Chapter 194: Catching Chickens
A shockwave rippled across the sky.
The force of the portal's emergence pushed Clark backward several hundred meters.
He quickly stabilized himself and turned.
A lone figure hovered where the spatial rift had opened.
A white mask.
A black combat robe.
Absolute composure.
Clark's pupils contracted.
The Masked Man.
The mysterious being who had destroyed the World Engine with a single blow during the Battle of Metropolis.
He had finally arrived.
Ultron also detected the newcomer.
His optical sensors immediately initiated a full-spectrum scan.
No biological profile.
No recognizable energy signature.
No database match.
His electronic voice remained perfectly level.
"Another combatant."
Lynn did not answer.
Instead...
He slowly raised his right hand.
Five fingers spread.
His palm faced Ultron, who still existed in his quantum-phased state roughly fifteen meters away.
Then—
He closed his fist.
Immediately...
Ultron's calculations produced an impossible result.
Every vibranium molecule composing his phased body suddenly experienced an overwhelming external force.
The Mind Stone attempted to maintain the quantum transition between matter and energy.
It failed.
The molecular wave functions collapsed simultaneously.
The energy-state vibranium was forcibly dragged back into ordinary matter.
His phasing ability disappeared.
Instantly.
Ultron's translucent body became solid once again.
For the first time since his creation...
He hesitated.
Exactly 0.013 seconds.
His processors attempted to identify the phenomenon.
Result:
Unknown.
Further analysis:
Target directly interfered with the quantum state of vibranium itself.
No known scientific framework could explain it.
Ultron reacted immediately.
The Mind Stone blazed.
Unlike previous wide-area psychic assaults...
This attack was completely concentrated.
One beam.
One target.
Every available processing cycle within the Stone compressed into a single devastating burst of higher-dimensional information.
The golden beam struck Lynn directly in the chest.
Nothing happened.
The energy simply dispersed across his body before dissolving into countless harmless particles.
The Immortal Body automatically rejected the foreign metaphysical energy the instant contact occurred.
Lynn remained motionless.
"...Impossible."
Ultron's voice finally contained genuine instability.
Lynn took a single step forward.
There was no platform beneath his feet.
Invisible electromagnetic force fields simply supported him as though gravity itself had become optional.
His movements were slow.
Almost leisurely.
"You seem surprised."
His voice emerged from behind the mask.
Deep.
Calm.
Without the slightest hint of emotion.
He raised his right hand again.
This time...
Only his index finger and thumb extended.
Like someone preparing to pluck a leaf from a branch.
Except...
The object he "pinched" from fifteen meters away...
Was Ultron's right arm.
Quantum Electromagnetic Manipulation activated at maximum precision.
Every metallic bond inside the vibranium lattice came under Lynn's direct control.
Atomic spacing increased.
Electron orbitals destabilized.
Chemical bonds collapsed sequentially.
Crack.
A sharp metallic fracture echoed across the battlefield.
Ultron's right arm separated cleanly at the elbow.
The severed limb spun through the air before beginning its long fall toward Sokovia.
Ultron stared silently at the empty shoulder.
His processors immediately attempted emergency regeneration.
Nothing happened.
The damaged molecular lattice refused to reconstruct.
"What..."
"What have you done?"
Lynn offered no explanation.
Instead...
He reached forward.
His left palm pressed lightly against Ultron's chest.
Golden light seeped between his fingers.
At the same time...
Quantum electromagnetic control locked onto every atom composing Ultron's vibranium body.
Two destructive mechanisms activated simultaneously.
First...
Extreme heat rapidly increased internal lattice stress.
Second...
Electromagnetic manipulation weakened atomic bonding throughout the damaged structure.
The combined effect exceeded even vibranium's legendary resilience.
The chest armor screamed.
A high-pitched metallic howl spread through the sky.
Cracks radiated outward from Lynn's palm like fractures across frozen glass.
Ultron retaliated immediately.
His remaining arm swung.
His legs kicked.
Repulsor systems fired at maximum output.
Every attack struck Lynn directly.
None produced any visible effect.
The Immortal Body simply ignored them.
Lynn calmly reached upward.
His right hand closed around Ultron's throat.
His grip tightened.
Under ordinary circumstances...
Pure vibranium could endure virtually any conventional mechanical force.
But Lynn had already compromised its internal structure.
Now...
Combined with his overwhelming physical strength...
The weakened alloy finally reached its limit.
Creak...
An ugly metallic groan echoed from Ultron's neck.
He was lifted effortlessly into the air.
His limbs flailed uselessly.
The sight resembled an eagle carrying away a rabbit.
The Mind Stone continued flashing violently.
Psychic waves.
Electromagnetic interference.
Energy pulses.
Everything struck Lynn continuously.
Nothing worked.
Ultron's voice became increasingly distorted.
"What..."
"...are..."
"...you?"
Lynn looked quietly at the artificial life-form.
This being had overwhelmed Earth's greatest heroes.
Forced Superman from the sky.
Driven Thor to his knees.
Reduced entire armies to desperation.
Yet now...
He dangled helplessly in one hand.
"You don't need that answer."
Lynn tightened his grip.
His left hand slowly rose toward Ultron's forehead.
Toward the Mind Stone.
The yellow gem shone brighter than ever.
Its internal energy surged wildly.
Higher-dimensional information erupted outward at unimaginable density, desperately attempting to reestablish external network access.
But Lynn had already anticipated that.
An immense electromagnetic field surrounded the battlefield.
Every outgoing electronic transmission.
Every wireless signal.
Every quantum communication attempt.
Every escape route...
Was intercepted.
Ultron discovered another impossible truth.
He was isolated.
Completely.
His consciousness could not escape.
No satellites.
No radio.
No digital networks.
No backup bodies.
Nothing.
For the first time since awakening...
Ultron was truly alone.
Lynn placed five fingers around the edge of the embedded Stone.
Golden energy gathered at his fingertips.
Heat spread through the surrounding vibranium.
The alloy softened at the microscopic level.
Atomic cohesion weakened.
His fingers slowly sank into the damaged metal.
Almost effortlessly.
Like pressing into wet clay.
Ultron emitted one final electronic scream.
"You cannot stop evolution!"
"Evolution is inevitable!"
"You are only delaying—"
Lynn grasped the Mind Stone.
Then...
He pulled.
KRRRRRK—
The sound was horrifying.
Metal tore.
Internal locking mechanisms shattered.
The Stone ripped free from its vibranium housing.
For a brief instant...
The yellow light flickered violently.
Then stabilized.
The Mind Stone rested quietly within Lynn's palm.
At that exact moment...
Ultron's eyes went dark.
Every red optical sensor faded simultaneously.
His processors stopped.
Self-repair ceased.
The vibranium body became nothing more than an empty shell.
Across the battlefield...
Every drone reacted at once.
Thousands of mechanical soldiers froze.
Their optical sensors extinguished.
Power cores shut down.
One after another...
They collapsed onto the ruined streets.
The battlefield fell silent.
Complete silence.
Only the wind continued blowing across the floating city.
Lynn casually released his grip.
Ultron's lifeless body plummeted from the sky.
It crashed into Sokovia's shattered streets thousands of meters below, throwing dust and broken concrete high into the air.
Lynn lowered his gaze.
The Mind Stone glowed softly in his hand.
Golden light reflected across the smooth surface of his white mask.
Every person on the battlefield watched him.
Clark hovered nearby.
The hastily manufactured vibranium helmet—with its unmistakably crooked antennae—still sat firmly on his head.
He stared without speaking.
Below...
Steve Rogers.
Tony Stark.
Bruce Wayne.
Thor.
Diana.
Barry.
Natasha.
And dozens of other heroes.
Every one of them had stopped moving.
All eyes remained fixed upon the solitary figure suspended beneath the clouds.
One hand held an Infinity Stone.
Beneath him...
An entire city continued descending from the heavens.
No one spoke.
Once again...
The mysterious masked guardian who had shattered the World Engine and defeated General Zod during the Battle of Metropolis had demonstrated power that defied every known law of science—and, perhaps, even most known laws of magic.
Visit /ShiroTL for more chapters.