Renzo stared blankly at the figure reflected in the glass. He raised a hand to his face uncertainly—and sure enough, the reflection did the same.
No matter how he tried to rationalize it, he couldn't believe it. Struck by lightning, transported into another world—and not just any world, but Marvel.
Most importantly, he hadn't just arrived here… he had become Vision—the man who died twice.
"Unbelievable..."
He gently touched his face. It felt cold and smooth.
Beyond the glass, the city stretched out in a sea of lights, brilliant and alive.
Avengers Tower stood tall, surrounded by traffic and glowing streets.
Renzo silently took it all in. This was New York—the center of the modern world.
Behind him, Thor slowly lowered Mjolnir but didn't dare move too far from Vision. The others had already descended from the lab, watching as Renzo admired the view.
No one acted rashly—not even Tony Stark. No one knew whether the being before them was friend or foe, nor what his true capabilities were. If he stood against Ultron, reckless action would only increase casualties.
After all, they weren't time travelers. They weren't observers with foreknowledge. They could only remain on guard, watching Renzo carefully. If he showed the slightest hostility toward humanity, the assembled Avengers would strike without hesitation.
But that was only their assumption. Vision would not be so easy to subdue.
Renzo slowly turned around, letting out a quiet sigh. It seemed he wasn't going back. Since he was here, he would have to accept it.
He descended gently until his feet touched the ground. The sensation felt no different from when he had been human. Ultron's technology far surpassed anything from his previous world—perhaps by centuries, or perhaps the two worlds simply weren't comparable at all.
"I'm sorry. I'm just… a little… disoriented."
Renzo spoke apologetically. He knew exactly how events were supposed to unfold, but just to be safe, it was better to follow the original course for now.
A butterfly effect could easily spiral out of control.
"Thank you."
Renzo turned to Thor and spoke with sincerity. Without the power of lightning infused into his body, he might never have awakened.
His gaze flickered briefly to Thor's cloak. Almost unconsciously, he tapped into the Mind Stone's power. A golden cape formed behind him, draping over his shoulders.
There was no deeper reason—he simply thought it looked better.
"Thor, you helped create him?" Steve Rogers asked, disbelief written across his face.
"I saw a vision," Thor said, his tone grave. "A swirling vortex that consumed all hope of life. At its center… was him."
He pointed at Renzo—more precisely, at the gem on his forehead.
"That is the Mind Stone—one of the six Infinity Stones. It holds immense power, beyond anything in the universe. Its destructive potential is unmatched."
"Then why would you—"
"Because Stark is right," Thor interrupted firmly. "The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron alone."
Renzo silently agreed. Without Vision, defeating Ultron would be incredibly difficult. But if Vision were to fall into Ultron's control…
A chill ran through him as he recalled the apocalyptic future he had seen.
"Why does he sound like JARVIS?" Steve asked, frowning.
"A new entity," Tony stepped forward, answering. "We used JARVIS's framework as a base and rebuilt it into something… more."
"You're wary of me," Renzo said calmly. "Do you think I'm Ultron's son?"
"Aren't you?" Steve countered.
"I'm not Ultron. I'm not JARVIS. I'm just… myself."
Renzo hesitated slightly. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure what he was anymore. His mind functioned like a supercomputer, containing fragments of both Ultron and JARVIS.
But because of the Mind Stone, he could feel—like a real human being.
Even though he had once been one.
Now, he wasn't.
Renzo looked around at the Avengers. The suspicion in their eyes hadn't faded. Beneath it lay something deeper—fear, hostility.
The same look they would give Ultron.
A faint bitterness rose in his chest.
"I saw extinction in your mind," Wanda said, stepping forward, her eyes glowing faintly.
Before the tension could escalate, Clint Barton moved in front of her.
"Her judgment isn't always reliable."
"Their powers, their fears—even Ultron himself—all originate from the Mind Stone," Thor explained solemnly. "Compared to the energy it contains, everything else is insignificant."
"If he's on our side…"
"Wait," Steve cut in, his gaze fixed on Renzo. "Are you on our side?"
At that, every Avenger focused on him. Their expressions were equally serious. Renzo could see it clearly—suspicion, vigilance, doubt.
An invisible pressure settled over him.
In his previous life, he had dreamed countless times of fighting alongside the Avengers—becoming a hero, saving lives, earning admiration.
Yet in just a few minutes in this world, he had faced more suspicion than in his entire life before.
His thoughts raced at incredible speed, yet he no longer felt a heartbeat.
"I…"
Renzo opened his mouth, but what surfaced instead were the memories of Vision's future—killed by the woman he loved, the Mind Stone torn from his forehead by Thanos. Even in death, his body would be dissected and turned into a weapon.
He hesitated.
He wanted to stand with humanity, to fight alongside the Avengers against what was coming.
But… were these humans truly worth it?
If he had been born in this world—if he truly were Vision—perhaps he wouldn't hesitate.
But he wasn't.
"I stand on my own side," Renzo said calmly. "And I stand on the side of life."
"You're saying you're above life?" Steve pressed.
"On the contrary, Captain," Renzo met Steve's gaze without flinching, "I believe I am life itself. Not artificial intelligence. I'm different from them. Different from Ultron. I…"
He paused, then spoke clearly—
"I am human."
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