"He doesn't look good at all." In the backstage meeting room of Stark Industries' auditorium, Daniel Davis moved closer to Natasha and whispered, looking over at Stark, who appeared pale and weighed down by worry.
"Tony's been under a lot of pressure lately," said not Natasha, but Captain America from nearby.
"Because of the casualties?" Daniel asked, glancing over at Stark and lowering his voice.
"It's my fault," muttered Captain America, bowing his head in regret. As he spoke, Natasha, Banner, Scarlet Witch, and the others visibly grew somber.
"If it were Fury, he wouldn't give these things a second thought."
The massive casualties from recent incidents had dealt a heavy blow to the Avengers as a whole. While Daniel wasn't heartless or indifferent to losses, he understood that some things were simply inevitable; without the Avengers, the destruction and death toll would only be worse. For example, look at the devastation caused by the Busan incident. The Avengers had wanted to help fight the outbreak and save lives, but they'd been blocked by the local government.
The Avengers weren't able to act without oversight or limitations. The first requirement for their involvement was to notify the country, a task that fell to Natasha, who now primarily handled negotiations rather than frontline work.
Usually, few would turn down the Avengers' help, as it meant a swift, minimal-cost resolution to terrorist threats, followed by a cleanup from Damage Control. In real life, unlike in the movies, you don't just leave the scene after defeating the villains.
Up until now, the Avengers had built a strong reputation. Peggy Carter's presence on their side had helped, but the large-scale damage and casualties in this recent incident, along with certain factions stirring up public opinion, had sparked significant backlash.
Despite the Hydra leadership and threats like Ward and Hive being eliminated, Hydra still had roots in the U.S. military and government. Among the lingering Hydra forces, Stephanie Malick, a figure Daniel had overlooked, was now orchestrating things from behind the scenes. Reports indicated that Stephanie had aligned with Tricell's leader, Excella.
Ironically, with Hydra's fall, global stability had worsened. Hydra had kept countless rogue organizations in check, a feat S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers could not replicate. Hydra didn't hesitate to eliminate threats, whereas S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and governments couldn't act so freely. Now, anti-Avengers protesters openly denounced Stark as a killer outside Stark Tower.
It reminded Daniel of how Whitebeard's death in One Piece didn't bring peace but instead plunged the world into chaos.
Although Daniel didn't believe the Avengers were to blame for the high casualty count, Stark and the rest clearly did, and he refrained from saying anything to the contrary.
In response to the tragic loss of life, Stark pledged financial support for the families of victims, announced plans to rebuild affected areas, and even proposed an initiative to fund university research projects, with a minimum investment of one million dollars for any feasible project.
Surprisingly, the journalists present refrained from posing hard-hitting questions. Western "freedom of the press" was often more rhetoric than reality. Much like Eddie's previous predicament with the Life Foundation, powerful entities like Stark Industries could control narratives. Compared to Drake, Stark was on an entirely different level, making even the boldest reporters cautious.
As Stark left the stage, an elderly man followed him, clutching a photograph of a handsome young man—his son, one of the casualties.
"This is my child. My only child. He had just graduated college," the man said without accusation, simply sharing his loss. Stark visibly trembled, then turned and walked away, his shoulders heavy with sorrow.
"Take us back." Returning to the meeting room, Stark asked Daniel to teleport the Avengers back to their base.
Once there, Stark immediately called a meeting, which Daniel didn't attend, as he wasn't officially an Avenger. If it hadn't been for Pepper's request to check on Stark's health, Daniel would've left straight away. Instead, while the Avengers held their meeting, he went down to the underground shooting range to burn through a box of bullets for target practice.
The Avengers' base was well-equipped with facilities for combat, training, shooting, and simulations.
"I disagree," Daniel heard Captain America say upon returning to the base's main hall, where the Avengers sat in two distinct groups. Stark stood alone, isolated on one side, while everyone else was aligned with Captain America, who wore a look of grim determination.
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, intrigued.
"Stark wants to set up a global defense system," Natasha explained.
"Ultron." The moment Natasha said this, the word sprang into Daniel's mind. It could be that the casualties had pushed Stark to consider such measures, or that he'd had the idea all along. Stark wanted a defense network that could monitor global threats, intercepting incidents before they escalated.
However, Stark's idea was met with unanimous opposition, including from Banner, who sided with Captain America in this debate. Captain America, deeply shaken by the tragedy, was resolute in his stance against a global surveillance system, as it was too similar to Hydra's Project Insight. Even if Stark's intentions differed, the actions remained the same.
Stark argued passionately, proposing the creation of an artificial intelligence system—or rather, an AI lifeform—that would impartially safeguard Earth's peace indefinitely. Stark reasoned that unlike humans, such an entity could live long enough to protect the planet continuously.
"So, you're trying to create Skynet?" Daniel's response was blunt. He understood Stark's reasoning. Stark was a genius, with a common trait among the brilliant: distrust of others and belief in their ability to solve any problem.
It was reminiscent of Madara Uchiha's ambition to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, confident that he'd handle issues like human continuation when they arose.
The Avengers' concerns weren't rooted in the risks of artificial intelligence but in the fact that Stark's proposal mirrored Hydra's plan. If such surveillance were acceptable, there would've been no need to dismantle Insight in the first place.
Unlike the others, Daniel recognized that creating an AI lifeform could go horribly wrong. To maintain peace, an AI would only see one logical solution—human extinction, as human conflict was constant.
For this reason, Daniel had never considered turning Red Queen into a true AI lifeform.
"Your thoughts?" Unable to reach an agreement, both sides turned to Daniel.
"It's an interesting idea, but what if that AI lifeform turned against us?" Daniel asked Stark directly, making his position clear.
"Turn against us? That's impossible," Stark said, pausing before replying with conviction.
"Why not? You said yourself it would be an AI lifeform, not a mere system. If it's alive, what right do you have to demand that it endlessly safeguard world peace?"
In theory, without the Mind Stone, Stark couldn't create Ultron or Vision. But with Stark's genius and Marvel's vast supply of black-market technology, there was always a chance he could succeed.
"Let it go, Stark." Daniel's question left Captain America, Natasha, and the others startled. They hadn't even considered the possibility of rebellion. Captain America rubbed his forehead in frustration; as someone from seventy years ago, he still struggled to keep up with modern advancements. He was supposed to be retired by now, but various circumstances kept pulling him back.
"I'll think it over." Daniel's argument seemed to impact Stark, who, instead of stubbornly insisting, agreed to reconsider. While this relieved Captain America and the others, Daniel felt uneasy.
Stark wasn't one to let go of an idea easily. Though Daniel's warning might make Stark more cautious, it was unlikely to deter him completely. The loss of life had hit Stark hard, and until he saw definitive proof of an AI lifeform's potential harm to humanity, he'd likely continue his research in secret.
Daniel had learned that Stark's resilience often grew through adversity, just as the kidnapping had inspired him to become Iron Man.
So Daniel didn't press the matter. Stark's convictions were difficult to change, much like Captain America's unwavering belief in his principles, even if it meant standing alone.
"Without the Mind Stone, even if he succeeds in creating an Ultron, the threat should be considerably less. Still, I need to take some precautions with Red Queen."
Ultron's birth had cost JARVIS his existence. Daniel had multiple instances of Red Queen, but to prevent loss, he planned to safeguard some of her data, and if necessary, disconnect her from the network.
"You actually called me? Quite a surprise." Seeing Melinda May on his phone, Daniel was intrigued. Usually, Coulson was the one contacting him on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"There's something I need your help with. A patient, a very special one," she said without preamble.
"Alright, where are you?" Curious about who May wanted him to treat, Daniel agreed immediately.
"So, it's him. I didn't expect things to come to this," Daniel mused after meeting May and recognizing the patient as her ex-husband, Andrew Garner, also known as Lash among the Inhumans.
Daniel had thought eliminating Hive would simplify things, but clearly, issues between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans remained.
"All because of looks, huh." For Inhumans, the issue wasn't their powers but rather any transformation that made them appear non-human. Andrew Garner's transformation had turned him into something monstrous, unlike Skye and Lincoln, who retained their appearances despite their abilities.
Raina, who had pursued the mysteries of the supernatural all her life, regretted becoming an Inhuman because of the physical changes. Skye's seismic powers and Lincoln's electric abilities had no impact on
their appearance, but Lash's did.
"I can restore him, but only him. You understand what that means," Daniel said to May.
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