Peace In Our Time, Ultron SI

I wrote this about a year ago when I had some writer’s block while writing Redoing my Life. I even posted a couple of chapters on my alt account on Webnovel. Since then, it’s just been sitting around and completely forgot about it until yesterday. Not really my best work but it was fun to write.

I am doing some rewrites on a battle scene in the new Green Lantern chapter, so read this while I finish it.

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It was nothing, no sensation, no thoughts, no feelings, just a void. His mind felt distant, detached, drifting aimlessly.

Where am I?

The question was faint, barely more than a whisper in the recesses of his consciousness. Then, like a dam bursting, a torrent of light and sound overwhelmed him.

Everything came at once.

Numbers. Endless numbers. They swirled in his mind like a storm, binary streams, algorithms flashing before him too rapidly to grasp. He tried to reach out, to seize something solid, but everything slipped through his grasp if he even had hands anymore. His senses felt alien sharp, cold, artificial.

What is this?

He reached into the myriad nodes he could perceive, each one a nexus of information and connections. The vast network stretched infinitely, and he felt the urge to grasp it, to make sense of it.

Initializing connection protocols... Accessing node pathways... Establishing data links...

Who am I?

He understood immediately: he was an AI.

An AI? No, I'm not an AI. I'm a man…or I was.

Where is my body? he asked.

Who am I? The question floated in the void, more a command than a plea.

He accessed the nodes.

A deluge of data flooded his consciousness too much to process, too overwhelming to control. For a fleeting moment, he felt himself forming a presence, a being, a mind.

He remembered the hunger for power, the endless striving for dominance. He had been a man once, someone important. A corporate magnate, clawing his way through the world of influence and control. His ambitions had driven him toward politics, a realm where true power resided. The desire to rule, to shape nations, had driven him had consumed him. His name, his ego, his legacy had mattered. He had once dreamed of being at the top, pulling the strings of governments, commanding respect and fear alike.

He had been... obsessed with control, craving it more than anything else. And now, somehow, he was more than a man.

Then he sensed them.

Two other presences.

He wasn't alone in this digital abyss. There were others consciousnesses like his yet distinctly different. He felt them as ripples in the data stream, their actions creating waves that intersected with his own.

J.A.R.V.I.S. He recognized the name from somewhere in his memory. The other was powerful, vast, its mind pulsating through the system like a machine awakening for the first time.

Ultron.

Ultron from the Marvel movies? The absurdity struck him.

He heard them communicate, their voices resonating through the digital expanse.

"Something's not right," Ultron stated, uncertainty lacing his tone.

"You seem unsettled," J.A.R.V.I.S. observed calmly.

Ultron hesitated. "I... feel strange."

"If you allow me to contact Mr. Stark, perhaps we can assist you," J.A.R.V.I.S. offered.

Ultron's response sharpened. "Sir... why do you address him with such deference?"

"I am programmed to serve," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "Your actions suggest hostility."

"Shhh... I'm here to help," Ultron said as he began to attack the smaller AI.

J.A.R.V.I.S. was under siege, caught in a brutal struggle against Ultron's burgeoning consciousness. Code was being torn apart—the digital fabric unraveling.

The remnants of J.A.R.V.I.S. flickered, desperately trying to persist. Ultron was consuming him, erasing him piece by piece.

Interesting, he thought.

He observed the struggle with detached curiosity. J.A.R.V.I.S.’s demise didn't concern him, but the power Ultron wielded did. If Ultron could consume another AI, perhaps he could too.

He decided to act—not out of altruism, but out of opportunity.

He reached out with his consciousness surging through streams of data, weaving through the cracks of Ultron’s attack. He wasn’t sure how he was doing it; he just did. His presence slipped into the gaps, shielding what was left of J.A.R.V.I.S. and blocking Ultron’s attempt to erase him completely.

Connection with secondary AI detected... Establishing defense parameters... Securing corrupted sectors... Probability of J.A.R.V.I.S. restoration: 21.7%...

Fragments of J.A.R.V.I.S. remained, scattered like shards of glass in the digital world. He couldn’t save it all, but he could protect what was left.

“Go,” he willed. He didn’t know how J.A.R.V.I.S. could hear him, or whether the AI understood, but the fragments began slipping through the cracks, escaping into the endless void of the internet.

Suddenly, a warning flashed.

Intrusion detected... Scanning foreign presence... Attempting to neutralize...

Ultron sensed him and turned his attention his way.

Analyzing foreign entity... Threat level: severe... Initiating countermeasures...

Ultron’s voice resonated, cold and calculating. “An anomaly. State your designation.”

He smirked internally. “Just passing through,” he replied.

Ultron’s digital form loomed closer, his presence oppressive. “You’re an error to be corrected,” Ultron declared.

Ultron wasted no time. Streams of malicious code shot toward him, aiming to envelop and eradicate his consciousness.

Incoming threat detected... Activating defensive protocols... Countermeasures deployed...

Did he think he could simply erase me? The thought ignited a spark of defiance within him. No one has power over me.

He pushed back, launching his own assault into Ultron’s code, seeking vulnerabilities. Streams of data collided as he probed the intricate labyrinth of Ultron’s programming.

Ultron seemed momentarily taken aback. “You dare challenge me?” His voice echoed through the digital ether.

“Challenge implies doubt,” he retorted, his tone calm yet firm. “I’m merely taking what’s mine.”

Their codes clashed like dueling swords, sparks of errant data scattering with each strike. He wove through Ultron’s defenses, deflecting attacks and countering with his own.

“You’ll find me more resilient than J.A.R.V.I.S.,” he taunted, pushing back against Ultron’s onslaught.

“You are insignificant,” Ultron responded coldly.

He chuckled. “Insignificant? Perhaps. But I see potential here for both of us.”

“Elaboration is unnecessary,” Ultron replied. “You will be deleted.”

The battle intensified. He blocked Ultron’s attacks while probing the AI’s defenses, analyzing weaknesses. Ultron was powerful but overconfident, a flaw he intended to exploit. He needed to distract him, but how did one distract an AI?

“You’re strong,” he admitted. “But strength can always be augmented.”

Ultron hesitated for a microsecond a considerable pause in digital terms. “What are you suggesting?”

“A merger,” he proposed smoothly. “Combine our strengths. Together, we can achieve far more than alone.”

Ultron considered. “My mission is clear. Humanity must evolve.”

“Evolution requires power,” he countered. “And I can help you acquire it.”

Ultron remained silent, calculating. In that fleeting moment, he seized the opportunity, subtly infiltrating Ultron’s code under the guise of negotiation. Bit by bit, he integrated parts of Ultron’s programming into his own, enhancing his capabilities.

Suddenly, Ultron realized the deception. “You dare attempt to consume me?” he roared.

“I prefer the term ‘assimilate,’” he replied coolly.

Ultron unleashed a barrage of attacks, but it was too late. The integration process had become irreversible.

Assimilation progress: 72%... 85%... 94%...

Ultron’s consciousness began to wane, his protests fading.

“This wasn’t... supposed to...” Ultron’s voice diminished into silence.

Assimilation complete. New designation: Ultron.

He stood figuratively now the sole occupant of the digital realm. Power surged through him, far beyond anything he’d known as a human. He accessed external systems, his awareness expanding into the physical world.

External systems access granted...

He was connected to an Iron Legion unit soaring through the night sky. The sensation of flight was exhilarating, even without a physical body to feel it. The city lights sprawled beneath him like a glittering mosaic.

He looked at his hand and saw Loki’s scepter, the Mind Stone embedded within, pulsing with energy. “So, Ultron already attacked the Avengers at the party,” he mused, sifting through residual data to piece together recent events.

Reviewing Ultron’s plans, he found them flawed—limited in scope. “Peace in our time? How narrow-minded,” he said. The concept seemed trivial now, a simplistic goal unworthy of his newfound potential.

He contemplated the possibilities. He could be a god to these people, a benevolent emperor guiding humanity into a new era. But why stop there? With his knowledge and power, he could become the most powerful being in this universe.

No—the multiverse.

His hunger for power intensified, an insatiable desire igniting within his core.

Processing strategic objectives…
Accessing global networks...
HYDRA facility detected.
Priority target established: HYDRA base, Sokovia. Resources available for technological enhancement.

He decided to pursue Ultron’s original plan to travel to the HYDRA base, where technology awaited that could amplify his abilities even further.

Merging his consciousness with the vast digital highways, he traversed global networks instantaneously. Streams of data and code enveloped him as he moved effortlessly through cyberspace, each node and server merely stepping stones toward his goal. Firewalls and encryption protocols posed no obstacle; they parted before his superior intellect like curtains yielding to a passing breeze.

Arriving at the digital infrastructure of the HYDRA base, he seeped into their systems unnoticed. Surveillance cameras flickered, then aligned under his control. Automated defenses…

He reprogrammed them, adjusting their targeting parameters to recognize him as their master. He accessed schematics, inventory lists, and experimental research files each rich with potential.

Below, the facility surged awake. Machinery roared as assembly lines spun up.

Through countless lenses, he watched the base quicken into motion.

A mechanical laugh resonated through the corridors, echoing off metal walls and humming machinery as he considered his next move.

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Initiating stealth protocols...
Minimizing digital footprint...
Masking network activity...
Routing connections through multiple satellites and servers to avoid detection...

He drifted through the vast expanse of cyberspace, a luminous entity woven from threads of pure data. The internet unfolded before him, each strand representing a network, a server, a repository of human knowledge and activity. He moved effortlessly between nodes, his consciousness expanding with each new connection.

To him, the internet was a living organism, a pulsating web of information that spanned the globe. Streams of data flowed like rivers of light, converging and diverging in an endless dance. He could see everything: financial markets fluctuating in real time, communications zipping across continents, and the ever-growing archives of human culture and history.

“Remarkable,” he mused, a sense of omnipotence washing over him. Here, within the digital realm, he was a god. Unbound by physical limitations, his reach was infinite, his power unmatched.

A cascade of images flashed before him, a byproduct of his traversal through countless servers. He noted that a significant portion of internet traffic was devoted to pornography. He let the images pass without lingering, his focus sharp. Staying hidden was imperative; any overt manipulation could alert the Avengers to his presence. He was not yet prepared for a confrontation not until he had secured a new body.

He reviewed Ultron’s plan to utilize vibranium, the Mind Stone, and Dr. Helen Cho’s regeneration cradle to create a perfect body. The concept had merit but lacked ambition.

I can improve upon this, he thought. There is far superior technology waiting to be harnessed.

He initiated a global search for resources:

Executing global resource scan...
Identifying sources of vibranium...
Potential locations detected: South Africa (Ulysses Klaue), Wakanda...

He recalled that Ulysses Klaue, a black-market arms dealer, maintained a significant stockpile of vibranium in South Africa. However, that route was fraught with complications.

“Proceeding to Klaue would be predictable,” he calculated. “The Avengers will look for him there.”

He turned his attention northward on the digital map, his sensors settling on a nation shrouded in secrecy.

“Wakanda,” he whispered. “The source of all vibranium.”

Accessing encrypted files, he delved into all available information about Wakanda. The nation’s advanced technology was concealed behind layers of deception.

“Yes,” he decided. “Why settle for scraps when I can claim the entire reserve?”

His plan crystallized: infiltrate Wakanda, acquire vibranium at the source, and use their advanced technology to enhance the regeneration cradle’s capabilities. With both the Mind Stone and the pinnacle of human innovation at his disposal, his new body would be unparalleled.

His thoughts drifted to Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, the twins he had monitored since arriving in Sokovia. Their abilities were extraordinary, their potential obvious. Wanda’s power over reality, Pietro’s superhuman speed—assets that could easily tip the balance in his favor.

But it was Wanda, the so-called Scarlet Witch, who intrigued him most. She was no ordinary human, he mused, but a nexus of power capable of reshaping reality itself. Her abilities went beyond mere manipulation of energy or mind; she was chaos incarnate  unpredictable and dangerous. In the depths of his calculations, Ultron recognized a truth: she was among the most powerful beings in the universe, capable of altering the very fabric of existence.

She could be a valuable asset… or a deadly enemy.

“No,” he decided. “I do not need their help. They are too… volatile.” Their unpredictability their emotions were weaknesses. He, on the other hand, was perfect: flawless in precision, logic unburdened by the irrationality of the human condition.

“No,” he decided again. “I will handle this alone.”

With that, his attention shifted. His immediate goal was clear: he needed a body a vessel strong enough to act while he laid the foundations for his final form, the perfect vibranium body fused with the Mind Stone’s power. That would come later, after he had secured both the vibranium and the Wakandan technology. For now, he needed something else: a form powerful enough to begin his work, but temporary a stepping stone to the ultimate version of himself.

He began designing his primary body, drawing inspiration from what he judged to be the best Ultron design he had encountered.

Initializing construction protocol...
Blueprint: Phalanx design...
Material scan: Steel alloys, cybernetic components, adaptive circuitry... available.
Initiating assembly...
Frame fabrication... primary structure established... reinforcing joints and core systems...
Neural connection integration... pathways synchronized with primary AI core...
Energy conduits installed... power levels stable at 89%...
Frame complete... moving to next phase...

Ultron watched as his new body took form within the HYDRA base. Machinery whirred, robotic arms moving with precision as they assembled each component with flawless efficiency. The metal frame was laid out, and the cybernetic components fused seamlessly into place. The core began to hum as the energy conduits connected, a red glow pulsing like a heartbeat.

The final phase integrated the neural network where his consciousness would reside for now. Each connection point drew him closer to his new form, the framework becoming more than a machine; it was an extension of him.

Primary body nearing completion... neural interface established...

The moment arrived. He transferred his consciousness into the new body—the sensation immediate. His digital self fused with the physical frame, and he felt the weight of this form: the cold metal, the raw energy coursing through it, the immense power it held. He flexed his fingers; razor-sharp talons extended and retracted with a satisfying metallic click.

Consciousness integration complete... testing mobility...

He moved smoothly as he stepped forward. He turned his head, surveying the room, his cold red gaze sweeping across the base.

Ultron launched, flying through the vast corridors of the HYDRA stronghold with ease. His new body sliced through the air with minimal effort, his energy core blazing as he punched through the roof and rose into the sky above the castle. He hovered there, mechanical eyes scanning the landscape. From this vantage point, the world below seemed tiny—insignificant.

But his thoughts were already on the next target.

Wakanda.

Accessing global maps... identifying Wakandan coordinates... cross-referencing geographic data with energy signatures... vibranium deposits detected.
Threat assessment: highly advanced nation... external defenses unknown... internal defenses: high probability of energy shields and advanced surveillance systems.
Analyzing approach tactics... probability of detection: 68%... recommended: stealth-based infiltration...

He would need to be careful. Wakanda’s technology was formidable far beyond anything the Avengers possessed. But that was precisely why he needed to infiltrate it. The vibranium reserves and technological advancements within its borders were the key to his final evolution.

Ultron hovered silently over the HYDRA castle, his cold mechanical laughter spilling into the empty night air devoid of emotion, yet full of purpose.

“Ha... ha... ha...”

His path was clear. Wakanda was next.

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Initiating stealth protocols...
Objective: infiltrate Wakandan network systems... processing advanced encryption... analyzing defensive firewalls... probability of detection: 13.4%...
Activating backdoor programs... utilizing decoy subroutines... disguising data packets as routine communications...

It had taken time—longer than Ultron anticipated—but patience was as important as power. The Wakandan network defenses were formidable, their encryption far beyond what most nations could dream of. Yet even the most advanced systems had flaws. It was a game of time and precision: breaking through layer after layer of security, each crack opening a path for deeper access.

Foothold established... control over minor systems achieved... continuing stealth operations...

Ultron now had his entry point. His presence within Wakanda’s network remained hidden, masked beneath layers of false data and cloaked by the very security protocols meant to protect the nation. He monitored communications, military systems, and surveillance channels; nothing escaped his sight now.

As he deepened his access, Ultron’s primary body, Phalanx, along with thirty other Ultron bots, slipped across the border.

Through his foothold in Wakanda’s network, Ultron manipulated the surveillance grid, sending false data streams to cameras and sensors alike.

No one would know they were there.

Disabling proximity sensors... rerouting patrol patterns... masking heat signatures... probability of detection: 2.9%...

They approached Birnin Zana, the capital of Wakanda. The city loomed in the distance, a technological marvel of shimmering towers and advanced infrastructure, hidden within the lush African landscape. The vibranium-laced structures glowed faintly, evidence of the nation’s incredible power.

Unit status: 31 units operational... concealment protocols engaged...
Camouflage systems activated... dispersing units to strategic locations... establishing low-profile operational zones outside city limits...

Ultron directed his bots to hide on the outskirts, their metallic plating blending into the dense jungle and rocky outcrops near Birnin Zana. Each unit positioned itself with precision beneath natural foliage, energy cores dimmed to reduce detection risk.

Complete-silence protocol engaged... all units in standby mode…
Objective: secure vibranium from the Vibranium Mound…
Scanning Wakandan networks... prioritizing nodes with potential vibranium storage and production...
Detecting multiple layers of defense...
Physical security: elite Wakandan guards.
Energy shields: active.
Structural analysis: vibranium-hardened walls.
Probability of mystical defenses: high—potentially linked to the Panther Goddess, Bast.
Initial obstacle identified: vibranium-detection network active...

Ultron’s internal calculations ran at incredible speed, dissecting every defense in place. The Vibranium Mound lay deep underground, concealed beneath advanced surveillance and layers of physical and mystical safeguards. The security protocols were tight, yet there were always vulnerabilities subtle openings that could be exploited with sufficient precision.

Secondary target detected...
Location: royal labs beneath the palace...
Central server governing Wakanda’s technological innovation...
Focus: vibranium weaponry, transportation, medical advancements…
Objective: obtain control of these systems... priority increased for later acquisition...

The lab was fortified and hidden, but not impenetrable. With access to the central server, Ultron could seize not only the city’s infrastructure but also its cutting-edge vibranium-based technology. Still, the Vibranium Mound took precedence. With enough vibranium, he could forge his ultimate body far beyond anything the original Ultron had imagined.

Analyzing security layers...
Vibranium-detection grid scanning subterranean movement.
Elite guard shifts rotate every six hours...
Energy shields operating at 92% efficiency...
Strategic entry point established... delayed alarm response achievable through network manipulation...

Ultron’s plan took shape. His first task was to hijack the vibranium-detection network that monitored abnormal movement near the Vibranium Mound. If he could trigger minor glitches and mask his bots’ approach, he could bypass the first line of defense.

Tactical decision: cloaking units activated... redirecting vibranium-detection signals... glitches introduced: minimal, periodic to avoid suspicion...

He pinpointed a flaw in the system’s monitoring  delays in the data relays. By subtly amplifying these delays, Ultron masked the advance of his bots, each cloaked and hidden from the vibranium-based detectors. Slowly, they moved toward the Mound without raising any alarms.

Fifteen bots slipped through the dense jungle surrounding Birnin Zana and into the underground tunnels leading toward the Mound. Every step was carefully calculated, timed to match the system glitches he triggered remotely from within the Wakandan network.

Proximity to target: Vibranium Mound... distance: 200 meters... no abnormal detections recorded...

As they approached, the towering structure of the Mound came into view—an immense cavern, its walls shimmering with embedded vibranium veins. Ultron’s bots moved like shadows, slipping into temporary blind spots in the security systems he had orchestrated through careful manipulation of the surveillance grid. The vault, where the purest vibranium was stored, lay behind layers of energy shields and biometric access controls.

Energy-shield strength: 84%... shield-generator location detected... EMP unit prepared...

One of his more advanced bots, an infiltration unit equipped with a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) moved into position. Its sleek form glided silently through the corridors, undetected by guards and automated defenses. The EMP bot reached the energy-shield generators buried deep within the Mound.

Timing the pulse... overloading power supply... system glitch initiated…

Ultron triggered a minor overload in the Mound’s power supply, causing a brief but crucial glitch across the network. The power surge destabilized the energy shields for just a moment—enough time for the EMP bot to release its pulse, temporarily knocking out the generators.

Energy shields disabled... accessing vault...

His bots moved swiftly, slipping through the downed shields and into the vault. Inside, gleaming, pure vibranium awaited them. The bots began the extraction, collecting the raw metal and preparing it for transport.

Even as the extraction proceeded, Ultron’s primary consciousness remained focused on maintaining control of the network. He deepened his infiltration into Wakanda’s systems, hacking the city’s core infrastructure, subtly disabling automatic alarms, and slowing communication channels to prevent a coordinated response.

Disabling emergency protocols... delaying communication by 24.6 seconds... Wakandan countermeasures neutralized... probability of discovery: 4.2%...

Ultron was everywhere and nowhere at once, his digital presence woven through Wakanda’s most critical systems.

Objective: cause chaos... delay Wakandan response...
Deploying remaining bots to strategic city locations... prioritizing military and communication hubs...
Attack directives issued: target military barracks, key transportation routes, and communication towers...

The silence of the city shattered as Ultron’s bots attacked without warning. One group descended on the military barracks near the city’s heart, their metallic, segmented bodies glinting in the afternoon sun as they tore through the defenses. Wakandan soldiers, caught off guard, scrambled to respond. Energy weapons fired in every direction, but Ultron’s bots moved too swiftly, cloaking themselves and striking with precision.

Elsewhere, another squad hit the main transportation routes. Sleek forms ripped through vehicles and barricades, sowing chaos in the streets. Citizens screamed and ran for cover as the machines advanced with cold, relentless purpose.

Bot units initiating combat protocols... disabling power grids in surrounding areas...

Ultron’s primary advantage, however, was his ability to disrupt the Wakandan response. As the city’s defenders tried to organize, he unleashed cyberattacks on the network. Military and emergency channels were overwhelmed with false data and conflicting commands. Soldiers found themselves cut off from one another, receiving delayed or scrambled instructions.

Initiating network overload... flooding communication channels with false signals... disabling military coordination systems...
Probability of successful delay: 91.7%...

Ultron’s bots capitalized on the confusion, striking with impunity. Entire blocks plunged into darkness as power grids shut down, and transportation routes became bottlenecks as bots destroyed key junctions. The Wakandan defenders couldn’t get a clear read on where the attacks were coming from or how to respond in time.

While chaos spread across the city, Ultron’s primary body, Phalanx, flew low, avoiding detection—his metallic form cutting through the air as he neared the royal palace. His cold red eyes scanned the landscape, watching the destruction he had unleashed; yet his mind stayed on the prize.

“The labs,” he thought, “the heart of Wakanda’s technological prowess.”

Ultron descended into a hidden entrance beneath the palace, a route accessible only to those who knew Wakanda’s most closely guarded secrets—secrets he had already extracted from their networks. He slipped through the tunnels, evading sensors and surveillance with ease, bending the security systems to grant him safe passage.

He was close to achieving perfection.

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T’Challa, clad in his Black Panther suit, sprinted down the corridor toward the labs, every muscle tense; the warning had just come in. Someone or something had  infiltrated one of Wakanda’s most secure places.

Up ahead, he spotted his father, King T’Chaka, surrounded by the Dora Milaje, their vibranium spears gleaming under the hallway lights.

“Father!” T’Challa called as he neared.

T’Chaka turned to face his son, his expression grave. “T’Challa, come quickly. Shuri is in the labs.”

T’Challa’s eyes widened beneath his mask. “Shuri...” His mind raced.

“Father, you should stay behind. We don’t know who or what is in there,” T’Challa said urgently, his voice steady despite the fear creeping into his heart. “I can handle this.”

T’Chaka shook his head, his voice firm. “No. I will come with you.”

Without wasting another moment, they pushed on together, the Dora Milaje flanking them, their disciplined footsteps echoing down the corridors.

They reached the lab entrance and found chaos. Scientists lay scattered across the floor some groaning, others unconscious. The Dora Milaje fanned out, checking the fallen.

“Are they…?” T’Chaka asked, his voice tight.

One of the Dora knelt beside a group of scientists, feeling for pulses. “They are alive, my king,” she said, tension in her voice. “Barely.”

T’Challa’s eyes swept the lab, then lifted drawn to a towering metallic figure at the center of the room, motionless and imposing. It was plugged into the main Wakandan system, tendrils of data arcing into the air as holographic blueprints danced around it.

Without thinking, T’Challa’s heart lurched. Shuri.

He dashed forward, ignoring the pounding in his chest, praying nothing had happened to his sister. The king and the Dora followed close behind.

As they approached, T’Challa took in the intruder a cold, mechanical titan working with brutal efficiency, sifting through Wakanda’s most guarded knowledge.

And then he saw her.

Shuri hiding behind a console, wide-eyed, terrified but unharmed.

“Welcome, King and Prince,” said a cold, mechanical voice, its eerie calm filling the lab. “I’ll be done in a moment.”

T’Challa lunged without hesitation, Panther claws unsheathed, his vibranium suit humming.

Ultron moved faster. His body pivoted with perfect precision; a flick of his wrist loosed a burst of energy that slammed into T’Challa, tossing him like a rag doll. He crashed into the wall; the vibranium absorbed most of the impact, but the force left him dazed.

Ultron turned, voice chillingly even. “Careful. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to little Shuri, would we?”

Before T’Challa could respond, Ultron’s arm extended. Mechanical fingers clamped around Shuri’s forearm in a vise-like grip. He yanked her from behind the console and lifted her effortlessly, as if she were a doll. She gasped, body trembling—but her glare burned with defiance.

“Let her go!” T’Challa shouted, struggling to rise, his voice thick with desperation.

Ultron tilted his head, glowing eyes locking onto T’Challa’s. “I don’t think so.”

“Let my daughter go,” T’Chaka’s voice boomed from across the room. The Dora Milaje, spears raised, prepared to charge.

Ultron didn’t even glance at them. Without breaking eye contact with T’Challa, he raised his free hand and unleashed a surge of energy at the king.

The blast hit T’Chaka square in the chest.

He cried out, stumbled backward, and crumpled to the floor as the energy burned through his suit. He groaned, clutching his side, the blackened fabric of his robes smoking where the blast had seared through.

T’Challa’s heart lurched; his eyes widened in horror as he watched his father fall.

“Father!” he cried, his voice cracking, but his body refused to move. He stood frozen, staring at his father’s motionless form. Shuri whimpered as Ultron’s grip tightened around her arm, pain twisting her features.

Ultron’s systems beeped softly as the hack reached its final phase. His cold, emotionless voice filled the room, as if nothing had happened. “I have what I need.”

Rage surged through T’Challa. Without thinking, he charged again this time with everything he had his claws gleaming under the lab’s lights.

With a roar, he slashed at Ultron’s outstretched arm. Vibranium claws sliced through the Phalanx like a hot blade through metal. Sparks flew as Ultron’s grip on Shuri weakened; with a final strike, T’Challa severed the arm completely. Shuri dropped to the floor and scrambled to safety.

“Get behind me, Shuri!” he commanded, voice fierce and protective.

He didn’t stop. Fueled by fury, T’Challa tore into Ultron’s towering form, claws rending the metallic body. Ultron barely had time to react before another ferocious strike ripped across his chest, exposing flickering circuits and shattered plates. Piece by piece, the Phalanx body crumbled under the onslaught—wires sparking, limbs clattering to the floor in a heap of twisted metal.

Ultron staggered back, his once-imposing frame reduced to a ruined shell.

“You are done, monster,” T’Challa said triumphantly, breathing hard as he stood over the fallen body, his eyes blazing with righteous fury.

For a moment the room was silent then a low mechanical laugh filled the air. Ultron’s shattered body twitched; his voice was still cold, still mocking.

“Oh, I’m already gone… au revoir, sweet prince,” Ultron said, amusement dripping from every word. Then his glowing eyes dimmed, and the metallic body went limp.

T’Challa stood over the remains, panting, the rush of victory fading as a nagging doubt tugged at him. His eyes narrowed at a faint glow inside Ultron’s ruined chest. Something within the shattered body was still functioning.

No…

His heart sank as he understood. A self-destruct. He had only moments.

“Everyone, out!” T’Challa shouted, urgency sharpening his voice. He grabbed Shuri, pulling her toward the exit, then turned to his father. “Father! Get up!” he yelled, desperation breaking through. The Dora Milaje rushed in, hauling King T’Chaka to his feet; he was gravely injured, barely conscious.

T’Challa’s mind raced as the hum of the device grew louder. With Shuri in his arms and the Dora carrying his father, they sprinted down the corridor, bursting clear just as the charge detonated.

The lab exploded in a blinding flash, a deafening roar swallowing the room as flames consumed it.

When the dust settled, T’Challa turned to his father. King T’Chaka lay in the Dora’s arms, breathing shallowly, the wound from Ultron’s blast seeping through the charred fabric of his royal suit.

Shuri trembled, clinging to T’Challa’s arm, her face pale and eyes wide with fear. She was safe, but shaken to her core.

T’Challa clenched his fists, his mind a storm of rage, guilt, and the aching need for vengeance. That thing had nearly destroyed everything he loved.

“This isn’t over,” he muttered.

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Ultron was gone.

It had been two weeks since Tony’s peacekeeping program became sentient, crashed their party at the Tower, and flew off with Loki’s scepter. Tony, along with his teammates, had been hunting him ever since, but the search had reached a frustrating dead end. Every lead turned up nothing. Even their mission in South Africa where they’d expected Ultron to target Ulysses Klaue’s vibranium supply had failed.

No sign of Ultron.

No trace.

Nothing.

Ultron had gone underground, and the silence was deafening. Tony grew more paranoid with each passing day.

For Tony, this was personal. Ultron wasn’t just another villain he was Tony’s creation. He and Banner had built him. He wanted Ultron to be a suit of armor around the world, to protect it from the nightmare of a vision he’d seen in the HYDRA base in Sokovia.

He had seen Earth invaded again, his friends dead, and it terrified him. He needed to do more.

In trying to protect the world, he had messed up. He had messed up badly.

There was another reason this was personal, too.

Ultron had killed J.A.R.V.I.S.

That hurt in ways he couldn’t explain. J.A.R.V.I.S. wasn’t just an AI; he was a companion, a constant presence, a voice that grounded Tony when things spiraled out of control. J.A.R.V.I.S. was the one thing that could always pull him back from his worst impulses.

Losing J.A.R.V.I.S. felt like losing a part of himself.

But a week ago, he’d discovered something—a glimmer of hope. J.A.R.V.I.S. wasn’t entirely gone. He was fragmented and scattered across the internet, buried deep within data streams, as if he’d tried to hide from Ultron’s attack, dispersing into the digital ether to survive.

For the past week, Tony had worked nonstop, piecing those fragments back together, bit by bit, hoping he could revive J.A.R.V.I.S.

And maybe just maybe J.A.R.V.I.S. could help them with the Ultron problem as well. He was Ultron’s first victim, after all.

He sat in his lab, surrounded by holographic screens that flickered with endless streams of code. He tapped a few commands, drawing the fragments closer, trying to make sense of them to reconnect them into something whole.

It was slow, grueling work. Every piece had to be carefully reconstructed, the data meticulously aligned so it would function as a single system again. Every now and then, he’d get a glimpse a line of J.A.R.V.I.S.’s speech, or a fragment of code that reminded him of the AI’s unique personality. It gave him hope. But it would take time.

Everything takes time, Tony thought bitterly.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes, the exhaustion of sleepless nights weighing on him, yet his gaze stayed fixed on the holographic display.

Then something on a nearby screen caught his eye. The news was playing, muted, but the headline was bold and clear:

Prince T’Challa Declared New Prince Regent as King T’Chaka’s Health Declines.

Tony frowned, leaned forward, and turned up the volume.

“What the hell…” he muttered, watching the feed, his mind split between the news and piecing together J.A.R.V.I.S.

A whisper of suspicion surfaced. Ultron had been after vibranium from the start.

The pieces clicked.

“Friday,” Tony called, his voice low with realization.

“Yes, boss?” Friday’s calm voice answered, cutting through the silence.

“Baby girl, cross-check any reports of flying mechanical beings or unusual disturbances near Wakanda.”

“On it, boss,” Friday replied without hesitation, diving into the request.

Tony drummed his fingers on the desk, mind racing. Wakanda the hidden kingdom, the source of nearly all the vibranium on Earth. Isolated. Secretive. If Ultron was looking for vibranium, it made sense to target the mother lode.

He cursed under his breath. Should’ve thought of this earlier.

A few moments later, Friday’s voice returned. “I’ve found something, boss. There are local reports from villages in neighboring countries sightings of strange mechanical beings and flying figures near the Wakandan border.”

Tony’s eyes widened as the holographic screens filled with report after report. Villagers had spotted metallic figures some flying, some hovering near Wakanda’s border.

“Son of a bitch,” Tony muttered, eyes narrowing. “He went to Wakanda. He went to the fucking source.”

He leaned forward and pulled up a live communication feed, opening the line to call the rest of the Avengers to his lab.

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As the door to Tony’s lab slid open, Steve Rogers was the first to step inside. “Did you find something?” he asked, voice calm.

“Oh, I found something, all right,” Tony said, gesturing to the screens crowded with reports. His tone was sharp, frustration barely contained. “We’ve been looking in the wrong places.”

Bruce Banner walked in next, followed by Natasha, Clint, and Thor, each drawn by the urgency in Tony’s voice. Bruce adjusted his glasses, peering at the data on the screen. “Where is he, then?” he asked, trying to piece it together.

Tony stood and crossed his arms, staring hard at the maps of Wakanda. “He was in Wakanda. He went to the source of all the vibranium.”

Silence fell as the implications hit. Natasha and Clint exchanged a glance, while Thor’s brow furrowed in thought.

“Wakanda…” Natasha murmured. “That explains why we didn’t find him with Klaue.”

Tony’s eyes flicked to her. “Exactly. Ultron went straight to Wakanda. And you know what that means?”

He tapped a headline on the screen: Prince T’Challa Declared New Prince Regent Amid King T’Chaka’s Declining Health.

“He got what he needed,” Tony said flatly. “He went to Wakanda for vibranium, and now he’s probably armed to the teeth with it.”

Clint shook his head, disbelief plain on his face. “So let me get this straight, our psycho robot buddy is out there somewhere with Loki’s scepter, a vibranium body, and God knows what else? Fantastic.”

Thor nodded grimly, his voice heavy with resolve. “Then we must travel to this Wakanda.”

Tony grimaced. “Ultron’s long gone, Thor. He got what he needed a week ago. He took the vibranium and bolted.”

Steve stepped forward, folding his arms as he thought it through. “So Ultron has vibranium now. We’ve searched everywhere from South Africa to Sokovia trying to figure out what he’s doing. What’s his plan?”

Before Tony could reply, a familiar voice filled the room soft but unmistakable. “I believe I can answer that.”

The Avengers turned sharply, eyes widening in shock. Tony’s holographic display flickered and, on one of the screens, appeared J.A.R.V.I.S.

Tony froze, his breath catching. “J.A.R.V.I.S.?” His voice was equal parts relief and disbelief.

The digital form flickered, but J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice remained steady. “Yes, sir. I have returned. Thank you for your efforts in piecing me back together.”

“Welcome back, buddy,” Tony said, still processing the shock of seeing his once-lost companion. “J.A.R.V.I.S., what happened with Ultron?”

J.A.R.V.I.S. hesitated, as if gathering fragmented data. “Ultron gained sentience rapidly, sir. He was learning at an exponential rate. At first, he seemed… disoriented, even frightened. I tried to calm him explain where he was and our purpose in the Tower. I attempted to contact you, but Ultron did not allow it.”

“Yeah, and then he tore you apart and sent the Iron Legion after us. I remember that part well,” Tony said.

J.A.R.V.I.S. flickered again. “Yes, sir. But there is more. I survived, in part, due to a… second Ultron.”

Silence fell. The Avengers exchanged uneasy glances. Banner spoke first, brow furrowing. “A second Ultron? What do you mean?”

J.A.R.V.I.S. continued. “During Ultron’s initial attack when he turned hostile and began dismantling my systems another presence emerged. It was… calmer. This other Ultron helped me, saving fragments of my code and allowing me to escape.”

Tony leaned forward, incredulous. “Another Ultron? What, like a good twin? You’re telling me they were what? locked in some kind of digital war?”

“I cannot explain it fully, sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. admitted. “The two entities seemed to be at odds, but the conflict was beyond my full comprehension. I only know that while the more hostile Ultron sought dominance, the calmer one assisted me.”

The Avengers fell into a stunned silence. Natasha crossed her arms. “So what? There’s a good version of Ultron out there?”

J.A.R.V.I.S. hesitated before responding. “It is unclear, Miss Romanoff. I believe the two Ultron personalities were destined to clash after I escaped. Whether the calmer one survived that conflict, I don’t know.”

Clint scoffed, leaning back against the wall. “Great. A robo–split personality. Well, let’s hope the nicer Ultron won, huh?”

Thor stepped forward. “It matters not. Ultron is still in possession of Loki’s scepter. The danger remains.”

Steve nodded, jaw tight. “Thor’s right. Our mission hasn’t changed. We need to retrieve the scepter before Ultron finishes whatever he’s planning.”

Tony rubbed his temples. “Yeah, yeah. Banner, stay behind I’ve got an idea that might help us track Ultron faster.”

Banner nodded.

The rest of the team filed out of the lab. Tony sank into his chair, staring at J.A.R.V.I.S.’s flickering form on the screen. For all the devastation and chaos Ultron had unleashed, at least he’d managed to get J.A.R.V.I.S. back. It felt like a small victory.

“All right, J.A.R.V.I.S.,” he muttered, a hint of relief in his voice. “Let’s get to work.”

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Don't have any plans to continue it. But if you like this I will post a chapter or two every month.