Earlier...
"You alright there?" a lone clone trooper asked a droid that appeared to be malfunctioning.
"Yes..."
The clone couldn't help but step back slightly.
That voice sounded... too human. Not mechanical like most droids.
"Shouldn't you be at the maintenance bay?" the clone asked.
The droid shook its head. "Not... at this time."
"Do you need assistance?"
"Yes."
It happened in an instant. A massive electrical discharge shot from its arms, electrocuting the clone trooper. A metal hand quickly covered his mouth to silence any scream. Moments later, the trooper collapsed into the droid's arms.
Dragging the soldier to a secluded area where he wouldn't be found immediately, the seemingly damaged droid began moving toward its destination.
Upon arrival, the droid encountered two—surprisingly only two—Clone Commandos standing guard at the entrance to the Jedi Temple steps.
Both turned to face the limping droid approaching them and exchanged glances.
"Hey," the one on the left approached the machine. "What are you—urk!"
In a split second, the droid's damaged arm shot out and seized the clone's throat, while its other arm transformed into a cannon, firing and killing the second clone instantly.
The droid released a menacing laugh and casually began walking forward, ascending the steps of the Jedi Temple.
Dangling from its right hand's grip, the surviving clone trooper struggled to free himself from the rogue droid's grasp. He threw punches and kicks, but to no avail. When he reached for his blaster, he was hurled to the ground, the weapon clattering away from his body.
The clone was dazed but still conscious as he watched the droid climb the steps and now stand at the entrance to the Jedi Temple.
Soon, the droid had somehow penetrated the Jedi Temple unimpeded, but now faced confused, shocked, and alarmed Jedi who moved to stop its advance.
They stared at the droid, then at the clone in its grasp, many igniting their lightsabers and training them on the intruder.
"I suggest you release that trooper," Jedi Master Plo Koon said sternly, brandishing his azure blade.
Beside him stood Matt Murdock, who tensed when facing the machine.
He had already donned his suit and activated his Avengers comm device, his enhanced hearing detecting the unmistakable sound of metallic wings and repulsors in the distance approaching the Temple.
The droid's head swiveled around, observing that it was now surrounded by Jedi Knights, with additional clones also present.
Perfect.
It preferred having a full audience.
"So you all came to see me?" the droid's voice said with amusement, taunting the gathered crowd.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" Jedi Master Luminara demanded, pointing her emerald lightsaber in its direction.
"No one sent me here. I simply wanted to visit, Master Unduli."
At that moment, Sam arrived on the scene with Scott and Hope.
"What's the situation?" Sam asked.
"Please tell me it's not him," Scott said.
"Scott, look at the clone in its hand," Hope said urgently.
"Oh... hey! Let him go! What the hell is happening?!"
The droid laughed loudly, the genuine emotion emanating from the metallic form making most of those gathered deeply uncomfortable.
"Oh, this is marvelous," the droid said cheerfully. "For a thousand years, you have rested comfortably in the cradle of power. Believing yourselves and your people were safe, protected. You were trusted by the Republic. But you were deceived. You failed to realize that you were all being manipulated by darkness. Controlled... through a series of programmed directives..."
"Programmed directives?"
"Observe these..." the droid said, lifting the clone in its hand and tightening its grip around his throat. "These puppets."
There was a sickening crack as the clone's neck snapped in the droid's grasp, and the body was discarded like refuse.
"Simple commands will turn these puppets against their own companions."
"You're going to pay for that," Sam Wilson said fiercely.
A moment later, the droid tilted its head as it noticed Natasha approaching. Beside her was Anakin Skywalker, his lightsaber ignited.
The droid released a malicious laugh, and Natasha froze in her tracks.
"Ah~ Natasha Romanoff. How delightful to see you again."
"You know her?"
"She and her friends share quite a history with me... from their little tower... the shores of Sokovia... Seoul... Sokovia."
"No..." Natasha's face went pale and she stepped back in shock. "No, we stopped you. Vision destroyed you!"
"Ah, yes," the droid's demeanor shifted. "My Vision. What you all stole from me in the end."
Though the droid's face remained expressionless, its glowing blue optical sensors had turned blood red.
Outside, a clone shuttle was plummeting from the sky at tremendous speed.
"Soon, if you continue allowing him to manipulate you, the Republic will fall," the droid said, ignoring the incoming vessel behind it. "But the real question is—who will fall first?"
A moment later, the ship crashed through the Jedi Temple's entrance, screeching to a halt mere centimeters from the droid's back.
"You thought I was gone. But now... I have returned."
From the side of the crashed vessel, the hatch exploded outward and numerous flying machines poured forth.
But these weren't ordinary droids.
No, these were machines Natasha knew all too well.
These were Ultron drones.
Drones that belonged to one particular artificial intelligence.
"Ultron," Natasha whispered in terror as nearby Jedi, clones, and Avengers sprang into action.
Explosions echoed in the distance, followed by screams, and every communication channel was flooded with cries for help and anguish.
"I hope you all enjoy the gifts I've brought."
In an instant, the possessed droid was struck down, and a firefight erupted in the Temple's main hall.
The drones surged forward, engaging Jedi and clones alike as the Avengers fought their way through the chaos toward the Temple entrance.
Anakin joined them, and the group stood before the Jedi Temple, their eyes widening in horror and disbelief as they witnessed Coruscant burning.
Before them, buildings were either ablaze, exploding, or collapsing entirely.
Speeders and ships of all sizes fled at maximum velocity, some shot down or swarmed by seemingly endless waves of drones and war machines.
In mere minutes, the Republic's capital had descended into chaos.
They could even hear communications from the Republic fleet above—what appeared to be a makeshift armada had emerged from hyperspace, a mixture of Republic and Separatist-built starships now assaulting the Planetary Defense Fleet.
"Oh my God," Natasha said in horror. "Oh my God!"
"Natasha, what's happening?" Hope shouted over the din. "Who's attacking us?!"
"Ultron," Natasha said, still struggling to believe her own words.
"Ultron?" the other Avengers except Matt repeated in shock.
"But I thought you guys already destroyed him?!" Scott demanded.
"How is he here?" Anakin asked—he had heard about this Ultron from Steve numerous times.
"That's an excellent question," Hope said grimly.
"She's right," Matt said, his Daredevil suit materializing around him with his electrified billy clubs ready. "Right now, we need to recall everyone from their missions immediately."
"Already on it," Scott said, delivering a spinning kick to a nearby drone, pulling out his Avengers comm device and rapidly transmitting a distress signal.
This was something he had never anticipated.
"All Avengers, all Avengers! We have a Code Red situation! Scott quickly shrank to avoid a repulsor blast. "Return to Coruscant immediately, Cap! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"
"Don't think they'll reach us in time," Hope said with growing alarm, witnessing the destruction spreading across the city.
Pietro and Peter might be somewhere on this planet, but Steve and Rhodes were in an entirely different star system, near the galaxy's outer rim.
No telling when Cap and Rhodes would arrive, but for now, they had to work with the team they had.
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