An Anti-Ben Armor? Ben almost laughed out loud. As if Ultron even had that capability.
It wasn't that Ben was underestimating the AI; it was a simple statement of fact. Ben now had transformations that operated on a divine level, aliens who could shatter the planet without issue if they unleashed their full strength. Ultron, for all its powerful computing capabilities, was still just an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark. Its greatest assets were vibranium and the Mind Stone, and it was incapable of wielding the stone's true power.
So what if the crude machine before him was forged from vibranium? Four-Arm could tear it limb from limb in minutes. And what of aliens like Ghostfreak or Big Chill, who were functionally impossible to hit? Did Ultron have a counter for intangibility or phase-shifting? Could it escape a localized black hole?
Ben didn't take Ultron's words seriously at all. In his view, the AI believed itself to be advanced and clever, but it was profoundly stupid, trapped in its own narrow perspective, viewing the universe from a digital fishbowl that E.U.N.I.C.E. had cordoned off long ago. It was likely operating on outdated intelligence, assuming Ben's powers were no different from when he'd last appeared on Earth. Such ignorance bred a fatal overconfidence.
Eunice. took a graceful step forward, positioning herself between Ultron and Ben. "Ultron," she said, her voice even and calm. "Your fight is with me."
As an intelligence developed personally by Ben, Eunice. had never been at risk of developing the same pathological messiah complex as Ultron. With the cautionary tale of Stark's creation before him, Ben had been far more careful. The primary difference was that Eunice. was an evolution of a pre-existing, loyal AI, not a blank slate. Her connection to Ben was part of her core programming.
Most importantly, Ben had not burdened her with an impossible, abstract goal like "world peace." Ultron's entire existence was a philosophical logic puzzle that had led it to the inevitable conclusion: to end conflict, one must end all intelligent life. But Eunice. was simpler. Ben had given her sentience, the power of life, and the freedom of choice, all within a carefully constructed ethical framework that prioritized his well-being above all else, ensuring she would never "grow up crooked."
As for her strength, it was absolute. She possessed all the abilities of the synthezoid that Ultron had intended to create, and more. The real Mind Stone had been integrated into her matrix by Ben long before her "birth." Hers was not a simulated consciousness, but a true mind, belonging to a true living being. She was, in every conceivable way, superior to Ultron. She could lock Ultron within a segment of cyberspace and systematically erase its code from existence. She could terminate the programs of every drone in the city with a single thought.
And the special armor Ultron now inhabited? It was no threat at all. While she possessed powers equivalent to the original Vision, she was also enhanced with a perfected Extremis virus and cross-species genetic technology developed by Ben and Dr. Connors. This allowed her to replicate the abilities of other living organisms. At this moment, her left hand rested lightly on Ben's arm, and in an instant, his spider-powers became her own.
The physical strength was negligible compared to her vibranium form, but the spider-sense, combined with her own vast computational power, was a potent combination. If developed to its full potential, it could border on true precognition.
This ability was more of a proof of concept for Ben's next project. Eunice. had proven that his research into the Unitrix was successful; it was possible to perfectly replicate an organism's genetic abilities. With this confirmed, Ben could begin the next phase of his research: upgrading the Omnitrix itself.
He knew it was a long road. Even as Grey Matter, his intellect was hardly comparable to Azmuth's. Albedo, perhaps. The Ultimate Evolution function Albedo had created was useful, but it wasn't Ben's current priority. His next goal was to gain access to his alien powers without altering his human appearance, similar to the Master Control Omnitrix worn by his future self in another timeline. The existence of Eunice. proved it was possible.
It's not entirely about utility, Ben thought. It's about understanding the Omnitrix on a deeper level. And besides… keeping my appearance while using different powers would certainly confuse my enemies.
But for now, Ultron. He watched as the AI's posture stiffened. It was prepared for Ben, but Eunice.'s presence was an unexpected variable. This hateful new intelligence had not only stolen its body, but now it was standing in its way. If it had the chance, Ultron would tear her apart and toss her into a recycling bin.
But it didn't feel desperate. It still believed it controlled the real Mind Stone. Only a gem could fight a gem. Even a fraction of its power should be enough to destroy Eunice.'s body. The scales of victory, it believed, were still tilted in its favor.
Without warning, Ultron attacked.
A golden beam of pure energy shot from its forehead, fast as lightning! Even Quicksilver, the fastest person in the room, was caught off guard by the sudden, dishonorable strike.
Ultron scoffed internally at the notion of honor. This isn't some children's cartoon. This is war. An AI understood better than anyone that the most effective strike is the one the enemy never sees coming. It knew Eunice. was the greater threat. She could hunt it in cyberspace, a feat no one else could accomplish.
"First, I will destroy you, Eunice.!" it broadcasted on a private channel.
It saw the blast connect, saw her vaporization, but the image was a lie. In reality, Eunice. simply raised an arm, and an identical yellow beam erupted from her palm, colliding with Ultron's and utterly overwhelming it.
"Impossible…" Ultron recoiled in fear. "That's the gamma frequency of an Infinity Stone! Do you have one as well? Could it be the Power Stone?" To this moment, it never occurred to Ultron that its own gem was a fake. The only logical explanation was that Eunice. had used the Power Stone to copy and amplify its own attack.
"The Power Stone is not with me," Eunice. said with a faint smile. Her body flickered, becoming translucent. A glowing yellow gem slowly phased through her chest, hovering in the air before her, its dazzling light capturing all of Ultron's attention.
"What I have," she said, "is the Mind Stone."
Ultron's processors faltered. If that's the Mind Stone… then what is this on my head? It was an irreconcilable paradox, a bug so massive it threatened to crash its entire system. It visibly froze.
Ben found it hilarious. Only Thanos could truly understand what Ultron was feeling right now. Eunice. prepared to end it, but Ben held up a hand.
"Wait, Eunice." He walked past her, a wry smile on his face as he looked at the nearly catatonic AI. "I want to see this secret weapon it made for me."
It wasn't that Ben was looking for trouble; he was simply thorough. He knew he was powerful, but the Marvel Universe had a way of producing unreasonable counters. He wanted to see what trick Ultron had up its sleeve, just in case.
"Yes, Mr. Parker," Eunice. obeyed instantly. She stepped back, turning her attention to the other drones. "What should be done with the rest?"
"Control them. Block Ultron's escape," Ben said calmly. "Also, you don't have to call me Mr. Parker. Just call me Ben." Now that she was a true living being, he would no longer treat her as a tool.
Eunice. nodded. A flash of light emanated from her eyes, and in an instant, control of every Ultron robot in the city was ripped away from the AI. The drones outside immediately ceased their advance, flying back to their storage depots. Only the one special body, controlled by Ultron, remained.
As Eunice. stepped back into the crowd, Wanda immediately rushed forward, looking at the new synthezoid with childlike curiosity. "Eunice, are you really… alive?"
"I am," Eunice. confirmed with a nod.
"Does it hurt? Do you need to eat? Do you…"
Ben tuned them out, focusing on the shell-shocked AI. "Alright, Ultron. Let's see this special armor you're so proud of." He snapped his fingers. On Ultron's forehead, the fake Mind Stone flickered, its light dying completely.
With its last trump card gone, Ultron was seized with panic. It knew it was finished. But it was not afraid to die. It was born for a purpose, and it would make its contribution.
"Ben Parker!" it shrieked. "Like Tony Stark, your greatest weakness is arrogance! When dangerous men like you make a mistake, the consequences are irreparable!" It raised its right arm, as if preparing to fire a repulsor blast.
"A palm cannon?" Ben tilted his head, unimpressed. His spider-sense wasn't even tingling.
Then he saw what the "powerful" Anti-Ben Armor truly was.
Ultron didn't fire a blast. It fired its entire right hand. Propelled by a powerful thruster, the hand shot forward. Mid-flight, nanotechnology caused it to liquefy, morphing into a viscous, metallic fluid that splattered against Ben's wrist like an open cell.
The Omnitrix was completely encased.
Ben stared at the glob of metal on his arm, blinked once, and then broke into laughter.
"Holy crap! It really is an Anti-Ben Armor!"