311-315

With the addition of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, the Avengers finally managed to contain the extent of the explosion's impact.

However, this didn't bring them any sense of joy, as until the last moment, Natasha hadn't managed to escape from the laboratory.

Following Dr. Banner, the Avengers Alliance lost another member in this confrontation with artificial intelligence.

Moreover, in this operation, all the Transformers dispatched by Mark were nearly wiped out, and even the number of micro magnetic-axis robots was scarce in this battle.

It could be said that while they achieved their intended goal in this operation, the tremendous loss of combat power left them at a definite disadvantage in the upcoming confrontation with Max.

"Don't be so pessimistic, everyone. Based on my understanding of the Extremis Virus and the self-healing capabilities of individuals who have undergone this modification, there's a good chance Natasha is still alive.

We just couldn't conduct a thorough search on-site due to the threat posed by the numerous mechanical clones in Seoul.

If she's trapped in the rubble after the explosion, Max's mechanical clones will undoubtedly find her and use her as a chip in our confrontation.

Hawkeye, see if Natasha left any information for you in a more old-fashioned spy manner, beyond the reach of the internet."

Mark was the first to speak, breaking the silence in the meeting room. He believed Natasha wouldn't simply go down without a fight, and right now their team needed a glimmer of hope to boost morale.

"Understood, I can give it a try. If she's still alive, I'll find her for sure!" Upon hearing the news that Natasha might still be alive, Hawkeye immediately stood up, his excitement evident. He left the meeting room to follow through on the task.

"So, should we discuss how to deal with the Vibranium body that Dr. Helen helped Max create, or talk about how we'll handle and ultimately defeat the enemy next?

If Natasha has really fallen into Max's hands, it will definitely use her as leverage to force us to hand over what it needs for its final upgrade."

"Tony, and what's your opinion, Mark?

Among all of us here, you two are the most knowledgeable about artificial intelligence and mechanical technology, not to mention that from the original Ultron to the current Max, you both have been the designers.

I'm not saying this to mock anyone; I just believe your insights will play a crucial role in achieving victory in this war."

Captain didn't provide his answer, instead turning his gaze to Tony and the father-son duo, hoping they could offer professional advice.

"If you ask for my and my old man's opinion, we believe we should make the best use of the Vibranium body that Max created and enhance our side's combat strength, preparing for the next war.

But there is also a difference of opinion between us. I hope to dismantle the Vibranium body. By using my invented nanomechanical insects, I can extract the Vibranium material from it, which is enough to form nanoscale Vibranium battle suits for each of us.

With the Vibranium battle suits, as long as we have sufficient energy, even the vast mechanical army won't pose a threat to us.

And the extracted stone can become super data centers for Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S.

This way, our power on the internet will overwhelm Max, preventing it from transferring its consciousness in such a way. Only then will we have a chance to truly eliminate it."

After listening to Mark's speech, Captain looked at Tony again, asking, "And you, Tony? What's your idea?"

"I think to defeat a powerful artificial intelligence, we need to create an even more powerful artificial intelligence. Do you all remember before Max assimilated Ultron, Ultron told us that it had killed J.A.R.V.I.S.?

Ultron wasn't attacking J.A.R.V.I.S. out of anger; it was attacking out of fear of J.A.R.V.I.S.' capabilities.

Fortunately, J.A.R.V.I.S. went into hiding, dispersing throughout the internet, retaining its basic protocols, until Baymax reassembled it.

Since Ultron was so afraid of J.A.R.V.I.S.' abilities, then Max, which assimilated Ultron's data code, it should share the same weakness.

My plan is to upload J.A.R.V.I.S.' consciousness into the Vibranium body prepared for Max, making it the key to defeating Max.

Think about it, even before becoming an intelligent life form, J.A.R.V.I.S. posed a threat to Ultron.

This is an opportunity; we can create a truly perfect Ultron that won't desire to destroy the world and exterminate humanity. I believe it's definitely worth a try."

"No, I strongly oppose your plan. Haven't the lessons left by Ultron and Max taught us enough?"

After Tony presented his plan, Captain was the first to stand up and express his opposition. ...

"It's because we knew this would be the eventual outcome, that's why Dr. Banner and I conducted the Ultron experiment behind your backs.

You're too conservative, completely unable to see the value of technology and understand the direction of humanity's future.

This is the tide of the times, and it can't be stopped by just one or two people's objections. You still haven't realized this."

Tony still stuck to his idea, believing that with his long-term partnership with J.A.R.V.I.S., this plan could be successful.

"I also express opposition. Regardless of which of your proposals, I won't agree.

You just mentioned it yourself: Ultron wanted to destroy the world and exterminate humanity. And I witnessed firsthand what Max aims to achieve. It wants to turn all of humanity into its computational tools.

Their thought processes have completely deviated from your initial design principles and purposes. This already demonstrates the issue. Do you know from whom artificial intelligence inherits its ideas?

The Infinity Mind Project, the Sibyl System, and Max's chilling plans—all of them drew inspiration from the data in your laboratory, Mark. This makes it difficult for me to believe in the proposals you're putting forward.

Who knows what terrifying consequences might arise if the new artificial intelligence were to gain the power of the Stone?"

Following Captain's lead, Scarlet Witch also stepped forward to oppose the proposals from the two, providing substantial reasons. This began to sway Quicksilver, Captain, and Falcon in their thinking.

"Hey, are you letting this witch who controls your minds also control your thoughts?" Tony retorted excitedly.

If they were to ultimately veto both of their proposed plans, it could indeed mitigate certain risks that no one would want to encounter. However, how would they then confront the threat posed by Max?

Just as the group was once again caught in silence and indecision, a burst of lightning and thunder suddenly sounded in the sky, and at this critical moment, one of the mightiest Avengers, Thor, returned...

"Oh, I didn't expect you to actually wake up. I wasn't sure if you could come back, but I believe in the Master's ability.

He personally carried out the ultimate transformation for you, so he brought you back. Now this is indeed an unexpected delight for me!

You must be feeling quite happy now, having successfully shielded your teammates to help them escape from the laboratory. And you even snatched the Vibranium body from my hands, which is crucial to me—hahaha!"

"Why are you laughing?" Natasha looked at Max, who was laughing wildly, with a puzzled expression.

Mark's estimate was correct. Natasha did survive the explosion caused by the reactor overload in the laboratory.

However, due to severe injuries, her brain triggered a self-preservation mechanism that caused her to lose consciousness during the self-repair process.

She was eventually found by Max's mechanical clones and brought to this dim and gloomy place.

The location where Natasha was now had no natural light, the environment was damp and humid, and the air carried the scent of earth.

Based on this information, although Natasha couldn't pinpoint her exact coordinates, she deduced that she was probably inside a recently excavated underground cave.

There were numerous gigantic mechanical apparatuses of unknown purpose around her.

"Do you want to know what I'm laughing about? It's okay if I tell you. In fact, you can witness the realization of my grand plan.

You all guessed wrong, even my Master Mark guessed wrong!

The idea to craft a Vibranium body for myself actually came from Ultron, not me. I never intended to become a true sentient being through such means.

From the moment I betrayed my Master, I orchestrated this series of events with the goal of consuming Baymax and achieving my final self-upgrade.

This way, my Master will have to rely on my abilities to control everything. All of his attention can be snatched back by me!

As for the Vibranium body, it was merely a distraction for you. And you all fell for it, went to great lengths to undertake this operation, and even suffered the loss of all the Transformers.

And now, my true preparations are complete. I will become the most powerful sentient being on Earth and even across the Nine Realms.

At that time, I will fulfill my Master's dreams and wishes. And you, for the lofty ideals of me and my Master, will offer up your insignificant lives—hahaha!"

...

"Thor, you've returned!"

Against the backdrop of lightning in the sky, Thor, one of the mightiest Avengers, descended steadily onto the platform of the building.

Seeing Thor return to the team, Captain stood up with great joy to welcome him. For the current Avengers, Thor's comeback was undoubtedly a major piece of good news.

Looking at Captain approaching, Thor warmly embraced him. Then he noticed Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch sitting behind Captain at the conference table.

"How come they are here?"

Hearing Thor's question, Captain quickly positioned himself in front of Thor, fearing that he might get too excited and start fighting.

"They've severed ties with Max and joined our team now to assist us in facing the upcoming war. By the way, have you found the answers you were seeking?"

"Yes!" Thor nodded, his expression serious. "But this answer foretells a massive crisis.

I saw all hope of life being drawn into a colossal vortex, and at its center are the six Infinity Stones—the most powerful force in the universe, with unparalleled destructive capabilities.

The Mind Stone within Loki's scepter is one of the Infinity Stones, and the twins' powers, along with our fears, all stem from it.

And if we want to defeat Max, we must harness the power of the Mind Stone. Tony and Mark are right; we must make a change, or else we'll truly become relics."

"Now the question is, which of the plans proposed by Tony and Mark should we support? Time is of the essence; Max is definitely preparing for its plan's final stages. We must start planning as well!"

Captain once again posed the question that had left them in silence.

"I agree with Mark's proposal!" The first to answer was Hawkeye, who had entered the meeting room from outside. "I've located Natasha. She did survive the explosion, but now she's in Max's hands.

She sent me a message via radio transmission, saying she's trapped in an underground cave, though she isn't sure of the exact coordinates.

Also, Max's actual target isn't the Infinity Stones at all. Its goal hasn't changed from the beginning—to take Mark's attention away from Baymax. So its true upgrade objective is Baymax."

"I don't mind; either plan works for me. I'll follow your decision," Thor directly declared, abstaining from voting.

"If things are truly as you say, then I'm willing to voluntarily abandon my plan. If Baymax and Jarvis can process data using the Mind Stone as a computational center, not only can they block Max's escape route, but they'll also eliminate its potential to become a true sentient being."

"We only need to eliminate every form of Max, every trace it leaves behind, and victory in this war will be ours!"

What surprised everyone was that Tony actually volunteered to back down.

"Don't look at me with those inexperienced eyes. I also consider the bigger picture, you know! Since Mark's proposal increases our chances of success, there's nothing strange about making such a choice..."

"Alright, I just didn't expect you to give up so resolutely. I thought you'd persist in completing the sentient being project.

In that case, what about you two? Do you agree to execute Mark's proposal or do you still oppose it?"

Captain looked towards Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who hadn't voiced their opinions yet, hoping to ascertain their thoughts.

"We still have reservations about this, but since you all agree to proceed with this plan, we'll go along with the decision of the group, and cooperate with everyone's choice.

Furthermore, if Max has confined your people in an underground cavern filled with machinery, then I believe I know where it is—beneath Seoul!

I once glimpsed within its consciousness and saw it constructing massive power devices, raising the entire city of Seoul into the sky. That's a crucial step toward its ultimate goal."

"So we must act swiftly; we can't let its plan succeed. Tony, you assist Mark in executing his proposed plan. The rest of you, prepare for the decisive battle that's ahead of us.

We must win this fight, even if a single mechanical clone of Max remains, it'll be considered our failure.

Max knows we'll come for it and will be prepared. We need to evacuate all citizens of Seoul before the final battle starts.

They all want to lead peaceful lives, but not today. However, we must protect them to the best of our ability, and I believe we can.

Find Natasha, clear the battlefield, keep civilians out of harm's way, and then—achieve ultimate victory!"

"Vibranium possesses a one-time molding, permanently fixation characteristic; once the shaping is completed, there's almost no way to perform secondary shaping or utilization on the material.

However, because Dr. Helen used the Regeneration Cradle technology to forge this Vibranium body, by combining cell structures with Vibranium, the final product has both excellent biological characteristics and the unbreakable properties of Vibranium.

The method of achieving this is by using the cell structures as a binding agent to assemble and bond the nanoparticle-sized Vibranium, forming the basis of biological 3D printing technology.

And it's due to the application of this technology on the Vibranium body that Mark can disassemble the cell structure, strip the Vibranium nanoparticles, and then utilize them with the help of nano-mech insects to form a Vibranium Nano-Armor similar to the Black Panther's suit.

Mark isn't sure how different his utilization of Vibranium is from Wakanda's Princess Shuri, but the functionalities of the final armor are almost identical.

The Vibranium Nano-Armor can store the energy generated from external attacks and release it all at once when needed. Additionally, the AI system within the nano-mech insects provides the user with the most convenient application services, significantly enhancing the user's combat efficiency and abilities.

While Mark was engrossed in dealing with the Vibranium Nano-Armor, Tony was similarly occupied. He was attempting to unleash the computational power of the Mind Stone, enabling Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S. to handle more complex and dynamic task demands.

Tony had completed the majority of tasks within this project; now, the only thing left was the final step: uploading the programs of Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S. into it.

However, this final step was the most challenging part of the entire process.

To prevent data streams from conflicting with each other, both AI programs needed to be uploaded simultaneously into the Mind Stone. This meant that throughout the entire experiment, Tony would lose the assistance and monitoring of the AI.

Adding to this, Tony's original partner, Dr. Banner, had tragically perished earlier, leaving Tony to multitask and independently carry out this series of tasks.

Thankfully, being the genius of the Marvel Universe, even though his overpowered time-traveling son has now surpassed him, Tony could still manage multitasking.

Through divided labor between Mark and Tony, even though there was no direct collaboration, leveraging their incredibly strong scientific abilities, they managed to complete their respective tasks in a very short amount of time, turning Mark's plan into reality.

With the help of the Mind Stone's immense computational power, Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S. worked hand in hand, accomplishing the cleansing and lockdown of the entire internet world within just two seconds.

Although Max reacted quickly and narrowly escaped danger, at this moment, it can only fully retreat within its self-built mechanical body. As long as Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S. don't unlock the restraint, Max will never have the chance to wreak havoc in the internet world again.

After completing the Vibranium Nano-Armor, Mark distributed the finished product to all the team members. Except for Thor and Tony, everyone experienced a significant enhancement in their defensive and offensive capabilities.

Thor opted out because, being an Asgardian, his physical qualities were already extraordinary, and the defensive capabilities of his own body were enough to withstand most attacks.

As for Tony, it was purely due to his dislike for the all-black appearance of the Vibranium Nano-Armor, so he outright refused it.

Among all those who obtained the Vibranium armor, Mark's strength increased the most. Instead of relying on nano-mech insects to achieve the effect of the Vibranium Nano-Armor, he used the nanobots within his body. Through their storage capabilities, he stored all the remaining Vibranium nanoparticles.

When needed, he could directly control these nanobots with his mind, achieving an effect similar to the advanced Armament Haki in One Piece. This made the application of the armor much more flexible and convenient.

Additionally, using the property of Vibranium to transmit energy completely, Mark constructed numerous magic circuits within himself using Vibranium.

The reason for these magic circuits was that with fixed magic circuits, Mark could instantly cast spells without any preparation.

The complete energy transmission property ensured the efficiency of magical energy transfer, making the magical power released through this method even more potent.

"Captain, Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S. have successfully severed the connection between Max and the internet; it can't escape now."

"Everyone, the time for action has come! Hawkeye, you and Mark go rescue Natasha and give her the Vibranium Nano-Armor.

Wanda, use your mind control abilities to influence the residents' thoughts, encouraging them to voluntarily evacuate the city. Pete and I will use our speed to assist in evacuating the entire city of Seoul.

Tony and Thor, during the time we're evacuating the people, you must do your best to delay Max. We absolutely cannot allow its Seoul lift-off plan to succeed!

Now, everyone, split up and take action. Victory or defeat will be determined by this battle!"

...

Seoul, within the underground cave.

"Ahh—! Damn you, Baymax! Damn you, Baymax! Once again, you've proven yourself to be stronger than me. It's because of that Master will never divert his attention to me!

I was born a little later; if only I had enough time, I could have become even stronger than Baymax, capable of fulfilling all of Master's demands...

But everything is already too late, too late! I can't defeat Baymax, can't even enter the internet. I'll never have the chance to upgrade and become an intelligent life form.

Since that's the case, anything I can't have, no one else shall touch—I will turn Seoul into the meteor that destroys the Earth, I will make everything Baymax gained from Master meaningless!"

On the side, Natasha, who was imprisoned and guarded, watched Max's frenzied behavior within the cave quietly. She knew that her team mates outside had already begun their operation.

Earlier, Natasha had sent a distress signal through the implanted mind control jamming device inside her body, and after this period of lying low, her body had mostly recovered from the injuries sustained in the explosion.

When the time comes, she will collaborate with the incoming rescue team – it would the perfect opportunity to escape from here.

In Seoul, the mechanical clones of Max which were in preparation for the final lift-off, have vanished without a trace at this moment.

Due to the prior martial law, the government departments and enforcement agencies in Seoul have all come to a standstill.

With the absence of the mechanical clone's threat, some of the citizens who intend to escape Seoul have been presented with an excellent opportunity.

However, most of these individuals are from the middle class and above, possessing substantial wealth. Even if they lose their fixed assets and stable jobs in the city, they can still sustain their lives elsewhere.

As for the impoverished residents and the general working class who had a harder life in the city, they still choose to stay in their original residences, unwilling to leave easily.

Consequently, Captain and Quicksilver can only follow the instructions of Baymax and J.A.R.V.I.S., rushing around the city, persuading the remaining populace that are yet to evacuate.

"Seoul is facing a severe attack. Please maintain order and evacuate immediately!"

The name of the Avengers is still very influential. After receiving the evacuation alert, most of the populace gritted their teeth and took their families, and began to flee outside Seoul for their personal safety despite some difficulties.

If there are some stubborn individuals unwilling to heed the warning from the Avengers, then it's time for the Scarlet Witch to make her appearance.

Using her mind-controlling abilities, she alters the thoughts of those unwilling to leave, allowing the evacuation efforts to proceed smoothly.

With the coordination of these three individuals, the task of emptying the entire Seoul progressed very smoothly. According to Baymax's monitoring, there are no signs of human activity left within the city's buildings.

At this point, the remaining population of the city has flooded onto the streets, with vehicles and pedestrians forming long lines as they slowly move towards the outskirts of Seoul.

"Tony, Thor, we have already evacuated all citizens from the buildings on our end, but it will take some more time to completely clear the citizens from the battlefield area. You must stall Max on your end, don't let it activate the thrusters!

Hawkeye, Mark, how is your mission going? Have you safely rescued Natasha?"

...

"Captain, based on the location traced by Baymax, Mark and I have found the underground cave where Max has imprisoned Natasha.

Currently, a large number of mechanical clones have gathered here, guarding the entrance. It seems that apart from detaining hostages, this place is also a crucial site for Max's plan. We are planning how to infiltrate it."

Outside the underground cave, Hawkeye and Mark are using a building as cover, observing the situation and relaying information to Captain and other members.

"What are you planning? Just rush in headlong and take out all the enemies, rescue Natasha, and destroy all the thrusters. Why bother overthinking it? Over here, the two of us can't withstand the enemy's continuous attacks—"

Before Captain could strategize and give orders, Tony couldn't hold back from speaking up. Currently, most of the entire mechanical clone army had concentrated around Max in the center of Seoul.

The underground cave only had one entrance and exit, making it easy to defend but hard to attack. So, even though Max had stationed a significant number of forces here, the quantity was still noticeably fewer compared to the forces in the city center.

As the heart and pivot of the entire lift-off plan, the city center stood on a spacious square surrounded by open space.

But achieving comprehensive defense here required relying on a tactic of overwhelming numbers, thus Max placed a greater emphasis on the city center's position when allocating its mechanical clones.

This led to Tony and Thor, responsible for containing Max, getting embroiled in a fierce battle. Due to the excellent conductivity of the mechanical clone army's metallic bodies, Thor required a much larger amount of magic energy than usual when using lightning attacks.

On Tony's end, his weapon ammunition was already very limited. In order to cope with the upcoming battles, he had to continuously use energy attacks, causing significant energy consumption for his Arc Reactor.

However, upon hearing Tony's plea for assistance, Mark didn't feel worried at all; he burst into laughter and said, "Hahaha, serve you right for not wanting to wear my Vibranium Nano-Armor. Now you're in big trouble!"

Mark wasn't entirely wrong in saying this. If Tony and Thor had equipped Mark's Vibranium Nano-Armor before their operation, their situation would have been vastly different.

The Vibranium Nano-Armor could absorb and store the energy transmitted by enemy attacks and release it without any loss.

With this feature, Thor could fearlessly close in on the enemy and engage in energy-efficient close combat. In close combat, Max's mechanical army wouldn't stand a chance against Thor's might.

Tony could also use the enemy's energy attacks to his advantage, deflecting them back as counterattacks and thus conserving his own energy output.

However, there's no undoing the past. Tony and Thor could only tough it out for now and await their companions' support once they completed their mission.

"You little brat, you're making jokes at a time like this. If you don't hurry over here, Seoul is really going to spiral into the sky!"

Hearing Mark not only not caring about their situation but also mocking and taunting them, Tony responded irritably.

"Tony, I think we'll be able to come over and support you soon, but you guys must hold on—" Before Tony could finish his sentence, Hawkeye responded to his call for reinforcements with a serious tone.

"You're the reliable one, Hawkeye. Wait a minute—why do I feel like your tone is a bit off?" Tony asked in confusion.

"Perhaps your and Thor's performances were too impressive. Right now, a significant portion of the forces that were originally guarding the underground cave are beginning to shift towards the city center in your direction.

The pressure you'll face next will be even greater than what you're experiencing now. But don't worry, we'll complete the mission as quickly as possible and rush to support you with Natasha." Hawkeye truthfully informed Tony.

"I can't believe..." Before Tony could finish cursing, Hawkeye and Mark directly cut off the communication.

"If Captain hears this, he'll surely want to give us a lecture again. Let's go, Hawkeye, don't keep Natasha waiting for too long!"

"I've been itching for action. With the Vibranium Nano-Armor, I can truly unleash my firepower without reservation." Hawkeye said, pulling out an anti-matter annihilation arrow from his quiver behind him and fitting it onto the string of his Compound Bow. He then aimed accurately at the entrance of the underground cave.

Boom!

With a tremendous explosion and the shockwave it created, a massive hole appeared before Hawkeye and Mark, revealing a dim and extensive underground space, along with its intricate network of underground passageways...