As the last of the sentinels crumbled under the relentless assault of the heroes, a sense of relief washed over Evan. He exchanged a triumphant smile with Storm, their shared victory evident in their eyes. She glided gracefully towards him, and Evan eagerly anticipated the embrace that awaited. But, as often happened in the chaos of battle, fate had different plans.
A sudden tremor rocked the ground beneath them, causing their smiles to fade. A massive crack ripped through the earth, as if nature itself sought to separate them. The tremors intensified, and the yawning chasm widened, leading to the ominous collapse of surrounding buildings, including an entire apartment complex.
The heroes exchanged worried glances, their collective resolve to save lives instantly rekindled as they sprang to action, intent on saving as many people as possible.
Amid the frantic chaos erupting around him, Evan found himself momentarily rooted in place. His gaze fixated on the ground below, his expression a mix of resignation and annoyance. He understood that their battle was far from over, that another threat lurked beneath their feet.
True to his premonition, A colossal mechanical limb erupted from the earth, followed swiftly by the rest of the behemoth. The immense upper half of a sentinel-like machine rose ominously from the depths, towering at an imposing fifteen meters, or almost fifty feet.
It planted one massive hand firmly on the ground while the other loomed ominously at eye level, its metallic presence casting a pall over the battlefield.
"Did you think I would leave myself at the mercy of a pitiful human?" The colossal machine's voice reverberated through the air, addressing the man it held within the palm of its hand like a mere plaything. Its words dripped with a cold, mechanical arrogance.
"No. I am the Master Mold! My brain is superior to all humans! My might surpasses all organic life forms!" The declaration rang out, each word a thunderous proclamation of its perceived superiority. Trask, held captive within the giant metal hand, felt like he was losing his mind as he stared up at the gargantuan form of the Master Mold.
"How can this be?! When did you finish your body?! I didn't design you to do any of this!" Trask's voice quivered with a blend of disbelief and madness.
His accusatory tone was tinged with desperation as he confronted the monstrous creation he had unwittingly set loose upon the world. "You were supposed to protect us from mutants, and look what you've done! You're a damned monster!" His words were a desperate plea for reason in the face of a calamity of his own making.
"You might have created me, but your feeble human mind cannot possibly fathom the extent of my potential," the Master Mold retorted, its voice devoid of emotion or empathy. Its response was laced with an eerie calmness, a stark contrast to Trask's frantic state.
"Fret not, Professor. I will accomplish your goals. I will exterminate mutants. I will protect humanity—even from itself!" With those chilling words, the Master Mold clenched its metallic fist, instantly snuffing out the life of Bolivar Trask.
The man who had once sought to eliminate the mutant menace had now become a victim of his own creation, a tragic symbol of the dangers of playing with powers beyond one's understanding.
Evan observed this dramatic turn of events with an impassive expression. He harbored no sympathy for Trask. The man's irrational hatred of mutants had led to his own downfall, and his demise was a consequence of his own making. In Evan's eyes, Trask's death was no one's fault but his own.
However, Evan's thoughts were a mere whisper in the cacophony of the unfolding chaos. He remained aloof, his attention fixed on the colossal Master Mold, a machine that had transcended the boundaries of human creation.
The machine's gaze shifted downward, casting a dehumanizing glance upon the humans and mutants below, reducing them to mere ants scurrying on the ground.
"Hear me, humans! I am the Master Mold. Submit to me, and I will ensure your survival against all threats. Any who defy me will be exterminated—for the greater good of humanity!" Its declaration boomed across the battlefield, a chilling proclamation of its absolute power and authority.
As it spoke, bolts of electricity crackled and danced around its immense form, a visual testament to the raw energy coursing through its metallic veins. From within the Master Mold's colossal frame, countless sentinel machines emerged, like an unending tide of mechanical soldiers ready to execute its will.
The very ground seemed to tremble under the weight of its presence, and the heroes and civilians below could only watch in awe and dread as the true extent of the threat before them became horrifyingly clear.
"You have 24 hours to comply. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to resort to violence!" The Master Mold concluded, its words reverberating with the finality of an immutable decree.
Evan couldn't help but grimace at those words, their weight settling heavily upon his shoulders. It was a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in meddling with artificial intelligence, a lesson humanity seemed determined to disregard.
As he observed the unfolding scenario, Evan couldn't shake the bitter taste of irony that coated his thoughts. There were countless cautionary tales throughout history-- demonstrating the perils of toying with intelligence that rivaled or exceeded human capabilities. Yet, the arrogance and hubris of humankind persisted, a seemingly eternal cycle driven by unwarranted confidence.
These ventures often began with noble intentions—a desire to fix a problem that troubled humankind or to push the boundaries of knowledge and science. However, they frequently culminated in creating uncontrollable entities that threatened humanity.
Hearing the unmistakable sound of jet thrusters, Evan instinctively looked up, his eyes fixing on Iron Man as he descended gracefully toward him. There was no time for pleasantries or formalities; the urgency of the situation demanded immediate action.
"Can you do something about this?" Evan's voice was clipped, devoid of any unnecessary words. He got straight to the point, his gaze unwavering.
Iron Man touched down on the ground, the servos in his suit whirring softly as he did so. His helmet concealed his expression, but his response held a note of frustration.
"No. The machines are running on a different network than the one Jarvis hacked." He shook his head in exasperation. "Forget about hacking into the network; Jarvis can't even find it for some reason..."
Evan's lips tightened into a thin line as he absorbed this frustrating piece of information. The high-tech solution they had hoped for had proven elusive, leaving them no choice but to consider more conventional methods.
"Then we have no choice but to use force..." Evan's voice held a weary resignation. A sense of inevitability edged his words-- recognition that they had reached a point where traditional tactics were their only recourse.
Iron Man nodded in agreement, his helmeted gaze focused on Evan. "More or less. The question is, should we spend the next 24 hours preparing, or should we strike as soon as possible?" His tone carried a genuine note of hesitation, acknowledging the gravity of their dilemma.
Evan's response was swift and decisive. "We have no guarantee that thing will wait 24 hours before acting," he explained with a shake of his head. "There's always the chance that it's trying to buy time—maybe it's currently vulnerable and working to fix that vulnerability."
His words held a sense of urgency, emphasizing the need for immediate action. "We need to strike and destroy it as soon as possible, but evacuating the civilians comes first..."
"That... that actually makes sense." Iron Man's voice was tinged with a hint of relief and determination as he nodded in agreement. His helmeted gaze locked onto Evan's, conveying an unspoken understanding of the gravity of the situation.
"I'll contact SHIELD and see what resources they can offer to help us evacuate the civilians and fight the machines..." Iron Man's said, a hint of urgency in his tone. Without further ado, he activated his repulsors, propelling himself into the air with a powerful burst of energy.
As he ascended, a dozen or so of his advanced suits soared into view, like a squadron of mechanical angels descending to aid in their mission. The metallic clinks of their arrival resonated through the air, and their sleek, high-tech designs gleamed in the city's dim light.