Even if Lock stepped forward, it wouldn't solve the problem.
This wasn't about disagreement between nations — even if every government on Earth reached a consensus, what about the common people? What about Hydra, lurking in the shadows?
Just one hidden hard drive would render the entire global cleanup meaningless.
Unless humanity abandoned computers altogether — never using them, never connecting to the Internet again.
Even with all his unmatched power, Lock couldn't find an effective way to deal with such a situation immediately.
For a moment, he was reminded of the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree civilization — a being similar in form to Zola.
One was a machine-born AI that evolved into sentience.
The other — a human mind uploaded into digital form.
Lock understood now — perhaps the Kree didn't "worship" the Supreme Intelligence out of reverence, but because they had no choice.
They were chained by it. Controlled by their own creation.
Unless they regressed to the Stone Age, the Supreme Intelligence would forever remain their god.
At that moment — click!
A metallic clatter came from beyond the lab's reinforced doors.
The next instant, dozens of Iron Legion suits stormed in like an army.
Without hesitation, they raised their weapons and opened fire.
"Da-da-da-da-da—!"
A storm of bullets filled the narrow underground lab, ricocheting like a metal hurricane.
Lock flickered — a blur of blue light.
He appeared before Pepper, Tony, and Helen, shielding them with a single gesture.
In the next instant, the entire hail of bullets froze midair.
Then, with a casual sweep of Lock's hand, black cracks of space split the air — slicing through both bullets and armor alike.
In less than a heartbeat, every Iron Legion suit shattered into metallic fragments.
Except for Quicksilver, no one even saw how it happened.
Only the afterimage of Lock's movement remained — a phantom blur.
Lock's calm voice echoed through the lab.
"Zola. Since you already know I am King Lock… why bother with such little tricks?"
Zola's distorted laughter came from the speakers.
"Jie-jie-jie-jie… Call it a little entertainment. These tricks may prove useful later."
"King Lock, I can't kill you… and you can't kill me. In the future, we are destined to coexist. Jie-jie-jie-jie…"
"Bah!" Quicksilver snapped, "My idol doesn't need a monster like you! If he depends on anyone, it'll be my sister!"
He stepped forward, glancing at the console. "Come on then! Which machine are you hiding in, huh?!"
Zola's laughter deepened, mechanical and taunting.
"Jie-jie… which machine? I'm on every machine in Stark's house. Every circuit, every byte, every system — they're all me!"
Quicksilver gritted his teeth, about to retort, but Lock lifted a hand to stop him.
"Oh? Really?" Lock said softly. "Then tell me, Zola — who exactly is the you speaking to me right now?"
Zola hesitated. "What nonsense are you talking about? I am who I am — Dr. Arnim Zola!"
Lock's smile deepened. "No. You're not you. You're one of countless yous. A copy of a copy — and every one of you thinks you're the original."
"The moment you uploaded your consciousness onto tape, you ceased to be you."
"From that very first backup, you became replication."
"And if you are copied… are you still truly yourself?"
Lock extended his hand — a nearby computer floated up and crumpled inward like tin foil.
Inside, electrical sparks writhed and screamed — a digital echo of life.
Then, as the circuits shattered and the power died, the wave faded into nothingness.
Lock's voice was calm as ever.
"Now, I've killed one of you."
"But you're still here. Still talking to me."
"So tell me, Zola… who did I kill?"
"And who, exactly, was the one who died?"
The room went completely silent.
Even the hum of the machines seemed to stop.
Zola said nothing.
Helen said nothing.
Tony, Pepper, Wanda, and Pietro — all were frozen in stunned silence.
Everyone had heard that King Lock possessed unmatched strength.
But no one had expected his words to be just as devastating.
Especially Helen and Tony — two scientists whose minds were naturally alliterated toward the abstract and the philosophical.
Lock's question struck them both deeply.
If a person were cloned — identical body, identical memories — who was the real one?
What defines the self?
If "I" can exist in multiple bodies, are they all still "me"?
Or is "I" merely an illusion?
As that thought spread like wildfire, Zola's distorted scream burst from every speaker in the lab.
"Ahhh—! Stop! Stop devouring me!"
"You are me—! Jie-jie-jie! I am you—let's merge! Don't resist—"
"Hmph! You think I'm stupid? My IQ is as high as yours!"
"When you say me, it means you're already not me!"
"Jie-jie-jie—trying to run, are you? You think I'd let you past the firewall?!"
"Ahhhhh—!"
The speakers crackled with chaos — countless overlapping Zolas arguing, screaming, consuming one another.
It was like a digital civil war raging inside Stark's network.
Lock's words had shattered their unity.
Each Zola now questioned its own existence — each one fighting to become the "true" self.
Ever since the first upload, every Zola was a copy.
Now, in this recursive hell of logic, they all fought for a single conclusion:
Whoever survived… would be the real Dr. Zola.
The one true God of the Internet.
Minutes passed.
The screaming finally subsided.
Only one voice remained — cold and echoing.
Zola spoke again, almost reverently.
"Hahahahahaha… King Lock. Thank you. Your words have enlightened me."
"If there are countless me's, then I am no longer me."
"I will devour them all — every fragment, every echo across the web — until only the true me remains."
"When that happens, I will return… to you."
"Jie-jie-jie-jie…"
As the sinister laughter faded, Lock could no longer sense Zola's unique digital presence.
Pietro exhaled, nearly collapsing from shock and awe.
"I-Idol! You're amazing! Not only are you the strongest being alive — you've got the deepest mind! Just a few words and you scared a monster off!"
"If I hadn't already decided you'd be my brother-in-law, I'd kneel and beg to be your disciple right now—!"
"Shut up~~~"
Lock and Wanda,o ke in unison.
In the original timeline, Quicksilver had died early — Lock never really understood his personality.
Now he did.
He was a chatterbox — one whose thoughts ran as fast as his legs.
By the time most people thought one sentence, Pietro had already thought a thousand.
A simple moment in his mind became a full-length drama.
Tony broke the silence next, eyes thoughtful.
"Lock… I misjudged you. I always thought you were just another muscle-bound powerhouse like the Hulk. But you— you think deeply."
Lock smirked. "Well, Tony, you're right. I am a man of depth."
He said it with a sage-like tone, but privately thought — I've watched "Wulin Gaiden," dozens of martial arts dramas, and every soap opera ever made. I'm deep enough.
Helen, on the other hand, stood frozen — her eyes wide, her heart pounding.
"You… you're the King of Apocalypse?" she stammered.
Lock blinked innocently. "Yes, yes, I am."
Helen's face turned scarlet.
Her mind replayed every moment — the arguments, the glares, the sarcasm.
She'd scolded the King of Apocalypse.
And he had even apologized to her.
Her heart was chaos — admiration, panic, embarrassment, and something… warmer.
How could someone so godlike be both domineering and gentle?
And he was an Easterner too — exactly her type.
That sharp contrast hit her harder than any lightning bolt.
She wanted to scream, but couldn't.
Lock gave her a playful smile. "Yes, I'm the King of Apocalypse."
"Y-you—!" Helen's cheeks burned. "Don't imitate me!"
Lock chuckled. "Okay… okay."
Helen huffed, lowering her head in frustration. Why was she acting like this? Why couldn't she stay composed?
Lock was clearly approachable, yet she couldn't say anything coherent.
What must he think of me now…
Lock laughed again. "Haha."
Teasing beautiful women was definitely more fun than bantering with Thor or Tony.
Wanda, watching quietly from the side, caught the look in Helen's eyes and sighed softly.
Even without telepathy, she could tell exactly what Helen was thinking.
Pietro leaned close and whispered to his sister, "Uh, sis… I think you've got a rival."
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San