The moment the spiritual circle fused into the center of Soren's brow, a surge of immense power coursed through his mind.
His already formidable mental strength, far beyond that of ordinary men, rose transcending to an entirely new level.
His control over the world around him becoming almost absolute. He could feel the delicate vibrations in the air, the flow of energy within matter, even the faint thoughts that shimmered across the horizon of his consciousness.
The torrent of mental energy poured into him in continuous waves, and Soren couldn't help but release a sigh of satisfaction. But as the flow continued, the once-roaring tide began to slow, the Mind Gem's energy tapering off as Soren's spirit reached its limit.
A sense of saturation settled over him, an instinctive warning.
Enough, his mind whispered.
One step further, and your soul will fracture.
Soren withdrew, stabilizing his breath.
Even this unexpected gain was beyond what he had imagined. His thoughts flickered toward a question that had lingered since the beginning, could this new bond with the Mind Gem allow him to enter the consciousness of other beings, to manipulate or reshape their spirits from within?
He focused, experimenting carefully.
His mind brushed against the Gem's radiance, attempting to extend his awareness into the mental plane.
Yet, after several attempts, he realized the truth, the spiritual circle he had created was not the true method to unlock the Gem's full potential. It amplified and refined power, yes, but it could not yet channel the Mind Gem's essence perfectly.
Still, its utility was undeniable. With this new enhancement, restricting Ultron's digital consciousness from escaping into the network would be almost effortless.
Soren leaned back, collecting his thoughts. After a brief break, Soren sent a text message.
'Tony, any word on Ultron?'
The reply came swiftly. 'Nothing yet. Should we~'
"Stupid." Soren muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
The inefficiency of Tony and the others was beginning to wear on him. Without another word, he teleported, space bending around him straight to the Avengers' base.
The moment he appeared, the security systems erupted into chaos.
"Damn it! J.A.R.V.I.S., shut that thing off!" Tony's voice rang out over the comms. "It's giving me a headache!"
When the alarms finally ceased, the team turned to find Soren standing in the center of the operations deck, faint energy still rippling around him.
"Everyone." He said with a small, knowing smile, "Get ready. Three minutes. We're going after Ultron."
His tone left no room for argument. Excitement spread through the group. They didn't need to ask how Soren knew, they trusted that he did.
Within minutes, the Avengers were geared up and aboard a massive Quinjet, streaking across the skies. The engines roared as the aircraft tore through the clouds.
"Destination?" Tony asked, hands flying across the controls.
"Sokovia."
Ultron's body was now in Soren's hands. But that didn't mean the threat had ended. To complete his so-called "mission," Ultron would surely begin his next move.
His plan was as mad as it was catastrophic, lift Sokovia into the sky… and then let it fall. A man-made meteor, powerful enough to wipe out all life below.
The Avengers wasted no time. The world blurred beneath them as they raced toward Eastern Europe. Within minutes, the city of Sokovia appeared below, a fragile island of lights trembling beneath the storm clouds.
Soren closed his eyes, allowing the world around him to fade into silence. His consciousness drifted downward, piercing through layers of stone and steel until it touched the pulse beneath the city.
There, deep underground… a powerful vibration unlike anything else on Earth. The frequency was distinct.
Vibranium.
He could sense entire veins of it woven beneath Sokovia like the roots of some metallic beast. Ultron's handiwork. The remnants of Vibranium he had stolen to craft his perfect body had been reshaped into something vast.
Though Soren could feel the outlines of Ultron's work, the precise nature of the machine eluded him.
Its complexity was staggering, its structure buried beneath layers of interference. It was like trying to trace the shadow of a storm beneath the sea.
He opened his eyes, frowning slightly. The quiet city below stretched out under the clouds, unaware of the doom festering beneath its streets.
In the original timeline, he knew what was supposed to happen, the Avengers had tried to evacuate civilians before Ultron lifted the entire city into the air.
But this time, there was no luxury of time. Ultron's plan was already in motion.
Soren pressed his fingers to his temple, thinking fast. Then it struck him.
He didn't need to physically reach Ultron's army to find them.
He had the Mind Gem.
While he had yet to master its full depth, unable to truly invade and dominate another's consciousness, he had built something close a spiritual lattice that could channel the Gem's raw power.
Through it, he could project his mind outward, touching thousands of minds at once… guiding them, bending them, controlling them.
His lips curved faintly. "So that's how it is."
He turned toward Tony, who was piloting the cloaked Quinjet high above the city.
"Don't land." Soren ordered quietly. "Ultron and his army are buried beneath the city hiding. If we move too soon, he'll know we're here."
Tony frowned, fingers hesitating over the controls. "He's underground?"
"Everywhere." Soren replied. "And nowhere you can see."
Though confusion flickered across the team's faces, Tony trusted the tone of certainty in Soren's voice. He engaged the Quinjet's full cloaking field.
The aircraft shimmered and disappeared into the clouds.
Soren turned back to the cityscape below.
Slowly, a soft golden light began to bloom at the center of his forehead. The Mind Gem flared to life, its brilliance radiating through the dim cabin.
Intricate magical sigils unfurled from his brow, glowing lines of arcane geometry that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
In an instant, that energy flowed inward, threading itself through his spirit. His aura expanded pressing against the very edge of perception.
Tony, Natasha, and Steve exchanged uncertain glances as the air around them seemed to shimmer.