Second Showdown with Ultron

The group was transported to an empty cliff. The night was utterly silent, with no trace of life anywhere around them. Perhaps there was none on this entire planet...

Since they had not encountered Ultron yet, they took the opportunity to chat.

"Did you meet Captain Carter from your universe?"

"No, it was Captain America. In our universe, Steve received the serum." Dark Strange looked at Carter beside him. Just moments ago, she had been expressing concern over his unusual condition.

"In our universe, Steve became Captain America too. There was also Thor. We formed the Avengers, and they were all dependable comrades."

Li Nian stood at the edge of the cliff, raising his head to gaze at the stars in the night sky.

It had been a long time since he had looked at the stars like this. The price of society's rapid development in his previous life was that beautiful night skies had become nearly invisible in cities. Smoke and rain clouds blanketed the sky in a dull gray haze, utterly unlike the skies of his childhood.

"Then where did you come from? You seem to know our experiences very well," Captain Carter asked. Among everyone present, Li Nian was the most mysterious and unusual. He gave her the feeling that he knew everything.

"The Watchers told me. To be honest, I arrived just a little earlier than you did." Li Nian gave Carter a friendly smile. "In fact, we only just dealt with the Ultron from my universe a few days ago."

"Wow! Then he doesn't sound like much. I could handle him too!"

Thor stood behind Li Nian, swinging his beloved hammer in his hand, confidence written all over his face.

"The Watchers only needed to find me. Under my Odinforce, he will become ashes beneath the thunder!"

The others watched Thor throw back his head and laugh. They exchanged glances and silently agreed to ignore him, afraid they might catch his stupidity.

"I suggest we have a drink."

Dark Strange smiled and formed several hand seals. A tray of beer immediately appeared before them.

"A wise wizard once told me that one must live toward death..."

Dark Strange launched into an endless and utterly boring pre-battle speech, so awkward that Li Nian and the others could only keep swirling their drinks beside him.

"Haah..."

Thor could not help yawning. Li Nian looked at them helplessly. It reminded him of how, back in school, the principal would always deliver a heap of pointless nonsense beneath the blazing sun, putting the students to sleep. After his senior-year arts festival ended, he had fallen asleep at his desk and was only awakened when raindrops splashed onto his nose.

"All right... Doctor, you've tried your best."

T'Challa promptly put an arm around Dark Strange's shoulders, raised his glass high, and declared grandly, "To the multiverse!"

Everyone drank heartily, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Seeing how happy they were, Li Nian felt cheerful as well.

Thor smashed the glass in his hand, raised Mjolnir high, and excitedly swung the hammer. A surge of thunderous power instantly struck the sky, brimming with chaos and explosive force.

"So this universe really does have life!"

A hoarse, gloomy voice descended from the sky. They looked toward the boundless night sky, where a gigantic red face nearly filled their entire view. Its familiar appearance left them frozen in place.

"Wow! Your twin brother!"

Thor pointed at the enormous face in the sky and shouted at Li Nian like an ape that had never seen the world.

"The one we're fighting... is you?" T'Challa looked at the two identical faces. Even someone as intelligent as him could not help but fall into thought.

Seeing the looks everyone gave him becoming increasingly strange, Li Nian hurriedly waved his hands and explained.

"Of course not. I'm... Vision. The Ultron from our universe was merely the shell wrapped around him. It seems the Avengers in his universe never created me."

"Forget that for now! Ultron... is here!" Dark Strange instantly took up a stance. "I may have to use some forbidden magic on you!"

A golden magic circle appeared between them, while mysterious golden runes emerged over their bodies and covered them.

"This is a protection spell. It'll help you live a little longer!"

The instant Ultron appeared, a gateway spanning the multiverse opened beside them. Without hesitation, they hurriedly jumped inside.

"Watch how I deal with this guy!" Thor carelessly swung his hammer as he slowly walked toward Ultron.

"Long live Las Vegas!"

Accompanied by Thor's roar, rolling heavenly lightning poured from his hammer and struck Ultron directly. The result was...

It did nothing.

Ultron felt the lightning course over his body. It neither hurt nor itched. Well... it could be said that he felt absolutely nothing. Seemingly tired of playing around, he extended one hand and lightly grabbed the immense lightning in his palm.

"That slogan is rather novel."

Ultron spoke softly, then suddenly turned his gaze toward Li Nian beside Thor.

I'm screwed!

Li Nian knew it. His appearance was bound to draw Ultron's attention. Once the fight started, he might even receive special treatment.

"You... are a version of me that failed in some universe?"

The Infinity Stones on Ultron's body flashed, and the cliff beneath their feet instantly began to crack apart. Unable to dodge in time, they were buried beneath falling rubble.

Smoke billowed as the entire small mountain collapsed.

"A piece of cake."

Seeing no movement from the group, Ultron suddenly felt how lonely invincibility was. Bored, he turned around to leave.

"Hey!"

Ultron heard someone shout. He turned around, only to see Li Nian and the others standing unharmed amid the ruins.

"Our turn!" Li Nian roared, and Thor hurled his hammer. Dark Strange cast a spell, transforming it into countless hammers that smashed toward Ultron.

Seeing the situation turn bad, Ultron hurriedly sealed his armor and swung the weapon in his hand, trying to fend off the barrage of Mjolnirs.

They could not cause him any real damage, but too many flies were indeed annoying.

Li Nian seized the opportunity and charged toward Ultron alongside Captain Carter, one from each side.

A rune appeared on Carter's shield: the protection spell Dark Strange had given her. She slammed her shield heavily into Ultron's face, while Li Nian fired a laser into Ultron's chest. Together, they knocked him to the ground.

T'Challa grabbed Ultron from behind, only to be flung away in the next instant.

Seeing this, Dark Strange gathered all the hammers and tightly wrapped Ultron within them. Thor summoned lightning from the sky, striking Ultron as he was bundled into a ball.

"You... have angered me!"

Ultron emerged from the lightning completely unharmed, only to see several massive dragon heads breathing fire at him.

"You stole my Stones!" He finally realized something was wrong and roared at them.

Li Nian looked at the Soul Stone in T'Challa's hand and could not help sighing. A genius was a genius at anything, even thievery.

"No matter what, we've weakened him. Take the win and leave!"

Dark Strange drew a teleportation magic circle. An endless stream of zombies fell from the sky like zombie rain, crashing into those below as bursts of blood and flesh splattered everywhere, making Li Nian uncomfortable.

Even Resident Evil was not this bloody.

Li Nian knew the Doctor had not done this for those creatures, but for the one following behind them...

"Wanda..." Li Nian vaguely saw the red glow behind the crack in the sky, scarlet and evil. He took a deep breath.

"Back home, there's Scarlet Witch with fair skin, a pretty face, and long legs. Scarlet Witch with fair skin, a pretty face, and long legs. Scarlet Witch with fair skin, a pretty face, and long legs... I'm not interested in zombies!"

Li Nian ultimately did not want to look at Zombie Wanda. He was afraid he would no longer be able to face Wanda from his own universe, so he simply jumped into the portal and headed for Ultron's original universe.