"FIND HIM!!! WHO IS THAT GUY?!! FIND HIM NOW!!!" The Sokovian Police Chief roared, veins throbbing in his neck. Playing games during work hours, completely ignoring a public warning! This kind of person didn't deserve to be in the police force!
He vowed to find this slacker and fire him on the spot! Otherwise, the whole world would know that Sokovian police were derelict in their duty, a laughingstock for the entire planet!
And as the Chief feared, the public erupted in discontent with their police force. Demands for stricter management of the police and greater attention to every warning flooded in.
This wasn't just in Sokovia. Similar calls for accountability echoed across many regions. Even in George's police precinct in Universe Two, they were ordered to enhance the professional training of their officers.
George felt helpless about it, but it was always the same. Whenever the Celestial Screen showed a public official slacking off or a high-tech company getting robbed, it would trigger a wave of chaos and frantic scrambling across all sectors, only to subside after a while.
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Over the comms, Captain America's voice resonated with determination: "They just want to live in peace. And today, that's become almost impossible. We will do everything we can to protect them. We will get this done."
Wanda, using her powers, subtly influenced the minds of the Sokovian populace. Crowds of people, previously occupied with their daily routines, began to drop what they were doing and started to stream out of Sokovia.
Thor smashed a gaping hole in the wall! He entered Strucker's base, Ultron's lair, where Natasha was being held. Banner followed close behind.
"We have Ultron's plan," Captain America continued, his voice firm. "We've located Romanoff. We've cleared the area. Now it's just us and him."
Barton perched on a rooftop, his gaze fixed on the streams of civilians evacuating the danger zone, a silent sentinel watching over the exodus.
"Ultron thinks we're monsters. A plague on this Earth. We're not just going to beat him. We're going to prove him wrong."
Meanwhile, deep within the base, Banner's voice echoed, "Natasha? Natasha?"
"Bruce?" Natasha's voice, weak but clear, responded. Banner had found her. He'd reached the imprisoned Black Widow.
"Are you alright?" Banner asked, concern etched in his voice as he spoke through the metal bars of her cell.
"I'm fine," Natasha replied, ever resilient.
"The Avengers are in the city. The fight is about to begin."
Natasha had anticipated this. It wasn't news to her. Her focus was on her immediate predicament. "I imagine you're going to have a hard time finding the key to this door," she stated dryly, gesturing to the heavy metal gate.
Banner retreated a couple of steps, a wry smile playing on his lips. He raised a sleek energy pistol. "Yeah, well," he said, brandishing the weapon, "good thing I came prepared."
Natasha quickly stepped back, taking cover behind a pillar. Banner aimed the energy pistol at the lock and fired. A clean blast vaporized the locking mechanism. Natasha grabbed the iron bars and with a sharp tug, ripped the gate open.
Emerging from her cell, she immediately turned to Banner, her mind already back on the mission. "So, what do we do now?"
"I am getting you out of here," Banner said, his tone leaving no room for argument. His priorities were clear.
Natasha stared at him, a complex emotion in her eyes, a mixture of gratitude and something else… disappointment? "The mission isn't finished, Bruce."
Banner walked slowly towards her, his expression softening slightly. "We can help with the evacuation. But I… I can't be out there in a crowded city. Not with… you know." He gestured vaguely at himself, at the beast within. "You've done enough, Natasha. Our mission is complete. You're safe now."
Natasha blinked, a flicker of disbelief in her eyes. "So, that's it? We're just… leaving?"
Even as they spoke, Barton and Captain America were coordinating the frantic civilian evacuation, directing the panicked citizens, urging them out of the city. But the sudden exodus had created gridlock. The roads leading out of Sokovia were jammed with cars, a chaotic bottleneck of fleeing humanity. The evacuation was slow, agonizingly slow, and far from complete.
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"Oh, no! Are they really going to run now, at the crucial moment?"
"Are you kidding me? How can they do that? Helping evacuate civilians is a good thing!"
"They'll evacuate civilians, sure, but Banner can't join the fight. The Hulk doesn't care about civilians; he'll just smash everything in sight!"
Some viewers expressed their dissatisfaction with Banner's apparent desire to avoid the fight.
But others disagreed, arguing that the Hulk was a liability in a city filled with civilians. They remembered the last time Hulk had been unleashed in a populated area. The damage, the fear… the Avengers were still dealing with the fallout of that incident. Banner's hesitation, they argued, was understandable, even responsible.
Jarvis, ever vigilant, instantly processed the flood of online discussions about Banner's actions. The conflicting opinions, the accusations, the justifications… Banner himself seemed to be aware of the debate, a troubled expression clouding his face.
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High above Sokovia, Tony flew, Iron Man soaring through the sky. "Target located at the church," FRIDAY reported in his ear. "Boss, I think… he's waiting for you."
Tony immediately changed course, rocketing towards the partially destroyed church spire.
He landed inside the ruined sanctuary, the air thick with dust and tension. Ultron's voice, amplified and distorted, echoed around him. "Have you come to confess your sins, Stark?"
"Confess? I don't know. How much time do you have?" Tony quipped back, always ready with a retort, even in the face of impending doom.
"More than you," Ultron's voice replied, laced with chilling confidence. Then, Ultron stepped out from behind a shattered pillar. Tony turned, instinctively taking a step back. Ultron was… larger. Significantly larger. His new form was imposing, almost monstrous.
"Uh… did you get a growth spurt? Vibranium cocktails? You look… no offense, a little 'swollen,'" Tony joked, trying to mask his apprehension with his usual bravado.
Ultron ignored Tony's jab, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "You're stalling for time," Ultron stated flatly, his voice devoid of humor. "Protecting the civilians." He saw right through Tony's diversion.
"Well, yeah," Tony admitted, a hint of defiance in his voice. "That's kind of our job, Ultron, remember? Or did you forget that part?"
"I have transcended your mission, Stark," Ultron declared, his voice resonating with self-righteous conviction. "I am free." As he spoke, the floor between them buckled and cracked, a strange device erupting from beneath the church's stone floor.
It pulsed with ominous energy, its metallic surface gleaming. Ultron gestured towards it, a chilling smile playing across his metallic features. "What's wrong, Stark? Did you think you were the only one playing for time?"
Tony quickly scanned the device with his suit's sensors. "Residual vibranium signature," FRIDAY reported. "Purpose… unclear. But it's anchored deep, boss. Thousands of feet underground."
"This is your end, Tony," Ultron hissed, his voice vibrating with malicious triumph. "This is my peace." As he spoke the final word, the streets outside the church exploded in a cacophony of destruction. From beneath the streets, from the sewers, from every conceivable crack and crevice in the city, Ultron's legions emerged. Drones, sentinels, metallic horrors – a relentless tide of Ultron's robotic foot soldiers swarmed through Sokovia, unleashing chaos and destruction.
Civilians, caught in the sudden onslaught, screamed and scattered in terror. The streets instantly transformed into a panicked stampede, a scene of utter pandemonium.
Tony immediately launched into the air, Iron Man rocketing into the fray, determined to protect the fleeing civilians. Captain America, shield raised, sprinted through the chaotic streets, his voice booming over the din. "Go! Move! Get out of the city!"
A hulking Ultron sentry crashed down behind Steve, unleashing a barrage of gunfire. Captain America reacted instantly, dodging the initial shots with practiced ease, then raising his shield to deflect the second volley. With a grunt of effort, he launched himself into a counter-attack, shield leading the charge.
Barton, perched on a rooftop overlooking the chaos, nocked arrow after arrow with blinding speed, his aim laser-focused as he rained down destruction on the Ultron sentries. A drone attempted to flank him, to attack from behind, but Barton, with a fluid, almost casual motion, reversed his grip on his bow, skewering the drone through its central processor with a perfectly placed arrow. He immediately turned back to the main threat, continuing to unleash a hail of arrows, methodically dismantling the aerial robots.
Wanda, weaving through the panicked crowds, her hands glowing with scarlet energy, fought to control the surging tide of fleeing civilians while simultaneously battling the Ultron onslaught. "Get off the bridge! Away from the bridge!" she yelled, directing the terrified people away from a particularly dangerous chokepoint, even as she pushed forward, deeper into the chaos. Several Ultron sentries converged on her position, their armaments transforming into energy cannons, unleashing a relentless barrage of plasma fire.
Wanda conjured swirling shields of chaotic energy, deflecting the blasts, protecting herself and the civilians nearest her. "Run!" she screamed, urging the terrified people onward, pushing them towards safety.
But the enemy fire was overwhelming, relentless. A concentrated volley of energy blasts slammed into Wanda's magical shields, shattering her defenses. She cried out as the force of the impact knocked her off her feet, sending her crashing to the ground amidst the chaos.