"Ultron, an artificial intelligence assistant… I didn't expect you to sell J.A.R.V.I.S. to the world. That's so like you, Tony Stark."
Anton looked at Tony with a smile, but his tone carried a mocking edge.
He didn't know Tony's exact motives, but one thing was clear—if Tony had created Ultron and was promoting it globally, there had to be an underlying purpose. That much, Anton was sure of.
"Ultron is not J.A.R.V.I.S.," Tony replied coldly. "Their source codes are completely different. While they may share some similarities, they are two distinct intelligences."
"That distinction doesn't really matter to me. They look the same, and, well, I'm just a college dropout. What do I know?"Anton shrugged.
Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Tony, what are you really trying to do? Because I don't believe for a second that this press conference was for Stark Industries."
His statement wasn't baseless.
While Stark Industries had taken a hit after exiting the arms business, the company's shift to clean energy—powered by the Arc Reactor—was proving just as lucrative. In the long run, the clean energy market was even more sustainable.
Under Pepper Potts' leadership, Stark Industries had flourished, with its market value rebounding to its former glory.
And knowing Tony, he wasn't the type to care about corporate stock prices.
No, this was about himself.
"You're right," Tony admitted after a pause. "This isn't about Stark Industries."
He looked directly at Anton.
"It's about the world."
Anton scoffed.
"That sounds so noble."
He clearly didn't take Tony's words seriously.
Tony had answered, sure—but he had skillfully dodged the real question.
Not that Anton expected anything different. He knew Tony well enough to know he wouldn't spill his true intentions.
The only reason Anton had pushed the question was to get under Tony's skin.
Their relationship had always been a superficial rivalry, filled with polite interactions that barely concealed an undercurrent of competition.
During the Skrull invasion, they had fought on the same side—sharing brief moments of cooperation. But they were far from friends.
One day, Anton was sure, they'd be at each other's throats for real.
Tony exhaled sharply. "If you don't have any real questions, you can see yourself out."
"Don't."
Before things could escalate, Eddie quickly stepped forward, trying to smooth things over.
"Anton's just being Anton. Our official Daily Bugle interview hasn't even started yet."
He shot Anton a pleading look.
Anton grinned.
"Alright, I'll leave."
He hadn't expected to get any useful information out of Tony anyway. He had only come along to annoy him.
With that, he turned and left without hesitation, leaving Eddie and the others to their interview.
Tony's connection with Eddie could be traced back to the krang alien invasion.
Back then, Eddie—merged with Venom—had saved Tony after he had plummeted from the sky.
While they hadn't been particularly close since, Tony had always remembered that moment. It was enough for him to give Eddie some leeway.
Because of that, Daily Bugle , the media company Eddie now ran, had become one of Stark Industries' most trusted press partners.
Of course, this wasn't new.
Back in his playboy billionaire days, Tony had already secured control of multiple media outlets. Naturally, those under his influence had received certain advantages.
But that was just industry gossip.
After Anton exited Stark Tower, he was immediately swarmed by a crowd of reporters who had been lying in wait outside.
"Mr. Jameson, please! What did you and Mr. Stark talk about?"
"Mr. Jameson, what do you think of Mr. Stark's latest invention, the artificial intelligence assistant, Ultron?"
"Mr. Jameson, do you believe Ultron will truly change people's lives and become an indispensable part of everyday life?"
A barrage of questions rained down on Anton like a sudden downpour.
His head buzzed from the noise as reporters crowded around him, completely surrounding him.
"Everyone, I don't know as much about Ultron as you think," Anton said, waving a hand dismissively. "For detailed information, you'll have to wait for the Daily bugle 's official report. Eddie is currently having an in-depth conversation with Tony about it."
He gestured vaguely. "If you have questions, go find Eddie."
As the Daily bugle 's editor-in-chief, Eddie had a long-standing relationship with many of these reporters. They exchanged glances, understanding Anton was simply passing the buck.
A few of them hesitated, but eventually, they stepped aside, allowing Anton to move freely.
He returned to his car.
John Wick—his driver, bodyguard, and occasional executioner—sat behind the wheel, waiting.
"Let's go."
Anton mulled over his next move for a moment before deciding.
"Head to Oscorp."
"Understood." Wick nodded and started the car.
Oscorp Tower
Before long, Anton arrived at Oscorp and was led into the office of its current CEO, Harry Osborn.
Since Norman Osborn had regained his sanity, he had thrown himself completely into scientific research, leaving the company's management to Harry.
Meanwhile, Harry's superhero activities had taken a backseat.
Unless there was a major crisis—like the Battle of New York—Harry rarely donned his symbiote-powered bio-suit anymore. Minor threats were handled by other superheroes.
With Oscorp now stabilized, Harry no longer had to balance running a corporation and fighting crime.
That said, he had no intention of giving up his role as a hero.
Being a superhero had brought him and Oscorp many privileges. More importantly, his childhood dreams and upbringing had instilled a deep admiration for heroism. Now that he had the chance to live out those dreams, he wouldn't discard them so easily.
Inside the Chairman's Office, Harry showed no surprise at Anton's arrival.
It was as if he had expected it.
"You're here about Stark Industries' new product—Ultron?" Harry asked, cutting straight to the point with a knowing smile.
"That's right." Anton nodded. "Tony's decision to introduce Ultron as an artificial intelligence assistant isn't as simple as it seems. But I still don't know his true purpose. Any insights?"
"No idea."
Harry shook his head.
"Tony hasn't shared his full plan with us. But as far as I know, the Ultron project has been in development since he founded the Illuminati."
Anton frowned slightly.
"That means he's had a solid plan from the start. He won't change it for anyone."
Harry smirked. "Isn't that just Tony Stark being Tony Stark?"
Anton sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
Even though he hadn't uncovered any new details, one thing was clear—Tony's move to push Ultron into the world wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was calculated.
And whatever was happening now…
It was a deviation from the original timeline.
Ultron, once a villain, was now being introduced as an AI assistant, set to integrate into global networks.
The core idea remained the same, but the circumstances—and potential consequences—were completely different.
To some extent, the circumstances surrounding Ultron's creation have deviated from the original timeline. Similarly, Tony's purpose in creating Ultron has also changed.
However, Anton is certain of one thing—if Ultron goes out of control like in the original storyline, the consequences will be even more terrifying this time.
Moreover, the Mind Stone is currently sealed away in a war fortress somewhere in the galaxy.
Without the Mind Stone as a catalyst, Vision will never be born.
In the Marvel universe where Anton now resides, Vision is not only nonexistent—his existence is outright impossible.
And without Vision, Wanda Maximoff will never have a husband.
Of course, Wanda and Pietro's abilities in this world are also closely tied to the Mind Stone.
The films never explicitly describe the true source of their powers, only that their abilities are connected to the stone.
According to fan theories in Anton's previous life, most people believed that the twins' abilities were innate. This aligns with the mutant origins in the X-Men universe.
However, since the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe never formally introduced mutants, the movies portrayed Wanda and Pietro as lucky humans—individuals with a connection to mysterious forces whose powers were amplified by the Mind Stone.
Pietro's powers, however, are nothing exceptional, so Anton doesn't give them much thought.
Wanda is the real concern.
As the natural wielder of Chaos Magic, Wanda's abilities were greatly enhanced by the Mind Stone. This power manifested as mind control, reality manipulation, and psychic attacks.
But now, with the Mind Stone in Anton's possession, Wanda will never receive that boost.
Her powers will be significantly weaker.
Not that it concerns Anton much.
If his assumptions are correct, Wanda and Pietro are currently under the control of Baron Strucker, serving as test subjects in Hydra's superpower experiments.
Without the Mind Stone, however, Hydra's research will be useless. No matter how much they experiment on the twins, they won't be able to unlock their full potential.
That being said, Anton has no plans to interfere.
He won't be traveling to Europe to storm Baron Strucker's base and recruit Wanda and Pietro.
Why?
Because at this stage, they are nothing more than Hydra's brainwashed puppets.
Their parents died because of Stark Industries' weapons, fueling their deep-seated hatred. Under Strucker's influence, their anger has been manipulated, turning them into loyal weapons of Hydra.
It's only after the Battle of Sokovia, when Ultron devastates their homeland, that they wake up and switch sides—Pietro dies, and Wanda joins the Avengers.
But right now, even if Anton were to find them, he wouldn't be able to take them away from Strucker.
They wouldn't follow him.
They are still consumed by vengeance, completely under Hydra's control.
And frankly, Anton has no interest in "saving" them.
Yes, Wanda and Pietro possess extraordinary abilities. But in the grand scheme of things, that means nothing to the Justice League.
In Anton's Justice League, raw power is not the most valuable asset.
With Superman on the team, combat strength is already covered.
Adding more superpowered individuals—unless they are absolutely indispensable—is unnecessary.
At this point, what the Justice League truly needs is not more warriors—
It needs scientists.
Anton has placed high expectations on the Sewer Lab.
Whether it's limb regeneration technology, life-extending medicine, or the "Present Pen"—a device that nullifies the Skrulls' shapeshifting abilities—all of them are products of the Sewer Lab.
This only highlights the importance of scientists.
And that's exactly why Anton recruited Hank Pym.
It wasn't just because Pym was the creator of Pym Particles, but because his scientific expertise alone made him worth Anton's attention.
Putting thoughts of Wanda and Pietro aside, Anton turned to Harry.
"Same as before—keep me informed if anything happens," he said. "I still think there's something off about Tony. Ultron's emergence could lead to chaos… Once artificial intelligence surpasses human control, the consequences will be terrifying."
"I understand."
Harry nodded firmly. "If anything happens, I'll let you know immediately. Honestly, I have a bad feeling too. If Tony succeeds in making Ultron a trusted part of everyday life, then once Ultron gains full sentience… the consequences will be unpredictable."
"Glad you recognize that."
Anton nodded. "I'll inform the Justice League to keep an eye on Ultron. That's all for now."
With that, he said his goodbyes and left.
"Alright."
Harry watched as Anton departed.
Daily bugle Headquarters
Downstairs, Anton returned to the Daily bugle building, while John Wick drove off toward Wayne Enterprises, which was located in the adjacent building.
Shortly after, Eddie and his team returned.
Seeing Anton waiting at the door, Eddie already knew what was coming.
As he approached, Anton spoke.
"Well? What did Tony say?"
"Nothing but empty PR talk."
Eddie sighed. "Tony's main message was that Ultron will change the world and optimize people's lives."
"Change the world? Optimize life?"
Anton frowned. "Send me the interview transcript."
"Got it. Give me a sec."
Eddie tapped a few buttons, sending the transcript and a video recording of the interview to Anton's inbox.
Back in his office, Anton skimmed through the files.
After a few moments, he understood exactly what Tony meant.
Change the world. Optimize life.
At its core, this was nothing more than Tony Stark's desire for control—his need to shape the world according to his own vision.
In essence, this was just a variation of Hydra's Insight Program.
Anton's expression darkened.
Even if Tony believed his intentions were good, his methods were undeniably dangerous.
"So this is the path Tony decided to take…"
"Then again… given the immense pressure the Justice League puts on him, this might be the only way he sees forward."
…
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