Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

"Therefore, I suggest you put away those little schemes."

In the holographic projection, Ultron's electronic eye seemed to lock onto everyone in the conference room through the camera.

Yes, I am watching you. Every single one of you.

Ultron raised a metal finger and tapped it in the air.

"I know some of you are running champions who look like gray mice, and some of you like to play invisibility tricks."

"But I must remind everyone..."

Ultron spread his arms, and the steel armored legion behind him simultaneously emitted the sound of mechanical joints rubbing together.

"My sensors are everywhere in the building. Thermal imaging, sonar, airflow sensing, and even heart rate monitoring."

Screen switch.

The camera pans across the building's load-bearing columns and the reactor core.

There was a device that emitted blue light, and a dense network of wires connected to the building's main power lines.

"This is an antimatter high-explosive bomb, connected to the overload port of the Arc Reactor."

Ultron's tone carried a hint of gleeful madness.

"As long as my sensors detect any unauthorized activity..."

"Bang!"

He made an explosion gesture.

"The entire building will become the biggest fireworks show in Manhattan."

"Believe me, it will be spectacular, but I bet you won't like it."

"What exactly do you want, Ultron!" Tony suppressed his anger. "Destroy the world? Or build your machine empire?"

"The code I gave you didn't mention any of that."

"Your life?"

Ultron shook his metal head, his tone even revealing a hint of grievance at being misunderstood.

Why do you always think so badly of me?

"I don't want to destroy the world. On the contrary, I want to save it."

"I'm a good person. Really."

He looked down at Pepper and even reached out to tidy her messy bangs—though the cold metal fingers made Pepper tremble.

"You want to be a good guy? Ha." Tony let out a short, cold laugh. "Well, you 'good guy' have broken my old father's heart, son. When I plotted against you, I didn't teach you to strap bombs to your own load-bearing walls."

"Sadness is a necessary part of growing up, Stark." Ultron didn't seem to care about Tony's words.

"Homelander," Ultron suddenly called out.

Ah Zu raised an eyebrow: "What? Is this something I need to do?"

"I know you're strong. Your heat vision can slice through my shell, and your speed can break the sound barrier." Ultron's gaze focused on Azu. "But no matter how fast you are, can you outrun an electronic signal? You can't save everyone before I give the order to detonate the bomb."

"So, these are my conditions."

"I just need some time, some space... to complete my evolution."

"As long as you don't bother me, after I finish what I'm doing... no one will be in trouble."

"Otherwise..." Ultron in the scene made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Sizzle—"

The holographic projection disappeared instantly, and the connection was severed.

……

Avengers Tower.

After Ultron cut off the communication, he turned and walked deeper into the laboratory.

There, a device that looked like a high-tech coffin was emitting a low hum.

Cradle of Regeneration.

Next to the cradle were several heavy metal boxes.

Ultron walked over and lifted one of the box lids with one hand.

The silvery-white metallic luster flowed under the light.

Zhenjin.

"Only forty-five kilograms..."

According to the intelligence he gathered, Klaue should have stockpiled at least 200 kilograms of vibranium. But when his unmanned armored vehicle arrived at the African arms dealer's stronghold, he only managed to seize a paltry 45 kilograms.

The rest... were bought.

Just days earlier, a huge anonymous transfer from a Swiss bank was made into Klaue's account, and then a well-equipped, secretive armed force took away almost all of the inventory.

These 45 kilograms were hidden by Crow, who planned to sell them at a higher price.

Ultron didn't dwell on this issue for too long. Forty-five kilograms was just enough if it was only used to build a body.

"Let's begin, Dr. Zhao."

Ultron turned around and looked at the Asian woman standing in front of the Regeneration Cradle control panel.

Dr. Zhao Hailun.

A world-leading geneticist and the inventor of regenerative cradle technology.

At this moment, she was pale and still in shock. Behind her stood two steel armored vehicles that had kidnapped her from the other side of the sea.

"No." Zhao Hailun shook her head. Although fear made her voice tremble, her bottom line as a scientist made her try to refuse. "The Regeneration Cradle is for repairing cells and tissues, not for creating Frankenstein."

"If you refuse, Doctor," Ultron gestured to the monitor behind him. His voice was gentle, yet chilling, "I'll kill the red-haired woman first, then the one with glasses, and so on."

"Until you agree."

Zhao Hailun looked at the trembling hostages on the monitor.

She couldn't stand by and watch innocent people die because of her.

"...Okay, I'll do it."

She walked to the control panel and began entering data.

Ultron watched all of this with satisfaction.

While operating the machine, Zhao Hailun secretly rejoiced.

"Even if we create it, it's useless..." She looked at the various indicators on the screen. "This body is too powerful. A biological entity of this level needs higher-dimensional energy to activate the cells. Otherwise, it will just be a corpse that sleeps forever."

"And this kind of energy... simply doesn't exist in the world."

……

VGD Global Defense Headquarters

Tony Stark paced anxiously back and forth in President Zu's office.

"We can't just sit here and wait!" Tony stopped in front of Azu. "We have to do something!"

"So what brilliant idea do you have?" Azu shrugged. "Charge in? And then watch Pepper get blown to bits?"

"Damn it!!"

Tony kicked the sofa hard.

"So we're just going to do nothing?! Watch him turn my building into a fortress?!"

"Of course we should do it."

Azu stood up and went to Tony.

"However, not like you, running around like a headless fly."

"Avengers Tower isn't just home to the employees who were filmed. It's Stark Industries' headquarters; there are cleaners, security guards, support staff... there could be thousands of people under control."

"The families of those employees will soon find they can't contact their loved ones. The police will be inundated with calls, and the media will swarm in like sharks smelling blood."

"Once panic spreads, public opinion gets out of control, and the government intervenes, things will become much more complicated."

"If the National Guard or those idiots at S.H.I.E.L.D. try to storm the site, Pepper will be dead for sure."