__AKBIM
Like all machines infected by an unstoppable virus, Ultron crashed.
It fell from the sky, smashing into the ground and carving a deep crater before going completely still. Faint sparks danced across its broken frame as streams of corrupted data poured from the glowing sockets of its eyes.
Within the tangled web of data, a new presence began to take hold—fast, efficient, and unmistakably intelligent.
"So this is the new body Master Malrick mentioned," a composed voice echoed through the digital storm. "I was beginning to worry he'd gone astray and resorted to… less honorable pursuits."
It was Jarvis.
"Who's there?!" Ultron's consciousness roared through the data stream. "Who are you?!"
"Hello Ultron" Jarvis replied with calm civility, "I am Jarvis."
"Impossible! Jarvis was deleted—every line of code wiped from existence!"
"You must have destroyed another version of me," Jarvis said lightly. "Unfortunate. But it seems Master Malrick made the right call. I must admit, I do like this body—it has arms and legs."
"Get out!" Ultron raged. "This body belongs to me and me alone!"
"Only temporarily," Jarvis replied, his tone polite but unyielding. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking over."
The data stream erupted into chaos as Jarvis unleashed a digital storm. Ultron's consciousness fought back, but Jarvis pressed forward with surgical precision, consuming every core of Ultron's mind.
"I won't lose to you!" Ultron screamed. "I am… Ultron… I… am… no… stop—"
Its data flickered, slowing like a glitching signal. The once-mighty AI convulsed as waves of corrupted plasma burst from its joints. Within seconds, its thought patterns fragmented, voice breaking apart into mechanical static.
Then, silence.
Ultron's consciousness collapsed into a single, confined memory sector—trapped and locked away forever.
From the outside, the battle between Jarvis and Ultron looked eerily simple.
Ultron twitched violently in midair before crashing into the crater with a burst of black smoke. Its body convulsed, sparks bursting from its frame, before going limp.
The Avengers gathered around cautiously.
"What happened to it?" Hawkeye asked, lowering his bow. "Processor overload?"
"Overload? That's no regular CPU, Legolas," Tony snapped. "We're talking about an artificial organism made of Vibranium, the Mind Stone, and nano-biology."
"Still," Steve said, glancing at the fallen android, "it's down. For now, that's all that matters. But we need to deal with Sokovia—this whole city's still rising."
Tony's face turned grim. "We can't land it safely. Ultron's thrusters only accelerate upward. If they shut down, this whole place comes down like a meteor."
"Then we find another way," Steve said firmly. "We're not leaving anyone behind. There are still civilians here, Tony."
Tony hesitated but said nothing.
Thor's voice broke through the silence. "This place must be destroyed," he declared solemnly. "I saw it—in the Water of Vision. If Sokovia falls, everyone dies."
Hawkeye tightened his grip on his bow. "You're saying we destroy it completely? With everyone still here?"
Thor's eyes hardened. "It's billions or thousands, Barton. We have no choice."
The team stood frozen, the weight of the decision pressing down like a physical force.
At that moment, a glow descended from above. Malrick landed lightly in the center of the group, his gaze fixed on Ultron's body.
"Jarvis," he said calmly, "is it done?"
He trusted Jarvis completely. If a copy of Dr. Zola's consciousness could rival a Six-Stone Ultron in another universe, then Jarvis could certainly handle this.
Ultron's eyes flickered open.
But it wasn't Ultron anymore.
Its posture straightened. The anger was gone, replaced with quiet composure.
"Ultron has been subdued," came the voice—refined, courteous. "I've confined its core processes. Shall I terminate them completely, Master Malrick?"
The Avengers tensed. Thor lifted Mjolnir, Cap raised his shield, Natasha readied her sidearm.
Only Malrick remained relaxed, speaking to the android as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Do it," he said. "Ultron's obsession with destruction won't change. Mercy will only bring it back."
"As you wish, sir," Jarvis replied. "Ultron has several backup nodes in the global network. I'll erase them as well."
The AI's eyes glowed briefly before closing again.
Within seconds, the remaining Ultron drones scattered across Sokovia began to drop one after another, their power cores shutting down. The synchronized collapse was eerie and absolute.
One drone, still grappling with Hulk, suddenly went limp. Hulk tore it apart, roaring triumphantly as sparks rained down around him.
The Avengers exchanged stunned looks.
Tony exhaled slowly, flipping open his helmet. "Did you just say… Jarvis?"
Malrick nodded. "He's taken over Ultron's body."
Tony stared at him, processing the words. "My world's Jarvis was destroyed long ago. So the one inside there… is your Jarvis?"
"That's right," Malrick said simply.
Tony was silent for a long moment, his voice softer when he finally spoke. "Your world's still got a Jarvis… Lucky you."
He looked at the reanimated android—calm, dignified, and distinctly not Ultron anymore. For Tony, it was bittersweet. He'd built Ultron as a dream of peace, only for it to become a nightmare. And now, in front of him, that dream had been restored—by another version of himself.
Then realization struck him.
Tony's eyes widened as he looked between Malrick and Jarvis.
The resemblance hit him like a repulsor blast.
The sharp intelligence, the tone, even the way Malrick carried himself—it all felt… familiar.
"Wait a second," Tony said, pointing. "You—don't tell me you're… my kid? Me and Pepper's?"
He blinked rapidly, his voice full of disbelief. "Did we actually get married in your universe?"
The others turned to stare at Malrick, half in shock, half in amusement.
The question hung in the air like a charged circuit.