The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 554, 1024, and 1025: Bad News Keeps Coming

"Enough, Stark, your sense of humor seems to be misplaced."

Captain America spoke up in time, his voice filled with unquestionable authority, stopping Tony Stark from offering any further, more excessive words of 'comfort' and preventing the situation from escalating further.

Then he looked at Bruce Banner, his gaze sincere and firm, his voice softening, and with his unique calm honed by the trials of war, and a certain magical empathy that could quickly soothe others, he gently comforted him:
“Dr. Banner, Natasha is right. Don’t impose responsibilities on yourself that aren’t yours, and don’t put any pressure on yourself. No one here will blame you for this…”

"The reasons for our failure this time are multifaceted. Each of us made mistakes to some extent... but the most fundamental reason is that we were too complacent. We underestimated Ultron's ability to manipulate human nature, so this is a shared responsibility..."

"We are one of the most powerful hero teams on Earth, yet we are being toyed with like pawns by a newly born artificial intelligence. We are easily torn apart, exhausted, and now we have to hide in a secluded farm to get a moment's respite."

Captain America took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his fists clenching slightly: "Without a doubt, this is a disgrace to us!"

"But we're currently wallowing in self-blame and panic, which doesn't solve anything..."

"What we need most right now is not to discuss who should leave... but to calm ourselves down as soon as possible, learn from our mistakes, and find a practical way to break this deadlock. We must reunite to face Ultron!"

“I completely agree with that.” Tony Stark, unusually, didn't argue. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze deepening, his hands clasped under his chin, the playful expression on his face vanishing completely, replaced by seriousness and composure.

"Without a doubt, Ultron knows us very well, so it not only wants to attack us on a physical level, but also tries to undermine our will to resist on a psychological level... It knows the shortcomings and dirty secrets of each of us, as well as those pasts that we don't want to talk about."

"But what I want to say is that no one is a perfect saint, and our greatest weakness... is precisely ourselves!!"

These words, like a cold and precise scalpel, dissected the bloody reality for everyone.

A longer, heavier silence fell over the living room.

Everyone is wondering which of their deepest hidden weaknesses Ultron will target next?

How will this battered and bruised team, each with their own hidden agendas, cope with this unpredictable war?
Captain America glanced at Tony Stark with some surprise, clearly not expecting the other to calm down so quickly.

He nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "I know we've just suffered a crushing defeat. Ultron's power and cunning far exceeded our expectations, but..."

"Please don't panic. Although my understanding of artificial intelligence like Ultron is far less than yours, based on my years of experience on the battlefield... whenever someone tries to win the final victory before the war even begins by using intrigue, sowing discord, and other such means, they are usually the ones who end up losing! It has always been so!"

These resounding words, imbued with a certainty and strength forged through the crucible of war, acted like a shot in the arm, temporarily stabilizing the wavering confidence and nearly collapsing morale of the crowd.

Everyone looked up, their gazes refocusing on Captain America.

But Captain America knew very well that words of encouragement were far from enough at the moment.

Because no matter how beautiful the slogans are, they cannot truly help them achieve victory, much less help them capture Ultron.

After a moment of silence, Captain America spoke again with an extremely solemn expression:

"I think the most important thing we need to figure out right now is what Ultron said before leaving Tucson... that he had found a far superior alternative to titanium alloy to create a 'new body'. What exactly does that mean?!"

"A superior alternative to titanium alloy?" Captain America's words were like a wake-up call for Tony Stark. He looked up sharply, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, as if he had caught a faint glimmer of light in the darkness.

"Wait a minute, looking at the whole world, in the known field of materials science, there are very few materials more suitable for building mechanical bodies than high-density titanium alloys..."

He slowly stood up from the chair, pinched his chin, and began pacing back and forth in the room, his mind rapidly filtering through various possibilities.

"【Adamantium】? No, the reserves are too small, the processing technology is almost lost, and it's more suitable for making weapons..."

"Uru metal? Thor said it's a rare thing only found in Asgard, something Ultron could never get on Earth..."

"【Carbon-sodium steel】? Hmm, the stock is sufficient, but it's clearly far too weak for forging a mechanical body..."

"[Secondary Adamantium]? That shouldn't be right either..."

He muttered to himself, speaking so fast that others could barely hear him.

However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over the 'Stars and Stripes shield' that Captain America never parted from, he stopped in his tracks instantly, and a flash of annoyance, 'Damn it, I should have thought of that sooner,' crossed his eyes.

"Stark?!"

Almost the instant Tony Stark's gaze fell upon the shield, Captain America also realized that terrifying possibility.

His pupils contracted sharply, his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by a cold hand, and even his breath caught in his throat. Without thinking, he blurted out:
“I remember your father once said that he bought up all the vibranium circulating on the black market back then at a high price, and used it to forge this indestructible shield…”

"So, does that mean Ultron is likely planning to use vibranium to create its new body?"

This conclusion sent a chill down Captain America's spine: "Damn, if that's true, we're in big trouble!!"

"Wait a minute, Captain, Tony?!" Hawkeye looked at the two who had suddenly become excited with a bewildered expression and couldn't help but ask:

“It sounds like we’ve missed some crucial ‘copy’ information… Vibranium? What’s this new weird stuff?” Not only him, but Bruce Banner and Black Widow also cast questioning and inquiring glances at him.

Clearly, this was the first time they had ever heard of such an extremely rare metal, for which information was strictly controlled.

Tony Stark took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He glanced at Captain America, whose expression was somewhat grim, then pointed to the iconic vibranium shield behind him and tried to explain to the bewildered group in a relatively calm tone:
Vibranium is an extremely rare meteorite metal that is only produced in a country called Wakanda in Africa.

"It is also the strongest metal known to humankind in nature, possibly without exception!"

"This shield of the captain was handcrafted by my father using this rare material... and I believe you all know its special features from past battles, so I don't need to explain."

"It can almost perfectly absorb all the kinetic energy that hits it, and it is virtually indestructible. All our previous attacks, even Thor's [Mjolnir], could not leave a permanent mark on it... And this is [Vibranium]!!"

"What? The strongest metal in the world?" Bruce Banner pushed up his glasses, somewhat confused, temporarily pulling himself out of his previous sadness. As one of the world's top physicists, he was incredibly surprised by this information.

"If this 'vibranium' you're talking about is really as amazing as you say, possessing such incredible physical properties, then it should have caused a sensation in the global materials science and physics communities long ago, right?"

"Why have I never seen detailed research information about it in any authoritative journals or academic reports before?"

“Well, this is a long story.” Tony Stark rubbed his temples, reorganized his thoughts, and tried to explain as concisely as possible:
"Simply put, Wakanda, which has 'vibranium deposits,' has policies that are... well, extremely closed and conservative."

"They are extremely averse to communicating with the outside world, and even more unwilling to share their unique strategic resources with the world."

"Therefore, very few Vibranium pieces have been able to successfully leave Wakanda over the years, and even fewer have entered the international market... Only a small amount occasionally appears on the black market, but each gram is priceless and there is no market for it."

“Apart from people in the industry, the outside world has absolutely no understanding of it. My father spent a huge amount of money and connections to get the piece that was used to make the shield. After that, there were almost no records of Vibranium circulating on the black market.”

"Alright, let's put aside that country called Vasod for now, and this seemingly mysterious [vibranium], those aren't the focus of our discussion..."

Hawkeye interrupted Tony Stark's background introduction, succinctly grasping the key point, "So, in other words, according to your speculation, the next plan of that mad robot Ultron is likely to get his hands on this damn metal and use it to create a new, indestructible body as sturdy as Captain America's shield? Am I right in understanding this?"

Tony Stark shrugged, forcing a self-deprecating smile that looked more like a grimace: "Congratulations, Agent Barton, your reading comprehension is perfect, your answer is completely correct!!"

"Oh shit, this is fucking weird..." Hawkeye couldn't help but swear, rolling his eyes in exasperation, and muttered:

"This news sounds absolutely fantastic! If Ultron succeeds and gets a full set of vibranium armor, even if I shoot all the explosive arrows, armor-piercing arrows, and acid arrows in my quiver at its head, I'm afraid I can only polish and wax its new shell!"

The morale that had just been boosted by Captain America was instantly shattered by this terrifying speculation.

A suffocating atmosphere descended upon everyone once more, as if an invisible hand were gripping their throats.

If Ultron truly acquires a 'vibranium body,' it almost means he will be virtually 'invulnerable' on a physical level.

All their existing attack methods will probably become ineffective by then.

A nearly indestructible Ultron?
The mere thought of it is enough to send chills down one's spine.

"No! Patton, we absolutely will not let that happen!"

Captain America glanced around at the group, who had once again fallen into a slump, and his gaze finally settled on Tony Stark, whose brows were furrowed and who seemed to be falling into self-doubt again.

“Stark…”

His voice softened, carrying an inspiring, unwavering determination: "I remember you mentioned before that you and Dr. Banner were developing a special device that could confine Ultron within a fixed area network."

"If... I mean if, we're lucky enough to find Ultron first, what are your chances of successfully activating that device to shut down or trap Ultron?"

Although Captain America had been careful enough to choose his words, trying to avoid provoking Tony Stark's currently extremely sensitive and fragile nerves.

But what was bound to happen still happened...

This statement accurately struck Tony Stark's deepest sore spot and immediately activated his self-protection mechanism.

"Heh, you're not my boss, why should I report my research progress and success rate to you?!"

Tony Stark jerked his head up, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his eyes instantly filled with defensive hostility and resistance, and without thinking, he retorted:

"Steve Rogers, who do you think you are? The chief strategist of the Avengers?"

"You'd better open your eyes and look carefully. This isn't a World War II battlefield you command, and we're not your soldiers..."

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and immense guilt cause Tony Stark to instinctively resist any form of questioning, even if the other person is well-intentioned.

(End of this chapter)