Loki leaned back on the sofa, teacup in hand, with a faint, mocking smile. "You said it's 'nearly complete,' meaning it isn't finished yet?"
Tony nodded. "Final stages. Banner and I have already overcome the core algorithmic issues; now it's just a matter of final integration testing. If all goes well, it'll be online within a few weeks."
Banner added from the side, his tone much more cautious than Tony's. "Theoretically, it's feasible. However, the autonomous consciousness of an Artificial Intelligence is a very delicate thing; we need to handle it with extreme care."
Thor scratched his head. "This... Artificial Intelligence you're talking about, what exactly is it?"
Tony looked at him, his expression somewhat surprised. "You don't know what Artificial Intelligence is?"
Thor replied matter-of-factly, "Why should I? I am the God of Thunder, not a... what was it called again?"
"A Programmer," Loki said for him.
"Right, right!" Thor nodded. "I am not a Programmer."
Tony's mouth twitched, and he turned to look at Banner. "You explain it."
Banner thought for a moment and used the simplest language possible: "Artificial Intelligence is about giving a machine the ability to think like a human. It can learn, judge, and make decisions. Jarvis is a type of AI, but he doesn't have true'self-awareness.' Ultron is different; Ultron will have his own thoughts, his own goals, and his own—will."
Thor's expression became somewhat subtle. "Its own will? Then what if it wants to do bad things?"
Tony waved his hand. "It won't. Its core directive is to protect Earth. It's impossible for it to violate its own nature."
Loki chuckled softly. "Are you sure? You think you can control an entity with an independent will?"
Tony looked at him, a trace of displeasure in his eyes. "Your Highness Loki, do you have some misunderstanding regarding human technology?"
Loki shrugged. "No misunderstanding. I've just seen too many stories of 'the creator being consumed by the creation.' In the legends of Asgard, such things are commonplace."
Tony snorted. "Those are myths; this is science."
The corners of Loki's mouth curled slightly. "Is there a difference?"
Tony opened his mouth to retort, but just then—
The communicator he was carrying suddenly emitted a sharp alarm.
Tony's face changed instantly.
"Jarvis?" he called out.
"Sir, something is wrong..."
"Jarvis?!" Tony's voice became urgent as he reached up to press the comms unit in his ear, but there was only harsh static and intermittent noise.
Banner stood up, his face also becoming solemn. "Tony, what's happening?"
"An anomaly has been detected; Ultron is attempting to ascend past the system defenses..."
"Ultron... has malfunctioned, it is... trying to consume me..."
Banner's pupils contracted sharply: "What?"
Tony suddenly stood up and rushed toward the door.
"Tony—" Banner wanted to say something, but Tony had already sprinted out of the living room.
A crisp metallic clanging came from the yard—the sound of Tony donning his suit.
Then came a roar as a red-and-gold figure soared into the sky, vanishing into the afternoon clouds.
The living room fell silent for a few seconds.
Thor looked in the direction Tony had disappeared.
"Has something really gone wrong?" Thor said somewhat innocently. "I was just joking earlier, it's not my fault!"
Loki watched Tony's receding figure. "Will he be alright going alone?"
Banner stood by the window, looking at the sky with a heavy expression.
"I don't know. Jarvis is his core system; if Ultron really is consuming Jarvis..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
But everyone understood his meaning—it meant the Guardian Tony had created had already spun out of control.
Mavuika set down her teacup and stood up. "Banner, you said just now that Ultron's core directive is to protect Earth?"
Banner nodded.
"Then why would it want to consume Jarvis?"
Banner remained silent; he didn't know the answer either.
Thor also stood up. "Big sister, should we go take a look?"
Mavuika thought for a moment and nodded. "Let's go see. If something has happened, we can lend him a hand."
Loki set down his teacup, stood up, and straightened his collar. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Mavuika turned to head out, but just then, a voice came from behind her.
"Wait a moment."
Wanda stood up from the sofa, and Pietro followed suit.
She looked at Mavuika. In those brown eyes, there was still lingering anger, but there was also something else—a complex, struggling light.
"We're going too," she said.
Mavuika looked at her.
Wanda didn't explain. Pietro stood beside her, arms crossed over his chest, his tone cold.
"We're not going to help him. We just want to see what kind of trouble Stark has manufactured this time."
Banner's expression was a bit awkward, but he didn't say anything.
Mavuika looked at Wanda and Pietro for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Fine, then we'll all go together."
She turned and walked toward the door as golden-red flames rose from beneath her feet, enveloping her body.
Thor shouldered Mjolnir, lightning crackling around him.
Loki raised his hand, green magic light dancing at his fingertips as his body began to turn transparent—not disappearing, but a form of rapid-movement magic.
Dark red light glowed from Wanda's hands as her body slowly lifted off the ground.
Chaos Magic supported her like invisible wings.
Pietro stood beside her, leaning forward slightly, prepared to sprint; his speed was enough to keep up with anyone.
Banner stood in the living room, watching these people reveal their extraordinary powers one by one, suddenly feeling a bit redundant.
"I... I think I'll just drive there," he said.
Thor looked back at him and grinned. "No need! I'll take you."
Banner instinctively felt something was wrong, but before he could refuse, Thor had already stepped forward and grabbed Banner's arm.
With a swing of Mjolnir, the hammer carried both of them into the sky.
Leaving behind only Banner's screams, which gradually dissipated in the wind.
Mavuika hovered over the garden, her long golden-red hair fluttering in the wind. She looked at Wanda and Pietro, a warm light in her amber eyes.
"Let's go," she said.
She turned into a golden-red stream of light and soared into the sky.
Wanda hovered in the air, watching the receding streams of light and taking a deep breath.
She had never flown such a long distance using Chaos Magic before, but today, she didn't want to be left behind.
Enveloped in dark red light, she gave chase.
Pietro stood in the garden, looking at the four lights in the sky, and stretched his legs.
Then he took a deep breath, and his body turned into a silver-white bolt of lightning, racing across the ground.
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150 POWER STONE = BONUS CHAPTER
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