Tony stood in front of the high-tech electronic screen, deep in thought. Ever since the alien invasion and the direct attack on the Sanctum Sanctorum, an idea that had long taken root in his mind was growing stronger.
But something this important wasn't something he could accomplish alone.
Tony once again sought out Banner—he needed a capable partner to turn this vision into reality, rather than letting it remain an impossible dream.
He clapped Banner on the shoulder, his sudden action startling him. Banner flinched, his nerves on edge—he couldn't afford any unnecessary stress.
One wrong move, and he could end up destroying the entire lab, or worse, the whole base.
With a helpless sigh, Banner glanced at Tony. "Next time, maybe don't sneak up on me like that. You know…"
His gaze instinctively drifted behind him, scanning for any sign of Black Widow. Natasha was the only one who could calm the Hulk, the only voice that could bring him back to reason.
But she wasn't here yet.
Following their last emergency meeting, the Avengers had agreed on a new strategy—recruiting more skilled and courageous members. The current team simply wasn't enough, especially now that even aliens dared to invade Earth.
No one knew what their true intentions were. Even though Emperor was on Earth, Tony and the others didn't want to rely on him for everything.
HYDRA had devised numerous sinister schemes, and while the Avengers had managed to stop them, they had to admit—it was largely because Emperor was there.
If not for him, the Insight Program would have been activated, the Helicarriers would have taken flight, and when Tony had Friday analyze potential solutions, the worst-case scenario had been clear—he would have to drag them into a wormhole himself.
And there was no guarantee he would have survived.
Making it back to Earth safely wouldn't have been easy.
"I know all that," Tony said, snapping out of his thoughts. He locked eyes with Banner, gripping his shoulder firmly.
"Listen to me, great Dr. Banner. Remember when I talked to you about uploading human consciousness into computers? Creating more advanced AI, even better than J.A.R.V.I.S.?"
"J.A.R.V.I.S. and the others are my proudest achievements. But maybe, if we work together, we could build an AI even more powerful."
His eyes were filled with determination. He was eager to launch this project—not just to recruit new teammates…
But to create combat AI.
If they could mass-produce artificial intelligence with human-like cognition, they could minimize casualties.
During their last mission, Hawkeye had been injured. Though Helen Cho's cellular regeneration cradle had helped, the fact remained—he had been hurt.
Tony didn't want to see more of his friends getting injured.
Machines, however, could be repaired. They wouldn't suffer the way humans did.
Banner hesitated, adjusting his glasses with the back of his hand. "I've already told you… whether this experiment can even succeed is still uncertain…"
"But more importantly, if we do create this… we could end up in court. Don't you think this violates both the law and ethics?"
Tony could tell Banner was wavering.
He pressed harder.
"But if we succeed, you wouldn't have to summon the Hulk anymore."
"You know as well as I do—whenever he appears, trouble follows. Wouldn't you rather live a normal life?"
...
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