Chapter 73: The Cyborg.

(Billy's P.O.V)

I left a trail behind me as I flew directly towards Africa.

I could teleport there but the flight time, however short it was, allowed me to think and come up with a plan.

Even if I was to defeat Ultron, we would still need a plan to fix the world. There was a way...although I hesitated to use it.

Just off the coast of Morocco, I made a decision.

If it came down to it, I was going to use the Ring of Solomon. The demons of the Ars Goetia were supposedly stronger than Mephisto.

It was why he'd been after my soul in the first place. His plan was to sever the unbreakable connection between The Ring and my soul.

Too bad he underestimated me.

And with the reward from saving Spider-man being complete control of the Ring, the only thing left was my own willpower.

Full control of the ring meant the 72 demon pillars would follow my orders to a T.

But demons were naturally cunning and tricky. I had to be careful not to be corrupted in the process.

"It should be okay. Just as long as I'm not too reckless, it will all work out."

I affirmed to myself, finally arriving at Wakanda's borders, on the outskirts of the most advanced nation on the planet.

And out it stretched. A expansive land that had been occupied by a forests and life.

There were signs of a fishing civilization across the border.

But now it was all gone.

The huts were burned to the ground, the trees down to ashes and smoldering trunks.

Mishappen remains of animals and dried up plants populated the area leading up to the highlands.

Nothing living remained. It was the same out there in the world but to think that even Wakanda could fall so hard.

At first glance, the damage sustained by the surroundings would have been confused for the nuclear aftermath a few months ago.

However, the damaged skeletons of War Rhinos, remains of some kind of craft and the signs of battle the closer I got to the capital of Wakanda brought me to a another conclusion.

There was a battle.

I increased my speed, knowing that most of my answers would be found in the city itself.

Before me, the land picked up, a mountain range jutting up in the distance.

The minute I crested above the forest and arrived on the highlands, I felt eyes on me.

I tried to locate where the gaze was coming from but even with Psionic field active, I turned up no results.

The sensation of being watched only grew stronger the closer I got to the top of the mountain range.

The focus on me waned as I shot above the ridge, suspended in midair for an instant. I had arrived.

The terrain evened out into another wasteland.

The landscape was more burnt forest scattered about the tall ranges and cliffs. All surrounding something at the center.

Without feeling the hum of an energy barrier that I could sense through my Psionic field, one wouldn't notice the City hidden in the mountains.

All under an illusion.

While to my front, there was nothing but a wasteland...

The capital of the most advanced Nation on the planet, happened to be concealed within a dome of energy under the illusion of a blackened inhabitable landscape.

It was the perfect place for an AI like Ultron to hide.

I placed a palm flat along the length of the invisible dome before me.

Energy crackled and a blast of electricity pushed against my hand, I pushed back sending tendfils of Psionic energy out.

A surge of energy crackled, scorching my skin and leaving wisps of smoke rising from my hand.

The barrier materialized into view, a purple membrane that run with exotic energy not dissimilar to the energy source that powered the Sentinels.

This had Ultron's handiwork painted all over. He must have modified the barrier to not only hide away Wakanda but also prevent all entry into the hidden nation.

That did not bode well for the Wakandans.

Neptune's trident appeared in my hand.

I stabbed the prongs into the energy dome. Blue streaks of lightning jumped out of the hole created by the trident.

The energy sizzled, electrocuting me, only to end up useless against my TK aura.

I drew the Trident down, parting the film of energy and causing the whole thing to flicker on and off unstably.

All due to the steady supply of psionic energy I was sending through the barrier, disrupting it's structure.

With a final discharge of power, the barrier shuttered off, and Wakanda's Capital, Birnin Zana...or what was left of it was revealed to me.

My grip on Neptune's trident slackened.

There was over a thousand, high tier Sentinels waiting for me on the other side.

But that wasn't what threatened to break my self control.

I couldn't sense a single human mind through my Telapathic radar or Psionic field.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

But the resentment that hung in the air...it was clear.

Ultron had massacred everyone.

Wakanda had fallen. And as if to spit on their accomplishments, the beauty of their land was ravaged.

Now Smoke rose up from large factories built on the remains of where the city was supposed to be.

All the buildings had been leveled, all except for the Royal Palace.

Flying Carts filled the air.

Loaded with vibranium ores, they transported them into the factories, vanishing within the massive buildings encircled by towering obelisks and guarded by hundreds of Sentinels per facility.

The heart of Wakanda had become a hub for manufacturing Sentinels.

A river wound through the land.

The water was dark green and murky. It flowed from the mountains, which had been excavated to the point of forming deep cavities around the mountains surrounding the city.

I sighed, gripping Neptune's Trident with conviction.

I will put an end to this.

[I've been waiting for you]

Ultron's voice came from the lead Sentinel.

They regained my attention.

As I turned around, I couldn't help but observe these Sentinels were smaller than the ones I was used to.

[These units, forged from Proto-adamantium and fueled by Cogni-Energon, guarantee a swift end. Embrace your demise, Shazam.]

All the units begun to glow purple, aiming their metallic limbs my way.

My position was promptly drowned out by matter decaying beams.

When the onslaught ended, it was to reveal a shield of glowing ice to my front.

[Scanning...]

The lead sentinel echoed out in a machine voice.

[Material composition identified. 001110011100111000100. No recorded matches. Unknown energy signature detected.]

"Don't bother."

I told the AI.

"Even anti matter attacks are useless against divine constructs."

In retaliation, I slashed out with the Trident.

The ice shield shifted states into glowing water, which surged out in a wave towards the ranks of Sentinels.

The units separated, flying away in strategic patterns while silmutenously launching long range energy attacks my way.

"You never learn. And you call yourself an AI."

I thrust our the Trident, separating the divine water into sharp strings filled with vibrating Psionic energy, changing the color of the water into a deep blue.

The sky was my turf.

The strings slashed through the Proto-adamantium with some trouble. But just the fact they achieved such a feat was incredible.

Half of the Sentinels in the sky were sliced to bits that fell from the sky.

[Impossible!]

Ultron said in shock. The Sentinel housing his will, jumped towards me, swords made out of energy sprouting on its arms.

[How are you able to cut through Proto-adamantium? Answer me!]

The demand was followed by the fall of one of the blades, headed towards relieving me of my head.

Sparks of were produced from the collision of the blade and a hook formed at the end of a tentacle that sprouted from my back.

I parried the slash, creating more Tentacles that shot out of my back, ensnaring the Unit and locking down it's limbs.

[Self Destruct Activated]

The Sentinel started glowing ominously.

[You made a mistake by letting me get close]

The voice coming out of the Sentinel, gloated.

"No. You made a mistake by getting too close."

I corrected, and before the Sentinel could explode, a dark shadow with with sharp teeth, white eyes and fangs appeared from within me, promptly swallowing the Sentinel.

It was surprising enough that the other Sentinels' Onslaught ceased.

I threw Ultron a slightly smug look.

"If you're waiting for me to explode, no luck there."

I had discovered I could send things to my hammer space through my symbiote.

But even without that, I was still confident I would have survived the explosion.

[You are undeniably a nuisance. I shall dispose of you swiftly]

Ultron's voice came from all the Sentinels left active.

In a voice that rose an octave higher, he pulled off his next trick.

[I would like to see you live through this. Activation Code: World Without Man]

The Obelisks floating before each Factory lit up, pulsing with Cogni-Energon as Ultron had called it.

The destroyed Sentinels along with the units left were unceremoniously pulled by the Obelisks' magnetic field.

The air shimmered as sonic vibrations resonated outward, hitting the Sentinels and the spare parts, melting their Proto-adamantium forms into grey goo.

Then the goo combined.

Nanites. They reminded of my fight with the Super Adaptoid.

This is getting fun.

I pulled back the divine water hanging in the air, priming my Psionic shield for an incoming attack.

The grey goo flowed and knead into each other, creating a humanoid shape that was hundreds of meters tall.

Then it shifted states once more, from a thick liquid to a solid. And the result was a massive sentinel-mecha that was outputting more power than the core of the planet.

The Robot landed on the ground, shaking it and causing the collapse of a few unstable caves.

It was decked out in full weaponry and whatever it lacked, I'm guessing it could just create from the endless supply of energy and nanites supplied through the Obelisks behind it.

"Chances that I can defeat this thing in a One on One battle?"

I enquired from Quantum prognosis.

(13%)

That's not...ideal.

[This is my Magnum Opus]

Ultron's voice came out of the Mecha-Sentinel's mouth.

Indeed. It was much more impressive than a normal Sentinel. Still it was essentially a giant walking target now.

[I have ascended to heights beyond even my creator, beyond the reach of THE Tony Stark. Consider it my gift to you, the planet's self-proclaimed champion—a farewell, final and absolute.]

It's eyes started glowing with Cogni-Energon, charging it's attack.

Oh dear. What should I do?

[This is where you...]

I interrupted It's next words by snapping my fingers and using my newest ability, Technopathy.

******

In the Royal Palace, seated on the Royal Throne of Wakanda, a certain Cyborg blinked its eyes in surprise:

"What happened? How was I locked out of Unit Mega-One? Strange."

The Cyborg delved into the security system and the numerous cameras around not only the Royal Palace but the whole of the Industrial Premises.

The Cyborg sat up straighter, dropping the lackadaisical pose of its palm leaning on its cheek.

Something was wrong.

All it's troubleshooting queries came back as unintelligible static feedback.

The Cyborg was about to get up from the Throne, when the ceiling above it was blown away by a massive hand.

The Cyborg's jaw opened in shock upon spotting Shazam standing on the head of Mega One, controlling it.

*****

"Knock knock Ultron. I've come to play."

I announced, right after the Mecha-Sentinel had destroyed the roof of the building Ultron's mental signature was coming from.

Instead of seeing Ultron however, my eyes landed on a pertubed Vision.

Yes. That same Vision from Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The difference between this Vision and the Canon one, was the addition to his repertoire apart, from the Mind-Stone on his forehead.

The Space Stone, glowing a gentle blue was on embedded on the back of his right hand.

The final thing that stood out to me was Ultron's mental signature. It was coming from Vision.

I understand now. This wasn't Vision, it was Ultron.

The latter had succeeded here where he failed in the M.C.U cannon.

He managed to create a body for himself. One that not only had the Mind Stone but also the Space Stone. As if one singularity wasn't enough.

Through my technopathic control over the Mecha-Sentinel, I had it raise its leg and then bring it down on Ultron.

The Cyborg watched the foot fall down without making a single move.

A glowing portal appeared under the Mecha-Sentinel's foot, swallowing it whole.

Miles away, an impact echoed from the Cliffside. Mecha-Sentinel's foot destroying the range through the portal connecting both locations, the cliff and the throne room.

Having anticipated that, I blinked next to Ultron, hand pulled back, glowing with the scarlet light of Hercule's legacy.

The energy reinforced my muscles and bones, red veins full of power streaming from my shoulders to the tips of my fingers.

Whoosh!

Boom!

The Building shook as the left portion of the throne room exploded outwards, shockwaves from my unobstructed punch blasting through the concrete and marble.

"You phased. At the last minute."

I realized, turning towards Ultron who was holding a sphere of energy within his hands.

"I was wrong about you"

He said in a calm tone.

I could help but notice that his voice had lost the mechanical undercurrent it always carried.

I was right. This was the real body.

My attention was pulled to the sphere he was charging. It hummed with energy from the Mind Stone and the Space Stone.

"This is..."

A mutter escaped my lips.

Something about the fusion...

"Begone. Pest."

Ultron spoke.

My vision bloomed with a swirl of bright blue and yellow light.

And then I was blown out of the Royal Palace, through a factory, lastly bouncing off the side of an Obelisk before falling into the murky river.

I sank to the bottom, allowing my body to weigh me down as I contemplated how to deal with him.

The Infinity Stones were the problem here. I also knew how he was powering everything now.

He was fusing both energy from the mind Stone and the space Stone into Cogni-Energon. Paired up with an energy friendly metal like vibranium and you got supercharged Sentinels and a lot of juice.

The answer then, is simple. I smiled, my face reflected to me through the shimmering boundary of Psionic Shield.

Infinity stones or not, I'm still kicking his tin can ass.