Chapter 9: The End of the Battle & A Silent Promise
The battle in Johannesburg was reaching its climax. Buildings lay in ruins, sirens wailed across the city, and terrified civilians ran for their lives.
Alex hovered high above, his presence unnoticed by anyone below. His body floated effortlessly in the air, concealed by the unique bioelectric frequency his abilities emitted. No satellites, no advanced Stark-tech scanners, nothing could detect him—not even J.A.R.V.I.S.
His crimson eyes tracked the colossal figures tearing through the streets—Hulk and the Hulkbuster.
Tony Stark, inside the massive armored suit, fired repulsors at the raging green beast, but the blows barely slowed him down. Hulk roared, tearing through buildings and tossing cars aside like toys. Tony caught one of his fists mid-air, but the sheer force sent him flying backward, crashing through a parking structure.
Alex clenched his fists.
Tony Stark... a man who would give everything for others.
Alex respected him. No, admired him. He knew how Tony's story would end—how he would eventually make the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe. But that was a long way from now. Right now, he was struggling against a beast he could barely control.
The Hulk roared and launched himself at Stark again.
This time, Tony was ready. "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep!" he muttered quickly as the Hulkbuster's fists rained down on Hulk's face. Blow after blow, trying to knock him unconscious.
But Hulk didn't fall.
He caught the Hulkbuster's arm and ripped it off.
Tony barely had time to react before Hulk grabbed him by the leg and slammed him into the ground, causing the entire street to crack.
Alex watched it all from above, his instincts screaming at him to do something. But he held back.
This is how it's supposed to go.
He had no place interfering with this fight. He was still mastering his abilities. His time would come.
For now, he just watched.
Finally, the battle ended when Tony deployed a last-ditch countermeasure—a satellite-assisted punch from his armor's Veronica system. The impact sent Hulk crashing into the ground, leaving him dazed.
The Hulkbuster stood over him, its systems damaged but still functional.
"Bruce, buddy," Tony's voice came through the suit's speakers. "Stay down, please."
The green giant's chest heaved. His eyes flickered between rage and exhaustion. But slowly, slowly, his body began to shrink, his skin turning from green to pale once more.
Bruce Banner collapsed into unconsciousness.
Tony sighed. "That was... harder than expected."
Alex exhaled. So it's finally over.
But his relief didn't last long.
Because elsewhere, another battle was still raging.
---
Sokovia - The Train Battle
The cold air of Sokovia carried the scent of smoke and metal. Explosions roared in the distance as Wanda and Pietro Maximoff fought their way through the chaos.
Ultron's machines swarmed the city, their glowing red eyes scanning for any threats. But the real battle wasn't against his army.
It was against him.
Ultron stood before Wanda, his cold, mechanical gaze locked onto her as he spoke.
"You were meant to be something greater," he said. "But instead, you choose to stand in my way."
His voice was calm. Too calm.
Wanda's breath was heavy. Her hands burned with crimson energy, her fingers trembling from exhaustion.
She had fought so hard. Pushed herself beyond her limits.
But this moment—this moment would define everything.
Ultron turned his head slightly, and behind him, she saw it.
The train.
It was out of control, speeding toward destruction.
Panic shot through her. If it derailed now, thousands of people would die.
Pietro appeared beside her in a blur, his face etched with worry. "Wanda! The train—"
"I know!" she snapped.
But Ultron didn't move. He stood between them and their only chance to stop it.
"You could have ruled at my side," he continued, his voice almost disappointed. "You could have been gods."
Wanda's fingers curled into fists. No.
No more manipulation. No more control.
Her red energy crackled violently.
With a furious scream, she unleashed it all at once, sending a shockwave of power crashing into Ultron. The blast ripped through his armor, exposing his inner wiring, sending him staggering back.
And then, she reached forward—her powers digging into his chest, reaching past his metal plating, past the circuits and processors, deep into the one thing that made him function.
His heart.
Or rather, his core.
Ultron's body twitched. His head jerked unnaturally as her magic overwhelmed him.
"You... can't... do this..." his voice glitched.
Her eyes burned red. "Yes. I can."
With a final pull, she ripped his core out.
Sparks erupted. Ultron's body convulsed. His mechanical voice distorted, filled with rage and disbelief.
And then—
Silence.
His metal body collapsed onto the ground.
The battle was far from over. Ultron had other bodies, other plans.
But in that moment, Wanda Maximoff had taken a stand.
She wasn't just a lost girl anymore.
She was a warrior.
She was powerful.
And as she stood there, chest rising and falling with exhaustion, a single thought pushed through her fatigue.
"Alex."
Her fingers tightened around Ultron's core.
She had left him behind. But not by choice.
She remembered the look in his eyes when he told her to go. The pain in his voice when he said he wasn't worth saving.
She hated that.
Hated that he thought of himself as useless.
Because to her, he wasn't.
To her, he was everything.
Pietro's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Wanda! We need to go!"
She blinked, shaking off the emotions.
But before she turned away, she made a silent promise.
"You better be alive when I find you, Alex."
---
Above New York - Alex's Perspective
Alex hovered in the sky, his gaze locked onto the city below.
The battle in Johannesburg had ended.
The battle in Sokovia had begun.
He exhaled deeply, his breath visible in the cold air. His mind raced with thoughts of Wanda, of what she was going through.
Of what was to come.
Ultron was dangerous. But even more dangerous was what lay ahead—the greater threats that no one was prepared for yet.
Thanos.
The Black Order.
The endgame.
He wasn't strong enough. Not yet.
But he would be.
He had made up his mind.
It was time to return.
Time to find her.
—