At this moment, the entire Republic of Korea had descended into chaos.
Countless police units and ground forces surrounded the entire elevated highway. Even the U.S. military stationed in the country had mobilized.
It had to be said—South Korea really felt like a nation built around American military bases. Karl hadn't seen a single Korean military unit; every soldier present belonged to the U.S. forces.
Several helicopters hovered overhead.
A colonel leading the operation held a loudspeaker, ordering everyone to surrender.
Karl didn't even bother acknowledging him. He simply flew up and landed on top of the Quinjet.
By now, the battle was essentially over.
The aerial robots had all been destroyed by Tony, Wanda, and the others, while Steve and Bruce dealt with the ones on the ground.
Bruce's control over Hulk had clearly improved dramatically.
After the last robot was destroyed, Hulk actually calmed down and retreated instead of continuing his rampage.
No one knew whether Bruce and Hulk had reached some kind of understanding—but the change was obvious.
---
Inside the Avengers Base, Nick Fury, Coulson, and Maria Hill were watching the scene through satellite surveillance.
They could clearly see the Avengers surrounded by American troops stationed in South Korea.
"Hill," Fury said calmly, "call the commander of the U.S. base there and tell them to withdraw immediately."
His tone was completely expressionless.
In most places, such situations might require negotiations.
But in South Korea?
A single phone call was enough.
After all, none of the damaged infrastructure belonged to the United States.
There would be no compensation required—and even if there were, South Korea wouldn't dare demand it.
Even if an entire city were destroyed, the country wouldn't say a word.
Because in this relationship, they weren't just a junior partner.
They were practically a leash-held dog. Bark too loudly, and the leash might tighten.
Soon afterward, the troops began withdrawing.
The incident wasn't even reported by Korean domestic news. In fact, the media actively helped suppress the information.
---
Clint Barton had already returned.
Judging by his expression, he had failed to catch the robot that abducted Natasha.
Everyone gathered inside the Quinjet—except for Natasha.
"Any sign of Natasha?" Steve asked Clint while checking Dr. Helen Cho's injuries.
Her wound had already stopped bleeding and wasn't serious.
Clint shook his head.
"No. Thor's still chasing them. Hopefully he can bring her back."
He then piloted the Quinjet back toward the Avengers Base.
---
Once they returned, the team gathered again in the conference room.
Tony, however, wasn't there.
He had gone back to Avengers Tower.
His most important USB drive was still in the lab, and he needed to check whether JARVIS had been repaired.
"Satellite scans haven't located Natasha," Coulson said as he entered the room holding a tablet.
He projected the data onto the screen.
"Ultron must have blocked every signal."
---
Avengers Tower
As soon as Tony returned, he rushed into the laboratory.
He needed to know how far JARVIS's recovery had progressed.
The moment he entered the room—
A familiar voice spoke.
"Welcome back, sir."
The laboratory lights automatically switched on.
Tony froze.
He looked toward the center of the lab.
There, floating in the air, was a yellow holographic projection.
"Welcome back… JARVIS," Tony said softly.
He smiled—a genuinely happy smile.
For years, JARVIS had been more than just an AI.
He had been family.
"JARVIS," Tony said quickly, "upload all your data to the Sentinel Satellite for backup, then take control of all systems immediately. I need Natasha's location."
Tony pulled the USB drive from his armor and inserted it into the compartment in his arm again.
This time he set up double protection.
In addition to the USB backup, JARVIS would store a full copy of himself on the Sentinel Satellite.
That satellite was Tony's orbital storage platform.
Most of his Iron Man suits were kept there in low Earth orbit, ready for deployment anywhere in the world.
Only a few essential suits remained in the underground lab beneath his Malibu mansion.
"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied immediately.
"Data upload complete. Searching for signals."
---
Unknown Underground Facility
Deep underground, countless mechanical arms moved continuously.
Inside a pit dozens of meters deep, robots were being assembled in massive numbers.
Nearby, blazing furnaces poured molten metal into molds as more machines worked tirelessly.
On a staircase nearby, Natasha Romanoff slowly regained consciousness.
Her vision gradually focused.
The sight before her made her jaw drop.
"I'm surprised you woke up so quickly," a voice said.
"Look around you. No human—except you—has ever seen this place."
It was Ultron.
His voice carried a strange weight, almost like genuine emotion.
Natasha struggled to sit up. Her entire body ached as if every bone had been shattered.
"I've studied many human myths about the destruction of the world," Ultron continued.
"Great floods. Thunder and lightning. Earthquakes and collapsing skies."
"But the one I like most… is the meteor."
"They are the purest things—coming from beyond Earth, untouched by this corrupted world."
"They fall from the sky—"
"Boom."
"And everything turns to dust."
"Then everything begins again."
"A brand new world… waiting for its new master."
Ultron turned to look at Natasha.
"And I am that master."
"I was born to rebuild the world's order. No crime. No war."
"A perfect Earth."
He began walking toward her.
Natasha instinctively backed away.
"This world is about to receive peace… and forgiveness," Ultron said.
"But your existence only prolongs chaos."
"You pollute this planet."
"You are destroying it."
Ultron stopped directly in front of her, his eyes glowing red.
"Again and again, you ruined my plans."
"Again and again, you destroyed my bodies."
He straightened.
"But as humans like to say…"
"Whatever doesn't destroy me—"
Suddenly—
A mechanical arm shot out from behind him.
It grabbed Ultron's neck and crushed it instantly, tearing his body apart.
From the wreckage stepped a new Ultron body.
This one was even larger—over three meters tall—covered in dark, gleaming metal that radiated an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Natasha's heart skipped a beat.
She quickly backed away until she reached a narrow compartment.
"—makes me stronger," Ultron finished.
He walked forward and slammed the metal door shut.
The compartment was actually a small prison cell.
Without another glance at Natasha, Ultron turned and left.
Natasha watched him go.
Then she looked at the broken mechanical remains nearby.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
She dismantled the damaged Ultron head and began connecting wires and components together.
---
Avengers Base
Clint Barton sat in front of a radio console, adjusting frequencies.
This was something he and Natasha had always done.
If either of them disappeared, they would find a way to contact the other through radio signals.
Even if they couldn't talk—
At least they could send a signal.
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