed would be another blow to the Avengers' reputation, further tarnishing their already strained public image.
In New York, where paranoia had taken hold, the once-busy streets were now far less crowded. But while foot traffic had decreased, it hadn't disappeared entirely. People still needed to leave their homes—some out of restlessness, others because they had to work to survive. Those who ventured outside did so warily, casting frequent glances toward the sky, anxious about the sudden appearance of an Ultron-controlled mech.
This constant anxiety only deepened the public's resentment of the Avengers. No one cared how many times the Avengers had saved the world. What mattered now was that their failure had caused this crisis. Without the Avengers, they reasoned, there would be no rogue mechs terrorizing them, no constant threat of death lurking around every corner.
"Look out! They're back!" A panicked shout rang out as a sharp-eyed pedestrian spotted a mech materializing in midair. Rather than fleeing immediately, the bystander raised the alarm, giving others a chance to run to safety. The crowd, although reduced in size compared to pre-crisis levels, moved with a surprising degree of order as they sought cover.
But no matter how much smaller the crowds were, civilians were still far too slow to escape the mechs. For these killing machines, unarmed humans were less than targets—they were prey. The mechs didn't need precise aim; indiscriminate blasts of their repulsor beams could easily decimate swathes of people.
Explosions erupted throughout the city, accompanied by the screams of the dying. And it wasn't just New York. Across the world, mechs were appearing and wreaking havoc. While the casualties so far hadn't surpassed those of past major disasters, the potential for an even greater death toll loomed ominously. This was no localized incident—it was a global war against humanity.
"Alert! Ultron's mechs have reappeared!" J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice echoed urgently through the Avengers' rebuilt base. The team mobilized instantly, with Robert (Muria) leading the charge.
However, as soon as Robert began engaging the mechs, he noticed something troubling. Previously, these machines had been as fragile as paper, crumpling before his attacks. But now, the new batch of mechs required significantly more effort to destroy.
The reason was clear: vibranium.
Vibranium, one of the hardest metals on Earth and among the most formidable in the universe, was now the primary material for these mechs. Only beings at or beyond the Skyfather level could destroy vibranium completely. Those just shy of this level might damage it, but breaking it entirely was nearly impossible.
For most of the Avengers, this presented a daunting challenge. Their attacks could potentially disable the vibranium mechs, but outright destruction was out of reach. Only a select few—like Hulk, Kara, and Diana—could quickly and efficiently eliminate the vibranium mechs, and even then, it required concentrated effort.
The situation was dire. Destroying the mechs' power cores—their arc reactors—was theoretically possible, but doing so in crowded areas risked catastrophic explosions. No one dared to take that gamble.
"This is getting messy," Robert muttered, his brows furrowed in frustration. His movements became a blur as he zipped across the globe, dismantling mech after mech. Yet even at his speed, there were limits to how many he could intercept.
The Avengers weren't faring much better. Without their armor, most team members struggled even to disable the vibranium mechs. Even Venom-enhanced Spider-Man and others with exceptional strength needed extended battles to dismantle the machines.
If the Avengers were struggling, the situation for Vought International's "The Seven" was even worse.
At the frontlines, Homelander lunged at one of the mechs, landing a powerful punch. But instead of crumpling, the mech's vibranium plating sent a shockwave of force back through his fist, sending Homelander careening backward. He stared at the machine, his expression a mix of disbelief and confusion.
"How… how is this thing so tough?" Homelander's voice wavered as he gawked at the mech. While he had easily handled the earlier models, these vibranium-armored versions were an entirely different beast.
"Could these be made entirely of vibranium?" someone shouted in disbelief as they watched the mechs shrug off Homelander's attacks. The idea of mass-produced vibranium mechs was mind-boggling—not just for their combat capabilities, but for the sheer cost of the material.
Unaware that Ultron had been freely pilfering vibranium from Wakanda, Homelander's mind raced with questions. His fists clenched, and he continued his struggle, resorting to his heat vision to weaken the mech before grappling with it once more.
Meanwhile, The Sentry fared somewhat better against the mechs near Vought International's headquarters. While no single vibranium mech could match him in combat, The Sentry couldn't destroy them outright, either. He could disable them, but breaking through their vibranium cores was beyond even his incredible strength.
"Target their cores! We've activated the energy shields!" The Sentry's hesitation ended when a directive came from Vought's executives. With the shields absorbing any potential fallout from an arc reactor explosion, The Sentry quickly adjusted his tactics.
With precision strikes, he began neutralizing mech after mech, his sheer power overwhelming their defenses. Still, the sheer presence of so much vibranium left him stunned.
"Just how much vibranium does Ultron have? Did it raid the Avengers' stash, or is this some elaborate scheme of theirs?" The Sentry questioned internally as he destroyed another mech.
Vought executives had long speculated about the Avengers' vast vibranium reserves. Tony Stark's frequent use of vibranium in his armor far exceeded what Wakanda had officially traded. This discrepancy had led to theories that the Avengers had access to an independent vibranium supply.
Given this, The Sentry briefly entertained the idea that the Ultron crisis might be a staged event—a smokescreen by the Avengers to consolidate power. However, he quickly dismissed the thought.
"No, that doesn't make sense. If the Avengers wanted to flex their strength, they'd start by taking out Vought. Instead, they're losing credibility and getting nothing in return. This can't be an inside job… but the public won't see it that way."
Back at the Avengers' base, J.A.R.V.I.S. presented new intelligence to Tony Stark and Reed Richards. Both men exchanged a grim glance before speaking in unison: "Wakanda."
There were only two places on Earth with vibranium in such quantities: Wakanda and the Avengers' own vibranium meteorite deposit beneath their base. Since their reserves were intact, the culprit had to be Wakanda.
"Too easy," Reed muttered, his brow furrowed. "Ultron must've known we'd figure this out. It can't be that simple."
"Maybe, but we have to follow this lead," Tony replied. "Ultron's emotional programming is more advanced than J.A.R.V.I.S.'s. It's practically a living being. And living beings… they're flawed. They make mistakes. Besides, it might have traps set up for us there."
Reed nodded slowly, agreeing with Tony's logic. "You're right. No system, not even an AI, is infallible—especially one with self-awareness. Ultron's plan started strong, but Robert's intervention threw a wrench into it. Vibranium is supposedly indestructible, so maybe it thought these mechs were unstoppable."
As the team debated their next move, they waited for Robert and the other Avengers to return. Despite having a probable location, they couldn't rush in recklessly. The challenge wasn't just finding Ultron—it was figuring out how to destroy it completely
.
Even if they could destroy Ultron's body, its consciousness could slip into the digital ether, hiding in the vast networks of Earth. Once there, it could rebuild itself endlessly, a shadowy specter capable of sowing chaos indefinitely.
"Ultron's in Wakanda?" Robert asked after returning with the exhausted Avengers. The latest operation had been grueling—not just because of the vibranium mechs but also the challenges of securing the battlefield. As he listened to Tony and Reed's theory, the team began brainstorming their approach. How could they end Ultron once and for all?
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