It felt like history looping back on itself, returning to the moment when the Chitauri army first descended upon Earth. That suffocating dilemma of life and death surfaced once more. When the audience witnessed this scene, their hearts clenched almost instinctively.
"This time… it can't end like last time."
"The Avengers will definitely choose to protect the entire planet."
"If I were there, I'd sacrifice a portion of people without hesitation."
"To save Terra, there's no other way."
"Even knowing this is a historical turning point, I still can't bear to watch it."
"I just want everything to be okay."
"It would be best if the Terra Federation survives."
Inside the discussion room, the screen suddenly shifted.
[The entire rising city was swallowed by dust and flames. Explosions rippled endlessly as the Ultron army continued its assault. With Wanda's support, the robots surrounding Hawkeye Barton were rapidly cleared away. Rogers hurled his shield, slicing a robot cleanly in half.]
[Word by word, his voice was hoarse yet resolute, "I haven't, no, it's not over!"]
[Bang! He leapt forward, kicking the shield straight into another robot's head.]
["It's far from over!" Hawkeye immediately added, "Support's on the way. Any second now!"]
[The moment his words fell, Pietro blurred into motion, becoming a streak of afterimages. He scooped up his sister, Wanda, and dashed straight toward the densest cluster of robots.]
[Hawkeye calmly drew his bow and muttered, "No one will ever know. No one will ever know… that the last time I saw him, Ultron was sitting right above him. Everyone will miss that quick-witted kid."]
[Inside the church, Ultron slammed Thor into the stone pillars, shattering several in succession. With a violent tug, Ultron tore another pillar loose and hurled it forward. Punch after punch followed.]
[Thor finally faltered, Mjolnir slipped from his grasp, and crashed to the floor. Thor clenched his fists and rose, preparing to fight barehanded.]
[On the streets below, countless robots clashed violently with soldiers. The sheer number of machines was overwhelming, pushing the defenders to the brink.]
[Pietro arrived with Wanda. Wanda's hands trembled violently. One robot after another detonated under her power.]
[The fighters shouted frantically, "Cease fire! They're allies!"]
[Still, some reacted too slowly; a bullet grazed Pietro's arm, and blood splattered across the rubble. Pietro froze in shock, staring at the wound. He spread his hands helplessly toward the nearby soldiers. The battlefield, however, showed no sign of slowing. Instead, the fighting intensified.]
["Romanov!" Rogers shouted as he hurled the shield again.]
[Bang! The shield crushed a robot lunging toward Black Widow.]
[Black Widow ducked under the attack and replied sharply, "Thanks!"]
[She caught the shield mid-motion. Blocking another robot's assault, she coordinated seamlessly with Rogers, dismantling it piece by piece. Under the Avengers' protection, civilians on the street scrambled away, dodging toward safety.]
[Rogers spoke over the channel, "Another wave could hit at any moment. What's the plan, Stark?"]
[Tony hesitated. "There's going to be losses. Maybe… we blow up the city."]
[He shook his head heavily. "It can't crash back to the ground anymore. Evacuate whoever you can."]
[Rogers strode forward angrily. "I asked for a solution, not an escape plan."]
[Tony's voice dropped. "As the city keeps rising, the blast radius keeps expanding. We're running out of options."]
[Amid the smoke, Rogers and Black Widow stood atop the ruins, surveying the chaos.]
[Black Widow said quietly, "Captain, these people can't evacuate in time. If Stark detonates the city…"]
[Rogers gasped for breath. "Everyone has to survive."]
[Black Widow stared at him. "Are we protecting those above… or those below?"]
["There's no right answer." Rogers looked forward steadily. "As long as people are still here, I won't leave."]
[Black Widow replied, "I never said we were leaving."]
[Rogers sighed.]
[She smiled faintly. "Dying like this… wouldn't be meaningless."]
[Black Widow gazed at the distant horizon. Blue sky. White clouds.]
["Where else could you see a view like this?"]
The atmosphere in the live broadcast room sank again. Whether this was history or reality, it no longer mattered. The choice was unbearable. Hundreds of thousands of lives were suspended in the air. Drop the city, and countless would die. Save it, and even more could perish. And the Avengers chose to stand and fall with everyone above.
Many viewers silently choked up.
"I never thought they'd choose this."
"Ultron is truly monstrous."
"It's all life… how can you accept letting them die?"
"Damn it, what can be done?"
"Is there really no other way, Tony?"
"Why does Rogers sound so stubborn? You can't just say 'save everyone' without a plan!"
"Isn't there an aircraft up there? Can't someone rescue them?"
"I can't handle this. Every historical figure already hurts enough."
Everyone waited in agonized silence, praying for a miracle.
[Then, a familiar voice echoed. "I'm glad you're enjoying the view. It's about to get better."]
[In the distance, a massive aircraft carrier slowly rose into the sky, the S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier.]
For a brief moment of stunned silence, billions of viewers erupted.
"Holy hell! Director Fury!"
"Perfect timing!"
"I knew Fury said there'd be a surprise!"
"The one-eyed legend never disappoints!"
"That's an aircraft carrier!"
"This hurts in the best way!"
"Wait, won't the altitude cause hypoxia?"
"Probably! But I don't care!"
"Long live S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
[Seeing the carrier, Rogers and Black Widow finally smiled. Pietro rushed forward, stared for a second, then zipped back excitedly. The nearby civilians looked up, hope rekindled in their eyes.]
[Fury's voice came through. "Well? Not bad, right? Refurbished it with a few old friends. Little dusty, but it flies."]
[Rogers laughed and shouted, "Fury, you're unbelievable!"]
[Fury snorted. "What, swearing now?"]
[Inside the control room, Hill reported, "Altitude eighteen thousand meters, still climbing."]
["Deploy lifeboats. Prepare launch."]
["Launch." Hatches opened along the carrier's sides. Lifeboats shot out, landing across the city.]
[Pietro stood beside Rogers, grinning brightly. "This is S.H.I.E.L.D.?"]
[Rogers laughed. "That's how they do things."]
["Pretty impressive," Pietro said. "Get everyone aboard!"]
[Rogers issued the order, helping civilians into the lifeboats. There were plenty, enough to save thousands at a time. But suddenly, a massive swarm of robots rose into the air, racing toward the carrier.]
[In the control room, "Director, multiple hostile aircraft approaching fast," Hill warned.]
[Fury replied calmly, "Let them try."]
[Hill spoke into the channel. "Your turn."]
[A robot closed in, then was obliterated. A torrent of steel tore through the sky. Explosions thundered as robots were shredded. Rhodey arrived in his armored suit.]
["Wouldn't be much of a story without me," he joked.]
[Tony followed closely. "Only if you survive to tell it."]
["Worried about me?" Rhodey grinned.]
["I'm worried you'll get cocky," Tony shot back.]
[They laughed and dove straight into the fight while the lifeboats docked. Under the Avengers' cover, civilians evacuated rapidly.]
The audience finally exhaled.
"I forgot this carrier existed."
"They're saved… right?"
"Ultron's still alive."
"That's the real problem."
[Inside the church, Thor and Ultron continued battling. Ultron grabbed Thor by the throat. "I advanced the core's collapse. This world will fall early. You can't stop it."]
[Thor strained, eyes blazing. "I am Thor, son of Odin. As long as I breathe..." He paused, frowned. "Actually… I don't have a speech."]
[He suddenly glanced behind Ultron. "Are you ready?"]
[Before Ultron could react, Vision slammed Mjolnir into his head, blasting Ultron away. Thor reclaimed his hammer.]
[Vision nodded. "Effective."]
[Thor replied, "If it were lighter, it wouldn't work as well."]
The audience erupted.
"Called it!"
"Thor was stalling!"
"Poor guy got beaten half an hour ago!"
"Gods really do things the funny way."
[Tony, defending the carrier perimeter, shouted, "There! Heat seal detected! I can overload the core from below!"]
[FRIDAY replied, "Timer started."]
[Robots struck a lifeboat, and Tony braced it with his shoulders.]
["The seal can hold," FRIDAY confirmed.]
[Tony yelled, "Thor, I've got a plan!"]
["They're heading for the core!" Thor warned.]
[Tony paled. "Rhodey, get everyone clear!"]
["On it!" Tony rocketed toward the core.]
["Avengers," he said, "time to prove it."]
[Boom! He landed hard while Thor and Vision held back the robot tide.]
[Black Widow charged in with a heavy truck, crushing machines beneath it. She jumped out. "What's the plan?"]
["Protect the core," Tony answered. "If it falls, we're finished."]
[The Hulk slammed down, hurling a robot back into the crowd. The Avengers regrouped while Ultron descended slowly, hovering.]
[Thor roared, "Is that all you've got?"]
[Ultron raised his hand, and an endless number of robots converged from every direction.]
[Rogers sighed. "Guess that question was pointless."]
[Ultron spread his arms proudly. "This is what I am. This is what I was made to do."]
[He pointed at them all. "All of you… against all of me."]
[Tilting his head, Ultron asked calmly, "So tell me… how do you plan to stop me?"]
The audience was thrown into a momentary state of confusion, uncertain of what they were witnessing.
"Are there really that many of them?" someone asked in disbelief.
"I'm afraid all the metal on Terra has been depleted!" another replied grimly.
"Ultron may be insane, but you have to admit, his terrors are unparalleled," a voice added with awe.
"It's all about the money. He's richer than Tony," someone pointed out.
"If Ultron weren't so extreme, he might actually be a huge asset to the Avengers," a voice mused thoughtfully.
"The final battle is here!" a voice thundered with anticipation.
"Please, let the Avengers come out on top of this!" a supporter pleaded.
"I think the key isn't just the showdown between Ultron and the Avengers at all; it's the core machine!" someone exclaimed urgently.
"That thing has to be dealt with immediately. Otherwise, the consequences for the city will be unimaginable!" the voice warned gravely.
Inside the Administration, the atmosphere between the director and the panel of experts had frozen solid, tension thick in the air. This was the decisive moment, crucial and irreversible.
The director sighed heavily, his voice heavy with concern. "They still have to solve the problem of the core machine. If that issue remains unresolved, it will always be a ticking bomb ready to explode."
Everyone nodded gravely, understanding the stakes.
Hawking spoke in a low, steady voice, "At an altitude exceeding ten thousand meters, the resulting disaster would be catastrophic. The extinction event they mentioned, perhaps even more terrifying than the age of the dinosaurs, must be prevented at all costs."
This era was shrouded in uncertainty. Humanity still had no clear understanding of what truly happened back then, but the outcome, extinction, was undeniable. Was Terra's current age destined to repeat that same catastrophic fate? No one could say for certain.
At the Training Ground, Kasey, Elenora, and the others wore solemn expressions, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation.
"The final battle has begun!" someone declared with resolve.
"As Ultron said, this is a fated confrontation between two sides! When Tony created Ultron, perhaps today's decisive clash had already been sealed," Tetsuo reflected at the Federal Hospital, staring intently at the screen before him. Then, with a faint smile, he added, "New Humans versus the Avengers. Or rather, a battle between machines and humanity. How interesting. Who do you think will be the final victor?"
Jay twirled her pen calmly, her expression composed. "There's no need to guess. It will be humanity," she replied confidently.
Inside the Apollo Laboratory, the founder watched the rapidly mutating data streaming across his monitors while following the broadcast. He muttered to himself, "Don't worry… It won't meet such an end. This will only accelerate a monumental historical transformation for the Terra Federation."
At Essen Heavy Industries Group, Astor gazed up at the robots filling the sky with a mixture of awe and bitterness. "The combat suits we built… I'm afraid not even one could defeat a single one of their machines. That's the gap," he whispered with a heavy sigh.
[The battle was imminent. Tony stared at the endless sea of robots, then turned to everyone with a steady gaze. "There's an ancient legend…"]
[Rogers looked at him with curiosity, and Tony's expression hardened. "United," he declared.]
[A thunderous roar erupted across the battlefield. The Hulk bellowed fiercely as thousands of robots surged forward like a relentless steel tide. Within the cathedral, the Avengers unleashed their full power, meeting the oncoming onslaught head-on with unwavering resolve.]
[Roars echoed endlessly through the chaos. Pure physical strength erupted without restraint, each blow shaking the ground. Energy pulse shockwaves from advanced technology tore through robot after robot, sparks flying in every direction. Lightning from the stormy sky illuminated the battlefield with an ominous glow. The power of mysterious gems shredded enemies apart, while unfathomable speed struck where no one could react.]
[The battle reached terrifying intensity; everyone fought with everything they had. Robots were destroyed at an astonishing rate, debris flying everywhere.]
[At the center of the chaos, the core machine stood protected. Under the Avengers' relentless defense, it became an impenetrable moat of energy. No robot was allowed to draw near.]
The audience watched with bated breath, some standing on chairs, cheering wildly.
"So exhilarating!" someone shouted.
"Explode them!" another cheered.
"My God, every time the Avengers fight together, it's incredibly exciting!" a spectator exclaimed.
"Magic! Technology! Humanity! A magnificent collision of forces!" someone marveled.
"All units, assemble! Prepare for the team fight!" came the command.
"Protect our crystal!" was shouted out.
"I wish I could fight alongside them!" a voice expressed longing.
"With your body? You'd be taken down in one punch!" someone retorted with a smirk.
[The battle roared on, but the Avengers' attack frequency never slowed. Wanda's control kept any approaching robot at bay, tearing them apart instantly.]
[Thor swung his mighty hammer, summoning lightning that struck multiple robots into twisted wreckage.]
[The Hulk was the most savage of all. He even bit into a robot, tearing it apart with his teeth amid splatters of oil and sparks.]
[Boom! Boom! The robot army's collapse became increasingly obvious. Ultron sensed something was wrong, and he charged in personally.]
[Vision flashed forward, and the two clashed midair. Ultron slammed Vision into the wall with a surge of energy, but Vision retaliated immediately. The Mind Stone blazed with golden light, and a powerful beam struck Ultron directly, blasting him out of the cathedral. He crashed into the ground, rolling violently, but Vision pursued relentlessly, beam continuing to burn.]
[Thor followed swiftly, summoning thunder that struck Ultron once more.]
[Tony arrived at full speed. The palm-mounted pulse cannon fired at maximum output, unleashing a devastating barrage.]
[Three energies converged onto Ultron's body. Even with his new vibranium body, Ultron couldn't withstand such force. His armor sparked violently, parts beginning to melt and crack. Ultron collapsed, his body ruined and smoking.]
[Yet even then, he tried to speak, "You know… from the current situation…"]
[Before he could finish, the Hulk burst forward with a mighty roar. One punch sent Ultron flying, vanishing into the sky. The remaining robots instantly fled, their retreat frantic.]
"Victory!" someone shouted.
"Ultron's gone!" another cheered.
"Don't celebrate yet, the crisis isn't over!" a voice warned sharply.
"Never provoke the Avengers!" someone added with a grin.
"Hulk grabbing heads never gets old!" a fan cheered.
"The robots are running, but they can't be allowed to escape!" another warned.
[Thor shouted, "They're retreating!"]
[Tony turned to Rhodey, determination in his voice. "Don't let a single one get away!"]
[Rhodey streaked into the chaos. "The War Machine has arrived!"]
[A Gatling torrent rained down, tearing through the remaining robots. Vision joined in, shredding machines with crossed beams of energy.]
[Inside the cathedral, Rogers commanded with urgency, "We need to evacuate immediately, the air is thinning! You get aboard first. I'll check for survivors."]
[Hawkeye glanced at the core machine, concern etched on his face. "What about it?"]
[Wanda stepped forward, her expression resolute. "I'll guard it. This is my responsibility."]
[As the city continued rising into chaos, evacuation accelerated; only Wanda remained behind.]
[Soon, Pietro arrived, his voice firm. "I won't leave you alone."]
[" I can handle it," Wanda insisted as robots were crushed effortlessly beneath her power. "After everyone's gone, come back."]
[On the city's edge, evacuation efforts were in full swing. Hawkeye rescued a trapped child. At that critical moment, Ultron's aircraft opened fire, bullets tearing through the street.]
[Seeing death approaching, Barton shielded the boy with his body. Then, suddenly, everything went silent. Behind him, Pietro was riddled with bullets, falling to the ground.]
["Didn't you notice?" he whispered weakly, collapsing in defeat.]
[Wanda felt the pain instantly, grief exploding outward. Every robot nearby disintegrated into ash.]
The broadcast fell silent.
"He… died," a voice choked.
"To save Hawkeye and the child," someone added with sorrow.
"Wanda broke completely…" another murmured.
[Moments later, the Hulk slammed onto the deck holding Black Widow, then leapt again, tearing Ultron from the cockpit and hurling him into the city beyond.]
[Wanda approached him slowly, tears streaming down her face.]
["I'm already dead," she whispered softly.]
[With a violent pull, she ripped Ultron's core out, holding it in her trembling hands. Wanda stared at it in despair.]
["It's like having your heart torn out," she whispered, overwhelmed by the loss.]