Chapter 291: The Shadow Knights Reappear!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Infinite shadows rose from the surroundings, gradually solidifying into Shadow Ninjas. Their crimson eyes glowed in unison as they drew shuriken from their robes.
"An impressive ability," Ultron remarked, waving a hand with cold indifference.
His robot sentries swarmed forward immediately. The Shadow Ninjas leaped into the air, engaging the machines in a frantic melee. These were the standard humanoid ninjas, but they were far from fragile.
Bam! Boom! Crash!
However, several ninjas were soon dissipated into black mist under the heavy impacts of the metallic droids.
"Sigh..." Silas massaged his forehead. Talk about being embarrassed right after showing off.
"Is that it?" Ultron sneered.
Silas cracked his neck, looking at the robots surrounding him.
"Give me the Scepter," Ultron demanded, reaching out. He needed that stone.
Silas ignored him, muttering to himself, "You know, I actually have a troop of knights."
"Come forth, Shadow Knight Corps!" Silas's lips curled into a smirk.
"HENSHIN!"
A layered sound effect echoed through the lab. Suddenly, dozens of Shadow Ninjas clad in strange, high-tech mechanical armor appeared before Ultron.
"Master said... he's going to break you!" Big Black, now wearing the Kabuto armor, said arrogantly to Ultron.
"All together now!" The Shadow Knights charged, clashing with the robots once more. This time, reinforced by the armor, a single kick from a Knight was enough to obliterate a sentry.
"Is that it?" Now it was Silas's turn to use the phrase.
"I told you, I hate you," Ultron growled. He knew he was no match for Silas. He had hoped to rely on his numbers, but now that his subordinates were being dismantled, his confidence in reclaiming the Scepter was waning.
Just as Ultron prepared to retreat, he spotted his allies. "Watch your back," he said.
Silas didn't hesitate; his Spider-Sense was already screaming in his mind.
Bang!
Pietro appeared where Silas had been standing, but Silas had already been knocked back by the sheer force of the collision.
"What's going on here?" Pietro panted.
"Hah!" Wanda used her Chaos Magic, thrusting her arms outward. Red energy surged forth, forcibly separating the Shadow Knights from the robots and tossing both sides away.
"The Scepter!" Wanda shouted, spotting it at Pietro's feet.
Pietro looked down, but just as he reached for it, he found himself slowly floating off the ground.
"Run from me again, I dare you," Silas said, stepping out from a pile of shattered glass.
"Let him go!" Wanda cried. Seeing Pietro controlled by Silas was more than she could stand. She unleashed a burst of Chaos Magic toward Silas.
Silas focused his gaze on Wanda, attempting to use the Rooster Talisman to halt the red energy. The two powers locked in a psychic struggle. Wanda strained, her hands trembling, but Silas found it even more difficult.
"The Rooster Talisman still isn't enough," Silas muttered before being sent flying backward again. The telekinetic hold on Pietro snapped, and gravity reclaimed the speedster, who landed steadily on the floor.
"We need to go somewhere else," Ultron said, grabbing the Scepter and turning to the twins.
Wanda and Pietro shared a look and nodded. "This Avenger is powerful. I can feel his will... it's very, very firm," Wanda said, her chest heaving with exhaustion.
Boom!
Silas reappeared instantly, kicking a heavy laboratory table across the room. It slammed into the exit, blocking the door firmly.
"Where do you think you're going?" Silas brushed dust off his shoulder.
The Mind Stone within the Scepter possessed its own consciousness and actively resisted being placed inside the Shadow Kingdom. It was like like-poles of a magnet; he simply couldn't store it there.
"You really are a nuisance!" Ultron lunged at Silas, shouting to Pietro, "Take the Scepter! I'll catch up later!"
"Go!" Wanda grabbed Pietro's arm.
Pietro nodded, handed the Scepter to Wanda, and scooped her up. Wanda blasted the lab table out of the way with her magic, and the duo sped out of the building toward the crowded train station.
"You're pretty annoying yourself!" Silas said, catching the twins' escape out of the corner of his eye.
"Don't get distracted!" Ultron threw a punch at Silas.
Silas caught the fist in his palm and, with raw strength, twisted Ultron's arm a full ninety degrees.
"Ugh!" Ultron was shocked. How could Silas be this strong? This was a high-grade alloy body, yet Silas had bent it like tin. To do that would require at least a hundred tons of grip strength.
Crash!
Just then, a familiar figure crashed through the window: Captain America, Steve Rogers!
"The Captain is here," Ultron chuckled darkly.
"Destiny?" Steve stayed low, drawing his shield. He hadn't expected to see Silas here.
Only three Avengers were on this mission: Steve, Clint, and Natasha. Thor was off searching for "the truth," Stark was protecting the nuclear launch codes, and Banner was too overcome with guilt to show his face.
"Captain, perfect timing! Ultron is all yours!" Silas's eyes lit up. He grabbed Ultron's entire body and hurled him at Steve.
"What?!"
Bam!
Steve barely had time to react, raising his shield instinctively to block the incoming robot. The impact sent him flying into a wall.
Silas had full confidence in Steve's durability. Leaving Ultron to him, Silas immediately gave chase to Pietro.
"Don't you dare!" Ultron scrambled up, shaking his head. He tried to intercept Silas, but it was too late.
Steve leaped up from behind, locking his arms around Ultron's neck. "I don't know exactly what's happening, but stopping you is definitely the right move!"
"F***!" Ultron actually swore.
"Language," Steve grunted, putting all his strength into the hold.
Ultron calmly delivered a backward elbow to Steve's ribs, forcing him to let go. He then grabbed Steve's arm and slammed him into the ground. "Don't you know robots don't need to breathe, old timer?"
"You sound a lot like someone who needs a punch in the face," Steve retorted.
As they fought, Silas made it outside, hovering in the air. He quickly patched into the Avengers' comms.
"Agent Barton, did you see the twins just now?" Silas asked, searching the area from above.
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