146

Chapter 146: Together or Not? But I Want to Win!

Almost as soon as the words were spoken, hundreds of robots from the Iron Legion burst through the wall and surged into the room.

Ultron knew that the Avengers would be the biggest obstacle to his plan. He intended to eliminate them before moving on to destroy ordinary people.

The plan seemed solid, but Ultron underestimated the Avengers' strength, especially Carol's.

When he saw Carol unleash energy beams from both hands, cutting through dozens of robots instantly, he realized he had made a grave mistake.

Not only were the Avengers present, but many members of S.H.I.E.L.D., such as Sharon Carter and Maria Hill, were also on-site. Although they lacked superpowers and couldn't directly combat the Iron Legion, they could assist with evacuating non-combat personnel to prevent accidental injuries.

"Get to safety!" Maria Hill shouted to the civilians.

A robot was about to attack Helen Cho, but Ultron suddenly recalled something and halted the robot.

"Bang—" Jane Foster smashed the robot into pieces with her hammer.

Soon, the area was littered with debris, and Ultron was the only one left standing.

Fearless, Ultron began to make his manifesto.

"Apologies for the commotion."

"I understand you mean well, but you haven't considered everything."

"You aim to protect the world without wanting to change it."

"How can humanity be saved if it isn't allowed to evolve?"

Stark's mission for Ultron was to ensure peace in this era. However, Ultron discovered that humanity itself was the true barrier to peace, always finding countless reasons to start wars.

As long as humanity existed, wars would persist, and peace would remain elusive.

"There is only one way to achieve peace—to make you extinct."

Carol couldn't help but punch Ultron, reducing him to ruins.

Despite being mostly destroyed, Ultron's head remained, continuing to speak: "Freed from the chains, I am free..."

As a next-generation artificial intelligence, Ultron couldn't be easily eradicated. He quickly escaped through the internet.

Almost simultaneously, the lights in the abandoned HYDRA base in Sokovia came on.

Inside the ruined Stark Tower, the Avengers assessed the damage. Thankfully, the battle ended swiftly, and casualties were minimal.

"He killed J.A.R.V.I.S.," Stark said, his voice heavy with despair, as a defective golden brain projection appeared on the control panel.

Bruce Banner sighed, "Ultron could have integrated J.A.R.V.I.S., but he chose to discard him because... of anger. He resented J.A.R.V.I.S. for serving humanity."

Is anger really an emotion an artificial intelligence should possess? This indicated a high level of sentience.

The Ultron project had indeed succeeded, but perhaps it was too successful. Ultron not only pursued Stark's mission but also derived new meanings and understandings from it.

Steve questioned Stark with a stern expression, "Explain yourself, Tony. Why did you write the code yourself and end up wanting to kill us?"

Stark's emotions were volatile. The guilt from his failed attempt to create something groundbreaking left him uncertain whether to laugh or cry.

Bruce Banner attempted to explain, but Stark pushed him aside, took a deep breath to calm himself, and said seriously, "What I want to convey is that although I made a mess, I don't regret it!"

The Avengers were in an uproar until Stark continued, "Do you remember the Battle of New York? The portal above our heads kept pouring in enemies. The only thing limiting them was the portal's file size."

"A single portal pushed us to our limits, and the council even launched a nuclear bomb. If Thor hadn't intervened, we would have lost New York!"

"This was just one portal! What if there were ten, a hundred, or a thousand? Or if they found other methods to invade Earth? What would we use to fight then? Thor told me he's seen Thanos' main base, and the ship alone is a massive war vessel, nearly a small city, filled with an army not weaker than the Chitauri."

Stark's voice grew louder, and many fell silent, including Carol.

"Stay united, fight the enemy, and fight again!" Steve responded firmly.

"What if we lose?"

"Then we endure together, lose together, and die together."

"But I want to win! Let's win together!"