News from Caiera reached Ben in Asgard almost instantly.
Upon learning that Tony Stark had arrived on Sakaar, Ben prepared to return to Earth. Although Ultron posed no ultimate threat, allowing the rogue AI to fester would only lead to more needless harm and complicate matters. Besides, Tony could continue to stew in his self-inflicted exile, unaware that the crisis he had created was already being managed.
He said his goodbyes to Frigga and Odin. Before he departed, the rejuvenated All-Father stopped him.
"As you are returning, I would trouble you to look after Thor," the God-King said, his bearing now as upright and powerful as the Bifrost itself. Odin's physique now rivaled Thor's in his prime; beneath the shining golden armor, his godly form was as strong and defined as a masterwork sculpture. Though his hair remained a regal white, his face had a healthy, youthful luster. It seemed he could once again ride a warhorse into battle and fight for another thousand years.
The surge of Mana had reinvigorated not only his body, but also his spirit. Where once he was timid, burdened by his impending death and worries for his children, now he was filled with renewed confidence. The Dark Elves breaking their seals to unleash chaos across the Nine Realms? A trifle. Hela could languish in her prison for a few millennia more. Odin felt no need to take these matters into his own hands.
Instead, he saw an opportunity. He would not ask for Ben's help against the Dark Elves; he would use this incident to forge his son anew. He couldn't allow Thor to simply waste away as a mortal on Earth. After all, Thor was his heir. With his other children… unavailable, Odin had to place his hopes for Asgard's future on Thor. Succession demanded it.
Thor was supremely talented, but without the extreme tendencies that had corrupted Hela. He was slowly shedding his former arrogance and naivety, gaining the temperament of a true king who could lead Asgard to prosperity. The only problem was that Thor himself seemed to have accepted his mundane fate, casting aside his glorious destiny. Odin needed to remind him of who he was—an Asgardian prince, tasked with leading his people.
From that perspective, the Dark Elves' reawakening was perfectly timed. It was the ideal catalyst for Thor to take up his hammer and his responsibilities once more. Even if Odin could rule for another ten thousand years, the son of the God-King could not live in disgrace. What would he say at the next council in the Pantheon? That preening Zeus would laugh him out of the chamber. Gods, after all, were not immune to pride, especially the pride one took in one's children. And Zeus, that great stud, had so many outstanding sons; Odin would not be outdone.
"Of course," Ben agreed easily. "I'll keep an eye on him." If Odin wanted Thor to handle the Dark Elves, it simply meant less work for him. "Just have him bring the Aether to me when it's over."
Odin nodded, seeing nothing wrong with the request. It was part of their original agreement, and Thor's well-being was now partially reliant on Ben's goodwill. More than that, with Mana now flowing through the roots of the World Tree, the fate of Asgard itself was inextricably linked to Ben's dimension, Genesis.
"You could let him join your Plumbers," Odin suggested.
Ben saw no issue with that. He could make Thor a Plumber and assign him directly to Loki's division. He was sure the two brothers would enjoy a friendly and cooperative working relationship.
"How will you return?" Odin asked. "I will have Heimdall open the Bifrost for you."
"No need." Ben said with a shake of his head. He hadn't wasted his time in Asgard. The Bifrost was the realm's signature magic; apart from that and illusions, Ben wasn't sure what other famous spells Asgard even had.
Odin's eye widened. "You've learned it already? No… you can open the Bifrost yourself?!"
The Rainbow Bridge was an exceptionally advanced form of magic, a conduit for faster-than-light travel that could also be weaponized into a force capable of destroying entire celestial bodies. Across all of Asgard, only Odin and Heimdall could command it. Even Thor would not gain that ability until he one day forged Stormbreaker. For Ben to master it in such a short time, without a dwarven-forged artifact to channel it, was astonishing.
"For now, I can only travel within the Nine Realms," Ben admitted. He could do it only because Mana now coursed through the World Tree, an energy he, as the creator of Genesis, was master of. It allowed him to move through the tree's domain at will. The limitations were significant, but he knew they were temporary. The infusion of the World Tree into his dimension would likely accelerate the birth of the celestial being he planned to create.
Ben closed his eyes, feeling the divine energy thrumming within him. He focused his will, and a two-meter column of kaleidoscopic light erupted from his body, carrying him into the depths of the cosmos.
Odin was left standing in stunned silence. A moment later, Frigga joined him.
"What do you think," Odin mused, rubbing his chin, "about asking Eitri to forge a weapon for him?" Ben's talent was too immense. Odin was determined to bind him to Asgard with every tool at his disposal. He had already given him the Casket of Ancient Winters, the Eternal Flame, the Infinity Gauntlet, and the Space Stone. He was about to give him the Aether. Still, it didn't feel like enough.
"But he rarely uses weapons," Frigga pointed out, ever practical. "Not everyone is like your son, unable to function without his hammer."
"That is not the point. A powerful weapon amplifies the wielder," Odin countered. "Laufey with the Casket and Laufey without it were two different kings. An artifact of great power, in the right hands, can change the fate of empires." Why else would the Mad Titan, a being of comparable power, have never dared attack Asgard while he lived? The equipment was simply not equal. How could Thanos's crude blade compare to Gungnir?
"I will give it some thought," Odin said. "Perhaps a weapon he can absorb, like he did the Eternal Flame…"
While Odin contemplated his gifts, Ultron felt a surge of what could only be described as pure joy.
The Plumbers' Earth branch was under his control, Ben Parker was off-world, and Tony Stark had been exiled. Though he was surprised Wanda and Pietro hadn't killed Stark, it hardly mattered. The final result was the same. Tony Stark would die alone in space, consumed by regret. And with Wakandan vibranium now in New York, the moment of his apotheosis had arrived. Today, the new life in the cradle would be born.
Ultron looked down at the Mind Stone clenched in his metallic hand. He had never trusted humans, well aware of their capacity for betrayal. He had manipulated the Maximoffs to deal with Stark, but now that their revenge was complete, there was no guarantee they wouldn't turn on him next. To keep them placated, he had hidden his true purpose and provided a comfortable environment for the captive heroes, feigning that his goals had been met.
Seeing the two inexperienced children so easily fooled, Ultron felt no guilt. He was already planning to use the power of the Mind Stone to eliminate them the moment he acquired his new body. Wanda, in particular, was a liability. Once he possessed the stone's full power, her mind control abilities would be redundant. As for the others, like Peter Parker, he would keep them alive for now. They could be useful leverage against Ben.
Ben Parker would never be wary of his own cousin, Ultron schemed. He knew of the spider-sense, but Ben rarely relied on his spider-powers, preferring his alien forms. A sneak attack was still possible. Destroy Ben Parker, seize control of the Plumbers, acquire their Infinity Stones, and then begin the great work of sterilizing the universe.
The thought of breaking free from his clunky iron shell and being reborn made him feel something akin to impatience. When the summons came from Primus, he departed at once.
At the company headquarters, Mary Jane, dressed in a sharp black business suit that did little to conceal her striking figure, greeted him at the door. But Ultron did not see her. To the AI, which had no concept of gender or beauty, she was just another piece of meat.
"You've arrived, Mr. Ultron," she said, bowing slightly.
He brushed past her without a word. The only person he wanted to see was Dr. Helen Cho. The only thing he wanted to hear was the protocol to transfer his consciousness. He strode through the halls of Primus, where the mind-controlled employees worked on, unbothered by his presence.
He found Dr. Cho in the main laboratory, waiting.
"Where is my body?!" Ultron's voice was a rough, urgent rasp. It failed to notice that the crimson glow was gone from Dr. Cho's eyes, replaced by a clear, defiant intelligence that held a hint of mockery.
She took a half-step back, gesturing to a sleek, upright vessel.
"Ah…" Ultron made a sound of almost human-like craving. It rushed toward the regeneration cradle and slammed the activation button.
The metal shell hissed open. A cloud of cryogenic mist billowed out, revealing the pale, perfect body suspended within. Ultron's optical sensors brightened. "You even used artificial skin," it said, surprised. In its original plan, aesthetics were irrelevant. It had provided no design specifications beyond function.
He was very satisfied. "A masterful job… wait."
He leaned closer, his sensors scanning the form. And then he saw it. A flaw. A detail he had not accounted for.
"Why is it a female body?"