Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 626 A World Where Only the Hammer Is Wounded (First Update)

"Crazy woman!" Tony Stark cursed angrily.

The high-tech laboratory was filled with the marks of electric shocks; even the sturdy glass had melted and collapsed after the battle. Even the strong winds over New York City couldn't completely dispel the aftershocks of the fight; the acrid smell of burnt compounds and the odor of ionized air lingered. Hard alloys were sawed open, marble floors were riddled with cracks, and almost all flammable materials burned in the extreme heat. The battle between Thor and Dinah had left them in awe. Only Steve Rogers, the Maximov siblings, and Banner were capable of intervening in the sudden conflict. The Maximov siblings, however, had never witnessed such intense combat and were momentarily panicked. Dr. Banner was too afraid to transform in the city. Only Captain Rogers raised his shield, saving the unprotected civilians.

Compared to Thor, the androids were far too weak. Even though Dinah temporarily seized control of Mjolnir through a special method prepared for her by Salomon, she still couldn't stop Thor from activating the Regeneration Cradle. After the red tin man jumped out of the Regeneration Cradle, Dinah tried to kill him directly, but Thor stopped her with his bare hands, even nearly breaking the android's arm made of magical metal.

After Wanda realized what was happening, she stopped Thor from completely destroying Dinah, giving the android time to escape the scene.

Thor tapped the hammer with his fingertips, still shaken, fearing his precious weapon might malfunction. The hammer in Dinah's hand, entirely composed of lightning, and the scales covering her body, all unmistakably indicated she had usurped the power of Mjolnir. It was obvious who had done this; very few in the world could use runic magic to achieve such an effect. Thor couldn't believe anyone could do such a thing; he had never seen such magic before. The shock remained even after Vision raised the hammer.

If she is Thor, then what am I?

"What on earth is Salomon thinking!" Tony Stark looked around at the sparking lab. He said irritably, "I need to call Pepper, or the news media's helicopters will be here filming soon. I also need to check if anyone downstairs is injured; if so, Salomon will be held responsible!"

“He’s doing the right thing and the thing he’s confident in, not messing around with things you don’t understand like you do!” Wanda Maximoff disliked people speaking ill of her teacher, and she also thought Salomon’s choice was right. The recent melee had completely dispelled her fear of Stark. “He’s saved countless lives, while you can only take lives, and that’s what you’ve done, Stark.”

"If it's about your hometown, then I apologize." Tony Stark took a deep breath. His past had resurfaced, but he wouldn't shy away from the issue. "However, I must state that the Stark Industries arms smuggling case began a long time ago, and Stark's charitable foundation..."

Captain Rogers stopped Tony Stark from continuing. He looked at Thor. "You helped create it?"

"I saw an illusion." In response to the others' doubts, Thor pointed to the yellow gem on the red tin man's head and explained, "All hope for life is being sucked into this vortex, and this is at the center of the vortex. This is the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, the most powerful force in the universe, with unparalleled destructive power."

"Then why are you still..."

"Because Stark is right." Thor interrupted Captain Rogers' question, his answer eliciting a gasp from Bruce Banner, who exclaimed that this was practically the end of the world. "The Avengers can't beat Ultron."

"You can't do it all by yourself," said the red tin man.

"That's why Salomon went to the Abyss to find help. He went to find the Fifth Demon Pillar, who is said to be his former contractor." Faced with the questioning looks from the others, especially Pietro, Wanda had to explain again, "When he was teaching me magic, he mentioned that he had seventy-two acquaintances in the lower planes." She said, "Some are enemies, some are friends. The burning bird that usually follows him is the Thirty-Seventh Demon Pillar, Phoenix, a bard."

"This is truly explosive news. I should have known; he really has lived for thousands of years, and his name is utterly unoriginal!" Stark said. "In any case, he's too far away from us now; we don't even know when he'll be back!"

"This is still better than creating a new Ultron," Wanda retorted, until Captain Rogers interrupted the argument again.

"Why does it sound like Jarvis?" he asked.

"We've reprogrammed Jarvis and created something new." Despite saying this, Stark still tried to maintain a safe distance from the new artificial intelligence. Salomon's warning wasn't unfounded; the power of the Mind Stone could indeed cause the artificial intelligence to give birth to an "information demon," completely altering its original settings. Stark wasn't entirely confident either, especially since he had already created Ultron.

"You think I'm Ultron's child?" The red tin man looked around. "I'm not Ultron, I'm not Jarvis. I am..."

"I've seen your consciousness," Wanda said in a thick Eastern European accent. "I saw destruction."

"You can take another look." Clint's words did not convince him, and he quietly prepared to shoot it.

"Their power, our fear, and even Ultron himself, all come from the Mind Stone," Thor said, pointing at the twins. "These are nothing compared to the power of the Mind Stone. But if he were on our side..."

"Are you?" Captain Rogers had taken Salomon's warning to heart. While he didn't like taking risks either, the situation was what it was, and he had to be prepared to add another enemy. He turned to Vision. "Stand with us."

"I don't think it's that simple," Vision replied honestly, but this answer didn't satisfy everyone. Especially Hawkeye, who had watched the whole farce and was ready to fight at any moment.

"Then you'd better get things simpler quickly," he said impatiently.

"I'm on the side of life," Vision gave a simple yet absolutely correct answer. "But Ultron isn't; he wants to destroy everything."

"If Ultron has the power to destroy us, then what is it waiting for?"

"Waiting for you, you are its creator, Stark." Vision looked at Stark. "Countless human myths and histories have proven that patricide is a process of transformation, a declaration, used to prove that one is different from one's father. It awaits you in Sokovia, Stark."

"Xiao Na is there too," Clint said without explanation. The old spy tricks always worked.

It looked at the Avengers present. "I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain, but his pain will destroy the Earth, so he must be destroyed. We must destroy all the machines he created and erase all traces of him on the network. We must work together, act immediately, and launch an all-out attack. Maybe I'm a monster, but I don't even know if I'm a monster. I'm different from you, and not what you want to see, so I might not be able to convince you..."

This was sincere enough, and any distrust could be temporarily set aside. Moreover, he had lifted Thor's hammer, which had suffered two major setbacks in a single day. But according to Asgardian beliefs, anyone who could lift Thor's hammer was qualified and trustworthy.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)