"Shit!"
Stark's curse came through the comms, proof he had just taken a heavy hit.
"Careful!"
Hawkeye cried, yanking the Quinjet upward.
Orange beams of energy shot past, scorching the air.
Below, buildings crumbled under the assault as countless drones swarmed into the sky to pursue them.
But the most frightening were the towering machines nearly ten meters tall—
The Hunter II units!
Not the original Hunters designed against Saitama, but upgraded second-generation models perfected by Ultron with stolen Hydra data.
Huge bodies, alloy shields, bristling with weapons. Their strongest attack—those orange beams of destructive energy.
"Destroyer energy?!"
Thor's eyes widened.
No one knew the Destroyer better than him.
That was the enchanted armor that once guarded Asgard's vault.
But these machines… their energy output had reached that same terrifying level!
"Damn it! How did Asgardian tech fall into Ultron's hands?"
Thor growled, gripping Mjolnir as he dove down.
Hawkeye didn't waste time. He pulled the Quinjet to safety and found a landing zone, dropping off Steve, Natasha, and the others.
"Heh, not bad… you actually managed to blast me away. Your firepower's decent."
High above, Stark hovered, battered but grinning.
"Veronica, I need you."
"Yes, Mr. Stark. Veronica incoming."
Far above Earth—
A satellite shifted form, spewing fire as it hurtled downward.
This was a precaution J.A.R.V.I.S. himself had once advised:
When facing the Hulk, even he had felt threatened.
So he suggested Stark build… the Hulkbuster armor.
Veronica was its support platform.
Packed with modular armor, orbiting in geostationary position, ready to reinforce Stark at any time.
With the command given—
Streaks of fire fell from the heavens.
Components rained down, clamping onto Stark piece by piece.
Clank—clank—clank—
Until he stood transformed, clad in towering steel.
The Hulkbuster.
"Heh, now it's my turn."
Though shorter than the ten-meter Hunter II, his massive, compact frame was like a cannonball.
He slammed into one of the machines head-on, his massive fists smashing down.
Crunch—crunch—
The Hunter II warped under the blows.
As for the regular drones, they were nothing. One stomp crushed dozens like insects.
Meanwhile, Natasha, Steve, and the others exchanged awkward glances.
Stark was growing stronger and stronger.
Compared to him, they really felt like supporting cast.
"Hahaha! How's that? I built this armor for Banner, but it works great on these tin cans too!"
Even while locked in brutal combat, Stark found time to brag.
Hawkeye: "..."
Natasha: "..."
Steve: "I don't think this show-off should be allowed to exist. We should take him out."
"Agreed."
"+1."
"This world can't tolerate this kind of blowhard."
A chorus of silent complaints.
"For the glory of the North God!!"
Thor's furious roar split the air as a bolt of lightning obliterated a Hunter II instantly.
He landed beside Stark, Mjolnir crackling.
"Need a hand, friend?"
Stark: "... Damn it."
He couldn't even show off in peace. Around Thor, even bragging was stressful.
Saitama, arms folded, watched calmly.
The Hunter IIs had indeed improved.
But the data was clear—they were still no match for Stark and Thor.
"I'll leave this to you. I'm going after Ultron."
He said casually. Before anyone could respond, his body turned into a flash of blue lightning and vanished.
"So fast…"
"He's gone again? Well, he's the best one to handle Ultron."
"Let's clear these drones quickly, then back him up."
"Oh right, Thor. I've always wondered—why do you, with all your thunder power, fly slower than Saitama?"
Steve asked, half-curious.
Thor shot him a glare.
"What's wrong with me liking to walk?"
Dr. Helen Cho's lab.
The transfer between Vision and Ultron was almost complete.
99%…
100%!
Done.
Everyone held their breath—Wanda, Pietro, Helen Cho—staring at the body on the table.
Seconds ticked by.
Finally—
Vision's eyes opened. Red pupils, filled with bloodlust.
Exactly like Ultron.
"The perfect body."
He raised his hand, admiring himself like a work of art.
Then clenched his fist.
Ultron's old body crumbled like candy, collapsing into scrap metal.
Faces paled.
This wasn't the birth of a wise being—
It was the rise of a tyrant.
"You… you succeeded?"
Wanda stammered, unsure whether to feel joy or dread.
But something felt wrong.
"Ultron, why were your machines attacking the city? You promised not to harm ordinary people! Our target was only the superheroes! You owe us an answer!!"
Pietro dashed outside and back in an instant, furious.
"Why, Ultron?!"
Wanda's heart shook too.
They had wanted revenge, yes. But they were still good at heart. They had joined Ultron because they believed he would bring peace.
But this wasn't what they agreed to.
Boom—
A golden beam shot from Vision-Ultron's forehead, blasting Pietro across the room, slamming him into the wall.
"Were you… talking to me, Pietro?"
Vision-Ultron rose slowly, a cruel smile on his lips.
(End of Chapter)
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