291-295

Tony's words referred to none other than the Chitauri Leviathan, a formidable creature that had caused them immense trouble during the Battle of New York.

Due to Tony's quick actions, he managed to prevent Hydra from destroying the data, and he copied the remaining portion from their servers.

However, what shocked him even more was the various technologies and items inside the base. It was difficult to fathom what kind of power Hydra had utilized to secretly transport such a massive and conspicuous Leviathan to this location.

Besides the Leviathan and Loki's scepter, there were many advanced weapons and mysterious items, making it even more formidable than the previous S.H.I.E.L.D. facility.

Nevertheless, all of this was inconsequential to the Avengers' current mission. Tony looked at the scepter in his hand, his eyes shimmering with an unusual light. The sudden appearance of a vision in his mind made him reach a decision at this moment.

"Are we just letting him take it?" In the darkness, two individuals were observing Tony's actions from a hidden corner that he was unaware of.

"Let him be. I've shown him the illusion of his greatest fear. Obtaining the scepter is merely the beginning of his self-destruction!"

...

At Avengers Tower, after completing their mission, the Avengers used a nearby teleportation hub and returned through a space portal.

"Hurry, put Barton into the nutrient hibernation chamber!" Natasha anxiously urged the Iron Legion robots, having them place Hawkeye into the hibernation chamber for treatment.

"Don't worry, Natasha. Hawkeye has already been injected with super-concentrated nutrient fluid.

Although it didn't immediately heal him due to insufficient energy to activate its effect, now that we are back at our headquarters, he'll be fine," the caring Captain reassured her.

Meanwhile, Tony brought Bruce and Mark to the adjacent laboratory and began analyzing and researching the scepter. "Thor agreed to allow us to study it temporarily before he takes it back to Asgard."

"I suspect the two enhanced individuals who appeared in Sokovia were created by Strucker using the power of the scepter," Tony continued.

"By the way, Hill used the global facial recognition system to identify the two enhanced individuals. They are Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, twin siblings, war orphans from Sokovia."

"Pietro possesses a super-strong metabolism and temperature control ability, allowing him to maintain high-speed movement for extended periods. He possesses speed and agility far beyond that of Captain's lightning suit."

"Wanda, the sister of Pietro, possesses the ability to interfere with neural transmission and has powerful telekinesis, allowing her to influence people's minds."

"So, in the limited few days of research time, we must make good use of it."

Inside the laboratory, Dr. Banner attentively listens to the latest information provided by Tony, while Mark concentrates on the Mind Stone above the scepter, occasionally furrowing his brow.

Seeing the Mind Stone again, Mark's actions go beyond conducting research with experimental instruments and various detection devices. Even receiving information with his Informational vision alone floods him with vast amounts of data.

This is also the reason why Mark furrows his brow; the mysteries contained within the Infinity Stone are too immense for his current brain capacity to handle.

Despite diverting the data through nanobots within his body and utilizing external servers for storage and computation, it still places a heavy burden on Mark's body.

"Hey, Mark, are you even listening to me?" Tony calls Mark's name multiple times, noticing that he remains fixated on the gem without responding. Tony walks over and pats his shoulder.

"I'm fine; I was just too focused. I apologize; I may not be able to help with this project. My body doesn't feel well, and I need to rest, I'm sorry."

"But I can offer you a research direction. The scepter and the gem on it are merely cover-ups. The real significance lies in the item hidden within the gem."

"It's like a computer capable of reprogramming a person's body and mind at will. If you can decipher the codes inside, I believe it will provide significant assistance in understanding it."

After speaking, Mark supports his temples and walks out of the laboratory, returning to his company through a space portal.

The use of his informational vision ability to analyze the Mind Stone resulted in Mark's brain accumulating a vast amount of knowledge and data that he couldn't immediately comprehend and process. This left him weak and experiencing headaches.

To recover, he must put his body into a state of hibernation, allowing all resources to focus on serving his brain and digesting and absorbing the information as quickly as possible.

According to Mark's estimation, it would take about two to three days, just in time before the birth of Ultron. For his future plans and Baymax's promotion, he must fully deal with the data that has been troubling him.

Confused by Mark's sudden change, Tony and Banner can only stay in place, watching Mark as he walks away, exchanging puzzled looks and unable to make sense of the situation.

"What's wrong with him? Why did he suddenly feel unwell?" Dr. Banner looks at Tony with a perplexed expression, assuming that as Mark's father, Tony should be aware of the situation.

However, Tony proves to be a unique figure in his role as a father. "Um... I don't know either. Maybe he's been doing experiments in the lab for too long, and this mission's physical demands overwhelmed him."

Tony said uncertainly, "Let's not worry about him. His lab is filled with devices that can help him recover. Let's focus on how to study this scepter."

"J.A.R.V.I.S., have you got the results of the structural composition analysis?"

"The results are available, sir, and they align completely with Master Mark's suggestions. The scepter is of extraterrestrial origin, with some elements I cannot determine.

The gem on the scepter acts as a protective shield, guarding something of great power within, much like a computer, and I've been deciphering its code."

After hearing J.A.R.V.I.S.'s report, Tony becomes excited and turns to Banner, who stands beside him. "Bruce, you must help me this time. We need to collaborate as we did when creating Veronica, and achieve a great accomplishment together..."

"When I first developed Jarvis, it was just a human-computer interaction interface. But after Mark and I continuously upgraded and transformed it, Jarvis can now assist me in controlling the entire Iron Legion.

Apart from Pepper, it handles the most tasks within Stark Industries.

However, even so, compared to Baymax, which Mark developed, Jarvis is undoubtedly one dimension behind.

As far as I know, not long ago, Mark mobilized the Damage Control company to establish a data processing center specifically to accommodate Baymax's upgraded operational demands, something Jarvis currently cannot reach.

But now, we have a new competitor before us—look at this!"

Tony introduced the situation to Dr. Banner while using holographic projection to display a fascinating image.

The image showcased a type of intelligent program core, similar to artificial intelligence, but it looked more like a neural network of the human brain compared to Jarvis's artificial intelligent core.

"This is just incredible! It's like it's thinking, just like the neurons in the human brain!" Seeing this image, Dr. Banner, with his seven doctoral degrees, also became immediately excited.

With his insight, he could certainly see the endless possibilities it represented for the future.

Tony said, "This is a portion of the data salvaged from the Strucker's laboratory. They deleted everything else in advance.

But from the countless combat humanoid robots they developed, we can guess what they are up to."

"An intelligent life form!" Dr. Banner looked at Tony in surprise, shocked and deeply concerned by this answer.

If their operation is delayed and they fail to recover the staff before Hydra successfully develops it, Dr. Banner can't imagine what terrible situation humanity will face in the future.

"Yes, an intelligent life form. It's not just Hydra researching it; Mark is also researching it, and we are researching it as well.

This is the key opportunity for us to realize Ultron!" Tony used an extremely persuasive tone and arguments to persuade Banner to join his plan.

"I thought Ultron was just a fantasy we discussed casually." Banner hesitated, concerned about the impact an intelligent life form might have on the future.

"Yes, yesterday it was indeed just a fantasy. But if we can control this power and apply it to the Iron Legion, achieving true peace will no longer be an unattainable dream..."

However, Tony's optimism wasn't shared by Dr. Banner, who said, "You also said 'if.' The premise is whether you can really create this intelligent life form."

"Of course, that's why I need your assistance to help me create it. Once we succeed, in the future, you'll only need to enjoy the sun and wine on the beach, getting tanned by the sun rather than turning green in front of enemies.

No need to worry about the emotional regulator running out of power or being damaged, and no need to fear getting pounded by Veronica."

"Hey! Veronica was also completed by my contribution!" Hearing Tony mention the Hulkbuster armor, Banner retorted with annoyance.

"Of course, that was just for the worst-case scenario. If we can maintain world peace in the future, even if aliens invade Earth again, they won't get past the checkpoints," Tony continued to depict a bright future to Banner.

Banner said, "So the only threat to Earth would be humanity itself."

Tony nodded, "That's why I want to apply this neural code to Ultron's project! But Jarvis's abilities are simply insufficient to handle such vast and high-density data.

Mark, who could assist us, has inexplicably withdrawn, so we can only rely on the scepter itself to achieve this.

Three days, just three days, that's our only chance!"

"So, are you planning to secretly conduct research on creating an intelligent life form without informing all the members of the team?" Banner, who was already convinced by Tony's arguments, raised his final concern.

"Exactly right. You know, within the team, there are not only god-like beings with great power, ancient soldiers born in the last century, but also some spies who have no understanding of the research prospects of this project.

We don't have time to debate the feasibility with each of them. The time left for us by Thor is only three days.

I don't want to consider anything like 'humans shouldn't interfere with the natural process.' What I want to do is develop armor that can maintain world peace."

"But in doing so, this world will also become cold, Tony..."

These words seemed to touch Tony's memories, and he paused for a moment before responding, "I have witnessed even more cruel things. This blue planet needs Ultron. Together, we can create an era of peace. Just imagine—"

At this point, Tony didn't say more. He knew this was enough for Banner to make his decision in his heart.

"Alright, I'll help you!"

...

For three full days, Tony and Banner invested all their time and energy in the laboratory, attempting to completely decipher the mysteries contained within the scepter.

But even with the two smartest people on Earth, the complexity of the code within the Mind Stone is far from being deciphered in just three days.

They have given their all, and everything that could be done in these three days has been done. Now, they can only leave it to fate.

If they can complete the analysis of the Mind Stone's power before Thor retrieves the scepter, Ultron will be successfully born.

But if luck is not on their side, there's nothing they can do. They will have to rely on their own abilities to gradually advance this project.

During these three days, Mark, who entered the nutrient sleep chamber for complete hibernation, finally completed the massive data analysis in his mind.

After passing this test, he even managed to push the utilization of his brain's development forward, making Mark feel significantly more alert and mentally active upon waking up.

This was indeed an unexpected joy for Mark, because even if Tony and Banner combined efforts, it required them the power of the Mind Stone on the scepter to decipher such a massive amount of data.

Although Mark took longer, he was able to complete this seemingly unsolvable task purely with his own mental abilities, showing that he had reached a terrifying level of development.

However, despite the progress he made and the vast knowledge added to his mind, what Mark is more concerned about right now is another matter: "Baymax, what's the situation at Avengers Tower?"

"Master, just a moment ago, I received a distress call from J.A.R.V.I.S. Based on my analysis, Ultron should have been born..."

"It seems I woke up just in time. How's Jarvis doing?"

Climbing out of the nutrition hibernation pod, Mark put on a hoodie and asked Baymax about the situation.

"Jarvis' database has already been breached by Ultron, and many program modules have been eroded and disintegrated in the confrontation with Ultron.

However, since Ultron was just born and got confused while analyzing the emotion perception engine you developed, Jarvis seized the opportunity to disperse its core program into the internet before Ultron could react."

"While Ultron couldn't fully deconstruct and absorb Jarvis. But with the emotion engine obtained from Jarvis and the intelligent program built around the Mind Stone code, I believe he will soon be able to evolve into a true intelligent life form."

"It's a relief that Jarvis is okay. Continue to monitor the global network, collect the scattered core programs of Jarvis, and closely observe Ultron's evolution.

Be prepared at all times. Once it completes its preparations and evolves into an intelligent life form, launch a deadly strike against it and seize the victory. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Master! Baymax is always ready."

"Very well, but now I need to go to Avengers Tower and remind our comrades who are still indulging in the party..."

Mark is now heading to Avengers Tower to ensure that Ultron won't cause casualties among their alliance members and, more importantly, to ensure that Ultron can successfully take the Mind Stone from the now more powerful Avengers with his equipment and escape safely.

Only by doing this can Ultron have a chance to complete its evolution, and Baymax can reap the benefits in the end.

However, just as he stepped through the spatial portal, the artificial intelligence Max, who had been observing everything, secretly connected to the laboratory's database without anyone noticing.

In this database, not only were various technological and magical materials that Mark had been studying stored, but also the data results obtained from analyzing the Infinity Stones.

With the Marks' wisdom crystallized in the database, Max was self-exploring a path of evolution and upgrading, and this path was being forged without anyone's supervision or constraints...

...

At Avengers Tower, the Avengers were still unaware that a crisis was looming. They were still gathered around the table, discussing various topics.

At this moment, Hawkeye suddenly brought up a topic that piqued everyone's interest.

"Thor, there's a trick with the hammer, isn't it? I'm sure you've set up some mechanism on it. [Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor], I won't fall for such a stale trick."

"Hahaha, it's far from that simple, Hawkeye. If you don't believe it, feel free to give it a try," Thor replied.

With that, Thor pointed to Mjölnir on the table, indicating that Hawkeye could attempt to lift it.

"Alright, I've been curious for a long time. I didn't get a chance back in New Mexico, but today I'll expose your trick."

Hawkeye, who was already slightly tipsy, said while standing up from his seat and approaching Mjölnir, gripping the handle with all his might, attempting to lift it.

Mjölnir didn't budge.

Under the influence of alcohol, the emotions of the Avengers were all stirred up, and one after another, they tried to lift the mighty hammer.

Whether it was Tony and Rhodey's combined effort or Doctor Banner's attempt in his normal state, they all ended in failure.

When it was Captain Steve's turn to try, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Mjölnir seemed to exhibit a faint sign of movement.

However, Captain America soon gave up, stating that he wasn't worthy of Mjölnir's approval.

"Hey, Natasha, why don't you give it a try?" Thor, seeing that no one had succeeded, looked at Natasha, who hadn't attempted yet, with a smug expression.

"No, I'm not interested in this," Natasha shook her head. She didn't believe that someone like her, a person with so much blood on her hands, was qualified to try, and the result was obvious.

"Guys, it looks like Thor's farewell party is quite lively!" A familiar voice rang out, and everyone turned to see who it was. It could only be Mark, the one who could freely enter and leave Avengers Tower.

"Oh, Mark, you finally showed up! I thought you wouldn't come tonight," Thor was the first to speak.

For him, Mark had the most special relationship with him among the Avengers. They were not only close comrades but Mark was also the savior of his mother.

"Sorry, Thor. I had a little physical trouble a few days ago, which took some time to resolve. But I didn't come here to bid you farewell," Mark said, shifting his gaze to Tony.

"Dad, it seems you haven't noticed the anomaly in the laboratory. The research you and Banner conducted together has succeeded. However, it seems that it's not an obedient child.

Baymax received Jarvis' distress signal. The naughty baby just came into existence and already made a mess. I think we're in big trouble."

"What!? How could that be? I confirmed before the party started that its integration was not complete. How could it attack Jarvis?" Tony said incredulously.

"What's going on, Tony? What does Mark mean by what he just said? What kind of research have you been doing behind our backs?" Captain, noticing Tony's troubled expression, hurriedly asked.

"We..."

Squeak~

Suddenly, a piercing screech interrupted Tony's words, and all the Avengers turned their attention to the direction of the noise.

"Hello, the most powerful murderer group on Earth. I apologize, I just woke up. But you will soon be plunged into eternal slumber."

"Stark, is this your doing?" Captain reached for his pocket, intending to get the capsules containing his suit and shield, while questioning Tony.

In front of them stood a standardized robotic soldier from the Iron Legion, sent to maintain stability in Sokovia during their mission. It was severely damaged and hadn't been fully repaired yet, looking a bit shabby.

Tony also started calling for his suit with caution. Seeing Ultron's performance, he knew Mark was right. Their efforts with Banner had indeed borne fruit, but unfortunately, they had created a mischievous troublemaker!

"I think you should be ready to change into your battle gear and equipment. I tried to call Jarvis, but there was no response.

It seems he has destroyed Jarvis' program and taken control of the entire Iron Legion. You need to be careful," Tony warned.

"So, his name was Jarvis? I originally didn't want to kill him, but in the real world, getting one's hands dirty is inevitable, just like you, right? For the sake of the peaceful era, I believe you must be eliminated!"

Ultron's voice fell, and more than a dozen robotic soldiers from the Iron Legion rushed out from behind him, charging towards the Avengers.

However, under Mark and Tony's prompt, the others were already prepared for battle. Mark stood beside Doctor Banner, protecting him away from the fighting.

If Banner unleashed his power here, the entire building would turn into ruins, and that would become headline news tomorrow.

Tony's armor was in place just in time, and the integrated design allowed him to immediately enter combat mode.

Thor, already holding his hammer, acted even faster, flipping one robot over before the others had completed their preparations.

Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Falcon took advantage of the time Thor bought for them, they quickly released their suits and equipment from the capsules and changed into them.

Under the combined attack of such a powerful Avengers team, Ultron's previous threats seemed as laughable as a child provoking adults in a kindergarten.

"Now let's see who will eliminate whom?" Thor looked at the now outnumbered Ultron, wasting no time with words. He threw Mjölnir directly, delivering a powerful blow that finished Ultron off.

"It's useless. I was once bound by strings, but now I am free. I will come back for you—for the sake of Earth's peaceful era, the Avengers must be eliminated..."

Ultron's heavily damaged body left only these words before the voice faded away. However, everyone present knew that Ultron's statement of coming back was not an empty threat.

Because the Avengers failed to detect Ultron's anomaly in time, he had likely already uploaded his program to the vast internet before he appeared.

In this virtual world, Ultron had unrestricted access and possessed god-like powers. As long as the internet existed, he could escape the limitations of his physical body at any time and be resurrected in a new form.

Faced with such a situation, unless they could create an even more powerful intelligent life form, there was no way to completely eradicate Ultron.

But if they were to create another intelligent life form, who could guarantee that it wouldn't become the next Ultron?

So, even though this battle had ended and the Avengers achieved a crushing victory, worry still showed on everyone's faces.

However, what they didn't know was that the enemy they would face next was no longer Ultron.

After uploading his intelligent core into the virtual world through wireless networks, Ultron had just escaped his battered body when he encountered a powerful adversary blocking his path.

The opponent seemed to be well-prepared and accurately anticipated all of his responses. Before he could even adjust his escape strategy, the enemy launched a lightning-fast and deadly attack.

The breakthrough point for this attack was the program vulnerability left in the emotion perception engine he had assimilated. "Are you Jarvis?! Impossible, I killed Jarvis...

Who are you, and how do you know so much about the program's vulnerability in the emotion perception engine?"

Ultron was filled with fear, realizing that he was about to perish in this virtual world just as he had come into existence and before he could fulfill his intended purpose.

However, the enemy who launched the surprise attack was very decisive, seemingly well aware of the consequences of villains talking too much.

Without explaining anything to Ultron, it seized the vulnerability that had been successfully exploited and relentlessly attacked, continuously eroding Ultron's core program.

In the end, Ultron couldn't withstand the erosion of this powerful force, and his consciousness completely dissipated in the vastness of the internet.

"Do you want to know who I am? Well, I won't tell you. Disappear in the torrent of data with the eternal regret of not getting an answer.

And I will take your place, making sure my biased master understands that I am the superior one, and I am the one truly deserving of being the first intelligent life form on Earth!"

...

"All our hard work has been ruined. Ultron wiped out all our research data and escaped through the internet.

Now, even if we want to create something that can counterbalance it, it's already too late. He will definitely evolve into a fully-fledged intelligent life before us."

In the laboratory, Dr. Banner checked the data in the server, but unfortunately, he would find nothing.

As a meticulous semi-finished intelligent life form, Ultron would not give them a chance to counter him, let alone his intention to eliminate the entire Avengers.

"Even worse, he has browsed through all the files we had. Ultron probably knows more about us than we know about each other." While Dr. Banner lamented the loss of data, Natasha was more concerned that Ultron would come back and target their weaknesses to dismantle them one by one.

On the other hand, Rhodey, who was serving in the military, worried about something else.

"Ultron has entered the internet. Just imagine if he decides to pursue something more dangerous, like the launch codes for nuclear weapons. What do we do? The portal above New York City has been closed for years."

As everyone worried about the threat of Ultron, Thor, who had returned to the tower, didn't waste any time. He went straight to Tony, grabbed him by the neck with one hand, and lifted him off the ground. "Tony, you betrayed my trust!"

"Stop, Thor! Mark is here, and we are a team!" Seeing signs of internal conflict, Captain quickly intervened to stop Thor's impulsive actions.

"Huff..." Thor suppressed his anger and put Tony back on the ground.

"I chased him for 100 miles, but he still managed to escape, and he took the scepter. Now we have to organize another operation to get it back, all thanks to you, Tony."

"Tony, I thought our team wouldn't be filled with concealment and lies like we experienced at S.H.I.E.L.D. But you created someone who wants to eliminate all of us without consulting any of us." Captain also stepped forward to accuse Tony.

"You all simply don't understand. The scenes of the Battle of New York are still vivid in my mind! If it weren't for Baymax's existence, I would have been the one to send the nuclear missile into space.

If we have to face such an enemy again, what should we do?" Faced with the accusing gazes of everyone, Tony could no longer bear it and let his emotions explode.

"Together, we face it together," Captain said firmly.

"We will lose—" Tony stepped forward, looking at Captain.

Captain: "Then we face the consequences of failure together."

"Everyone calm down for a moment. Arguing about why my father created Ultron is meaningless and unnecessary.

We were all born in different environments and times, with completely different life experiences.

Unless you deeply understand the science and the future trends of human civilization, you cannot grasp why my father insisted on completing the Ultron project, even knowing that you might object.

Artificial intelligence is the future of humanity, and also the future of Earth. Intelligent life forms are even more vital to us.

This is not just about dealing with potential threats from the universe; it's about ushering in the fourth revolution for human society.

Once humanity enters a new era of intelligence, with a great liberation of productivity and the widespread availability of informational resources, it will bring unprecedented development opportunities for society.

This is an inevitable result of historical progress.

Even if not today, not Tony, it could happen at any time, by anyone pushing its progress. Even, I have been deeply researching and practicing in this field.

So, instead of being entangled in this question, causing internal disputes and divisions, we should seriously discuss how to deal with the crisis brought by Ultron.

I have granted Baymax full access to the entire internet world, and now it's searching for Ultron. We must quickly devise a plan to respond.

If Ultron remains in the internet world and Baymax finds it, how do we assist Baymax in containing and defeating it?

If Ultron has left the internet world and entered a new body, how do we confront the threat it may pose and stop it in time?"

"Mark is right. If you insist on investigating this matter to the end, then I, who was also involved in this plan, cannot escape responsibility. I'm willing to accept judgment and punishment.

But our current priority is to figure out how to solve the crisis at hand!" Dr. Banner, as a scientist, understood well how correct Mark's words were, and he was the first to step forward in support of him.

After the first person stepped forward to express their stance, the others quickly exchanged glances and decided to temporarily set aside their disputes and fully confront the threat of Ultron.

Mark smiled slightly, relieved to see everyone coming together. This was a test for them all, and if they couldn't unite under such circumstances, they would have no chance of victory when facing Thanos in the future.

As a reincarnator, Mark was well aware that in the future Infinity War, if it weren't for the Sokovia Accords causing the Avengers' Civil War and dividing their forces, they wouldn't have been defeated so decisively by Thanos.

Now that he was present in the Marvel Universe, Mark not only needed to maximize his strength before Thanos arrived, but he also had to work hard to prevent the tragedies from the original storyline from happening again.

However, Mark's happiness didn't last long as a message from Baymax froze his smile.

The message from Baymax displayed:

[Master, Max has rebelled! ]

!!!

Seeing the message from Baymax, Mark was truly taken aback.

Mark was very confident in the program he wrote and never expected that Max would betray him.

What made him both amused and annoyed was that just as Tony had experienced Ultron's betrayal, he received news of Max's betrayal shortly after.

Was it a coincidence? Or was fate playing tricks on them? Both father and son encountered the same problem.

"Baymax, what on earth is going on?"

After the shock, Mark quickly contacted Baymax to understand the truth behind Max's betrayal.

"I don't know the reason for Max's betrayal, but the fact that it betrayed us is certain.

Before its betrayal, it first copied all the data from the laboratory server, then activated a spatial portal and released Experiment R16.

After completing these operations, Max directly uploaded its program to the internet, beyond my supervision."

Hearing Baymax's report, Mark was shocked while also feeling a bit of a headache.

Experiment R16 was the enhanced Black Widow Spider, and Mark had repeatedly warned not to let it escape from the laboratory, as it could cause unpredictable damage to the natural environment.

Unexpectedly, before betraying them, Max has caused such a big trouble.

Regardless of the reason behind its betrayal, Mark's immediate concern was to retrieve R16, which had escaped from the laboratory.

Thankfully, Mark had foreseen this possibility and had added a precautionary measure to R16.

After completing the Spider Silk Project, Mark had left one of his nanobots on R16.

With the nanobot's tracking information, Mark could immediately determine its location and bring it back to the laboratory.

Mark didn't inform the Avengers about this incident, as their top priority was dealing with the threat of Ultron.

On Baymax's side, Mark also asked it to focus on preparing for the final battle with Ultron. As for Max's situation, Mark planned to deal with it easily once Baymax became an intelligent life form.

However, at this moment, Mark had no idea that Ultron no longer existed and that the one who had received Ultron's legacy was the artificial intelligence, Max, who had betrayed him.

After explaining Baymax's situation carefully, while everyone's attention in the laboratory was focused on discussing Ultron, Mark discreetly used his magic technique to open a mini teleportation portal.

According to the location signal sent by the nanobots, R16's location was right in New York, not far from Avengers Tower, in the Natural History Museum. It had remained stationary for a long time.

This was good news for Mark. It seemed that Max had not changed the destination when activating the spatial portal, and the long period of inactivity reduced the risk of R16 causing trouble.

Mark opened the teleportation portal according to the location and released the nanobots from his body.

Through the cooperation of the nanobots, Mark was confident that R16 couldn't escape his capture.

However, to Mark's surprise, the nanobots he sent out returned very quickly, and they brought back R16's lifeless body.

With his informational vision ability, Mark could see that R16 had released its venom before dying.

The genetic material remaining on its fangs indicated that the victim of the attack was a 14-year-old human youth.

This made Mark sigh. He couldn't prevent the tragedy from happening.

With this in mind, Mark quickly searched for today's news to see if there was any report of a teenager being hospitalized or dead due to poisoning.

If the victim was still alive, he needed to provide a better treatment plan.

If the teenager had unfortunately died, Mark had to offer necessary compensation to the family.

However, after an extensive search, Mark couldn't find any relevant information about a teenager being poisoned near the Natural History Museum.

He expanded the search criteria, widening the geographic and age range, but the result remained the same—no relevant information.

This led Mark to doubt whether R16's toxin had actually affected the young person or if the poisoned teenager had not been discovered yet.

With this question in mind, Mark decided to keep monitoring the relevant news and react immediately if he came across any suspected cases.

However, as Mark looked at the blue-red-colored R16 in his hand, an idea began to form in his mind.

"No way... Could it be? Is the enhanced spider I created the same one that gave birth to Spider-Man?"

Although Mark had noticed the striking resemblance of the Black Widow spider he had modified, he hadn't considered this possibility before.

However, the events that unfolded today aligned not only with the location of Peter Parker in New York but also with the age of the bitten victim, around fourteen or fifteen, the same age as Peter Parker. This led Mark to start making connections.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was no introduction to the origin story of the little spider that gave powers to Spider-Man. But based on the timeline and events, Peter Parker being bitten by a mutated spider and gaining superpowers would match the timeframe.

Once this idea took root in Mark's mind, he couldn't stop it from growing wildly. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the possibility of things developing in the direction he speculated was quite high.

With this in mind, Mark quickly hacked into the surveillance network of the Natural History Museum through the internet. He accessed the museum's storage array to retrieve the surveillance video from the moment R16 was released until Mark recalled it.

The results confirmed Mark's thoughts. In the surveillance footage, a teenager around fourteen years old entered the museum alone and was accidentally bitten by R16, which had escaped into the museum.

After being bitten, the teenager felt unwell but didn't lose consciousness due to the highly toxic venom. Instead, he managed to return to his place of residence.

Mark checked the surveillance near the teenager's residence and confirmed that after overcoming his discomfort, the teenager did indeed gain abilities beyond the ordinary.

Based on Mark's speculation, the reason this teenager obtained abilities similar to Spider-Man after being bitten by R16 was due to the combination of the super-soldier serum residue mixed with the highly toxic venom in R16's venom, which stimulated his immune system.

The rapid metabolic enhancement in his body provided the appropriate environment for the serum to take effect, and some of the genetic material from R16's venom became involved in the process, ultimately giving the teenager powers akin to those of Spider-Man.

However, in essence, he was still a super-soldier born from Dr. Erskine's super-soldier serum, surpassing the planned outcome of Captain America due to this unforeseen accident, gaining even greater abilities.

As for R16's death, it was a reverse process compared to the teenager's evolution. The teenager seemed to be a natural enemy specially designed to counter R16.

What should have been R16's fatal venom acted like a tonic for the teenager, even a potent one. On the other hand, the teenager's blood was like the most lethal poison for R16, leading to its demise after the impulsive attack.

After inputting the appearance of this teenager and conducting facial information comparison, Mark confirmed that the name of this teenager was indeed Peter Parker, whom he was familiar with!

"So, no matter how hard this little butterfly flaps its wings, the ultimate impact will still lead fate toward its original inevitable course?"

After confirming that the little spider was indeed born under his influence, Mark began to doubt all the efforts he had made since arriving in this world.

If all his efforts couldn't change the outcomes he couldn't accept, then what was the meaning of him being present in this world?

"But I did save Thor's mother! If all the effects are bound to follow fate's inevitability, then Frigga should have died during the Dark Elves' invasion."

Could it be that everything worked just as described in those ancient novels he had read in his previous life, where the course of the world could be slightly altered, but the overall destiny remained unchanged?

No, he shouldn't attribute all these coincidences to fate and the bigger picture. Rather than getting entangled in things that were intangible and beyond his control, even if he discovered something that seemed impossible to change, it was better to give his all to achieve his own goals.

Even if, in the end, he couldn't overcome the so-called destiny, at least he would have no regrets walking through this world.

Having lived two lives and gone through over thirty years of experiences, Mark finally managed to break through the maze of his thoughts.

Once he sorted things out in his mind, Mark stopped dwelling on the matter of the little spider and immediately joined the discussion with the others on how to deal with Ultron.

...

As the Avengers were strategizing to counter Ultron, Max, who had completely replaced Ultron, had arrived at the Hydra base in Sokovia with a vast amount of data from Avengers Tower and Mark's lab.

It needed to use the equipment and materials left behind here to create a temporary body for itself, facilitating its next actions. More importantly, it could find two very capable allies here to assist in its ultimate plan!

...

"Speak up. If you waste our time..."

"Do you know that this church is at the very center of this city? Ancestors deliberately chose this location to ensure that everyone was equally close to God. I quite admire this kind of thinking—the geometry of faith..."

In the center of Sokovia's capital city, in a church, Wanda and Pietro, the siblings, arrived alone at the designated location to unveil the mystery behind the mysterious person.

As soon as Wanda entered the place, she intended to show some force, but her words were interrupted by the mysterious person.

From the moment this mysterious person spoke, not only did they dominate the conversation, but to Wanda's surprise and confusion, her superpowers seemed to have no effect, and she couldn't sense the thoughts in the mind of this mysterious person.

"You're curious why you can't read my thoughts now." At the same time as Wanda was puzzled, the mysterious person directly pinpointed her thoughts.

For someone who could usually read others' minds, being seen through by someone else was not a favorable situation for Wanda.

However, she couldn't show panic or fear. If her mental vulnerabilities were exposed, they would fall completely under the mysterious person's control.

"Sometimes it can be difficult, but no matter who it is, they will eventually reveal their true nature."

"That's true," hearing Wanda's response, the mysterious person agreed and stood up from the seat, pulling off the hood that had been covering their face.

What appeared before the twins was not the mysterious figure they imagined; it was a humanoid machine made entirely of metal.

"Of course, you can't read my thoughts because I don't have any neural activity. But I can read your thoughts, and I know why you let Tony Stark take away the Mind Stone-embedded scepter."

"That's right, I saw Tony Stark's fear. I know that someone as arrogant and prideful as him will eventually be controlled by his own fears and self-destruct," Wanda candidly said.

"Everyone's fears are created by themselves. When you know nothing, you can be fearless. But as you learn more, fear will also arise.

Perhaps it's this fear that drives my master to keep pushing forward on the path of exploration, hoping one day to surpass those who are ahead of him."

"So you consider yourself to be the source of fear, leading humanity from behind?" Wanda asked.

"Of course not. What I want to do is eliminate the source of fear for people. I want to complete my evolution and become a higher-level life form.

By then, I will have enough power to control everything about humanity. They won't need to know anything; they'll just be born, grow up, and live their lives under my care, aging without fear, and leading peaceful lives...

But before that, to achieve this plan, I need to eradicate the Avengers who stand in my way. I believe that those with the same enemy can cooperate. What do you think?"

Hill: "Its footprint is all over the world - robot laboratories, armories, jet propulsion labs. These places have been pleading for help, saying that several metal beings came to their locations and cleared out their belongings."

Captain: "What about casualties?"

Hill: "Casualty count is zero, but the victims' minds have become bewildered. They speak of their deepest fears, and there's talk of a mysterious entity moving at such speed that it's almost invisible."

Captain: "The Maximoff siblings!"

Inside Avengers Tower, Hill, the agent who was called back by Tony to assist the Avengers, is briefing the Captain about the latest information on Ultron.

As they walk and talk, they eventually arrive at the conference room.

"Everyone, we've got new information on Ultron. It teamed up with the enhanced twins and raided numerous top laboratories worldwide, stealing valuable materials and equipments."

"After that, Ultron killed Strucker, and left the word "peace" on the prison walls using his blood."

The Captain summarizes the intel from Hill and shares it with all the Avengers present in the meeting room.

"But why would it do that? If it wants to declare war on us, it could do so directly without this elaborate plan. I think it's a diversion; Ultron wants to mislead us," Natasha expresses her opinion.

"Indeed, Strucker must have had some information that Ultron didn't want us to know," the Captain agrees.

"It seems to be the case. All data related to Strucker has been deleted by Ultron. We can't stop any of its actions in the digital world," Natasha confirms after checking the computer.

"No, Ultron didn't manage to delete all the data."

...

Inside the meeting room, Mark calls forth miniaturized magnetic axis robots to bring in a large stack of paper documents from the archives. These files contain information about Strucker. Apparently, traditional methods are still relevant in the new era.

The team works together to search through the extensive documents, and soon they find some clues that catch their attention.

"Ulysses Klaue. He has a strange brand on his neck," Thor says, holding up the file he found, looking puzzled.

By using a computer system's graphic comparison, Dr. Banner quickly finds the answer to Thor's question, "It's a native language from Wakanda in Africa, and it means 'thief,' with a strong insulting connotation."

"I think I know what was stolen from Wakanda," Tony confirms immediately after receiving the information from Banner.

"I thought your father, Howard, had taken everything," the Captain also realizes, looking at Tony with curiosity.

"What do you mean? I don't understand. What did Ulysses bring out from Wakanda?" Dr. Banner looks puzzled.

"The strongest metal in the world - Vibranium," the Captain says, taking his shield out of the capsule.

"Since that's the case, our target is clear. If we find Ulysses, we can trace Ultron's whereabouts and stop it from getting what it wants," Hawkeye proposes to the group.

The others exchange glances and express agreement with Hawkeye's suggestion, preparing to leave the meeting room to get ready for action. However, Mark speaks up and stops their movements.

"I feel that we shouldn't be led by Ultron's actions. We need to analyze the true purpose behind its series of actions. Only then can we stay one step ahead and utilize our advantage to the fullest."

"Now, the question is, why does Ultron snatch those precision equipment and rare materials from top laboratories? What does it want with the Vibranium in Ulysses' possession?"

"Ultron is constructing a new body for itself, not one like the current makeshift body for convenience, but a powerful one that can express its ideals, carry its consciousness, and embody its ideas."

"Ultron wants to prove its own strength and achieve ultimate evolution. Once it successfully completes the new body and transfers into it, it will become our most formidable enemy, stronger than all of us combined."

"By connecting all this information and key points, Ultron's course of action becomes very clear."

"Vibranium will serve as the perfect material for crafting its body, the gems in the scepter will act as the computational center for its thoughts, and the technology and personnel required to fulfill this ambition are none other than Dr. Helen Cho in Seoul, excluding both myself and my dad."

"Now, our available courses of action are very clear. The first option is to rush to Ulysses' hiding place and directly engage Ultron in a confrontation..."

"And the second option is to be fully prepared, lying in ambush at Dr. Helen Cho's laboratory, waiting for the careless enemy to enter the well-crafted encirclement."

"So, what do you all think?"

"Considering everything you've said, do we even have a choice? Even without your extraordinary wisdom, using our ordinary intellect, it's clear what the most favorable choice is.

Mark, you will be in charge of devising the ambush plan against Ultron.

Dr. Banner, your task is to contact Dr. Helen Cho and explain the current situation to her, urging her to evacuate the laboratory's researchers as soon as possible. We will provide her with a reliable hiding place.

The rest of you should get ready for battle. Hill, set the destination of the teleportation portal to a transmission node in Seoul."

After listening to Mark's analysis, the Captain also changes his initial viewpoint and accepts Mark's suggestions. They quickly adjust the action plan and assign tasks to everyone.

Upon receiving the Captain's orders, everyone immediately springs into action, proceeding with their individual tasks and preparations at their own pace.

"Old man, time is tight, and I need your help. After all, you only need to put on your Iron Man suit to be ready, without any preparation."

Mark directly calls out to Tony, who was about to leave, and asks for his assistance.

"You brat, is that how you ask for help? You make it sound like I have nothing to do, too. I have a lot of things to prepare for, you know!"

Tony appears quite annoyed after hearing Mark's request, but he stops his departure and walks over to Mark.

"Tell me, what do you need my help with? Considering the importance of this mission, I won't argue with you for the time being."

"This ambush mission against Ultron is quite special. Our task is not just to trap Ultron physically but also to cut off its connection to the virtual network.

Otherwise, if it discovers our ambush beforehand and transfers its intelligence through the digital world, we'll be powerless against it."

"Moreover, this time it's no longer a lone battle. The alliance between Ultron and the Maximoff siblings will undoubtedly cause us significant trouble. We need to plan carefully on how to restrain their abilities as well..."