Inside the Quinjet, the atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Everyone, including Wanda and Pietro, who had been full of hatred just moments ago, looked at Tel-Roar as if he were an alien creature.
Well, he was indeed an alien.
But the way they were looking at him now suggested he was an alien whose brain structure might be different from Earthlings.
Tony Stark finally couldn't hold back.
He crossed his arms and walked up to Tel-Roar.
"I say, muscle-brain."
"Do you know what physics is?"
"A city falling from the sky, that's kinetic energy, also called momentum."
"It's not a discus that you can just catch with your hand."
Tel-Roar blinked his big eyes and asked seriously,
"Physics?"
"That's your Earthling stuff, right?"
"In the worlds I've encountered, whoever has the biggest fist is physics."
Tony's temple began to throb.
"I'm not kidding with you!"
"That thing falling will smash through the continental shelf! Where are you going to stand to catch it?"
"Are you planning to turn yourself into a human nail and drive yourself straight into the Earth's core?"
Tel-Roar thought about it seriously for a moment.
"Drive into the Earth's core?"
"No, that won't do, it's too hot."
Tony covered his face; he didn't want to talk anymore.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist taking off his armor and smashing it piece by piece onto this bastard's face.
Steve sighed, walked over, and patted Tony's shoulder.
"Tony, calm down."
Then he turned to Tel-Roar, his tone as gentle as possible.
"Tel-Roar, we understand your idea."
"But this plan is too risky."
"We can't put all our hopes on an uncertain method."
Tel-Roar pouted.
"Whatever, you guys plan it, I'll take care of the strongest one."
"Just get it done."
Everyone in the cabin heard his muttering clearly.
Clint whispered to Natasha,
"I take back what I said earlier, this guy isn't an intelligent being."
Natasha ignored him, instead looking at Tel-Roar with interest.
"Do you really think you can catch it?"
Tel-Roar puffed out his chest.
"Of course!"
"I haven't even tried to find my strength limit yet."
Natasha asked again,
"Then what posture are you planning to use to catch it?"
"A bridal carry?"
Tel-Roar's eyes narrowed.
"That's a good suggestion!"
"But the city is too big, a bridal carry might not be convenient."
On the other side, the Maximoff siblings, seeing the Avengers' internal "team building" for the first time, were completely dumbfounded.
Pietro leaned into Wanda's ear, speaking in a hushed tone,
"Sis, did we get on the wrong ship?"
"Are these people... reliable?"
"That muscle man, is his brain really okay?"
Wanda frowned, not answering.
She was also questioning everything.
Before, in her eyes, the Avengers were Stark Industries' lackeys, cold war machines.
Now she found that this seemed to be a patient exchange meeting at a mental hospital.
Especially that man named Tel-Roar.
His way of thinking was completely beyond her comprehension.
Steve, with a headache, interrupted everyone's nonsense.
"Alright! Everyone, stop talking!"
"Friday, project the map of Sokovia and Ultron's troop deployment."
"We must formulate a battle plan."
The holographic projection in the center of the cabin lit up.
A three-dimensional map of Sokovia appeared before everyone, marked with dense red dots.
"Ultron's robot forces have already controlled all city exits."
Steve pointed at the map.
"Our primary mission is to evacuate all civilians before the city ascends."
"Clint, Natasha, you two are responsible for organizing the ground evacuation."
Tony continued,
"I'll fly to the city center and find the core of that ascension device."
"I'll try to destroy it from the inside."
"But Ultron will definitely be guarding it with its vibranium body."
Steve looked at Tel-Roar.
"Tel-Roar, Ultron's main body... is yours."
"Only you can hold it off head-on."
Tel-Roar, who had been idly gazing out the window, perked up when he heard his name.
"Hold it off?"
"Aren't I supposed to dismantle it into parts?"
Tony rolled his eyes.
"If you can dismantle it, I'll give you all my armors as toys!"
Tel-Roar's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"You promise?"
"Then you all get out of the way, that tin can is mine!"
He cracked his knuckles, making a series of popping sounds.
Watching his eager, ready-to-fight demeanor, Wanda and Pietro both felt a chill down their spines.
The battle plan was mostly discussed, and Tel-Roar became idle again.
He slyly approached Wanda.
Wanda's body stiffened, and red light began to emanate from her palms again.
"What do you want?"
Tel-Roar stared curiously at the red light in her hand.
"That red thing of yours is quite pretty."
"Did you use that to mess with my brain just now?"
Wanda looked at him warily.
"What if I did?"
Tel-Roar stroked his chin, a thoughtful look on his face.
"It felt... like taking a warm bath, cozy and quite comfortable."
"It's just that the scenes were too boring, all collapsing houses and crying people."
"Next time, can we have something more exciting?"
"Like... giant monsters fighting or something?"
Wanda's face darkened.
Insult!
This was blatant insult!
Her chaos magic was enough to make the strongest agents mentally collapse, seeing their deepest fears.
Yet, to this man, it was like watching a hypnotic art film?
"You!"
Wanda's chest heaved with anger, and the red light in her hands intensified.
A mental force stronger than before rushed towards Tel-Roar.
Tel-Roar stood his ground, not dodging.
He even closed his eyes, looking as if he was enjoying it.
"Yes, yes, that's the intensity!"
"Push harder! I'm feeling it!"
A few seconds later, Wanda let out a soft "poof," her face turning pale, and Pietro quickly supported her.
She looked at Tel-Roar as if he were a monster.
There was simply no emotion called "fear" in his mind.
Tel-Roar opened his eyes, smacked his lips, still a little unsatisfied.
"That's it?"
"Too short, Little Red Riding Hood."
"Your stamina isn't good enough."
Pietro supported the weakened Wanda, glaring at Tel-Roar.
"Stay away from my sister!"
Tel-Roar shrugged.
"Fine, how boring."
Tel-Roar fell silent.
Just then, red lights flashed in the cabin, and the alarm sounded again.
Friday's voice came through.
"Warning, intense geological activity detected in Sokovia."
"The city... is ascending!"
Everyone's expressions changed, and they rushed to the portholes.
Below, Sokovia City, the ground was cracking, and countless buildings collapsed amidst the tremors.
The entire city was being forcibly torn from the ground by an indescribable power, slowly rising into the sky!
On the large screen in the cabin, Ultron's face, formed by data streams, appeared.
Its voice, transmitted through the global network, reached every corner of the world.
"Do you see?"
"A city, flying into the sky."
"This is a miracle."
"And I! will be your new god."
"After destruction, true peace will descend."
As soon as the words fell, the Quinjet violently jolted.
Tel-Roar snorted, and the white aura around him began to flicker uncontrollably.
He stared at the continuously ascending city below, a grin spreading across his face.
"It really can fly."