The Ultron incident has finally come to an end.
Although Ultron hasn't been completely eliminated, the fugitive Tony Stark and three members of the sewer experiment team have launched a new round of tracking efforts. With Tony's ingenuity, solving the Ultron problem shouldn't be too difficult.
After Tony was declared a fugitive, Stark Industries briefly fell into chaos. However, Pepper Potts presented the share transfer agreement Tony had signed beforehand, faced a room full of skeptical shareholders, and once again took her place as a director of Stark Industries.
The turmoil was swiftly brought under control.
Under the leadership of newly appointed president Rodriguez, the Wayne company became an unshakable force within the military-industrial complex.
Former Secretary of Defense John Koehler also recognized who the true beneficiary of the incident was.
John Koehler set aside his earlier caution. After several days of deliberation, he didn't dare to contact Anton directly. Instead, he casually chatted with his old friend Jonah Jameson, knowing full well that Jonah would relay the conversation to Anton.
In other words, Anton would understand the gesture.
After all, Wayne has now become one of the most powerful consortia in the United States.
Though smaller in scale compared to Stark Industries or Oscorp, its secret armed forces and political connections have far surpassed the other two.
Jonah Jameson's old dream of building a massive corporate empire has finally become a reality.
Anton was well aware of this, but didn't care much.
With the power he wielded, a single superhuman under his command could shake the entire world.
His sights were already set beyond Earth.
Still, Earth remained his base of operations.
In the Marvel storyline, the United States is the center of this base—so it's better to keep it under control.
Sewer Laboratory.
Anton is speaking with Tony.
"We've found some interesting information from the bodies of Ultron's bioengineered soldiers," Anton said. "For example, their skeletons are made of vibranium. The flesh and blood parts are created using a technology called the Cradle of Regeneration—or the Cradle of Life, as some call it. It's a research breakthrough from Dr. Helen Cho of a South Korean high-tech institute."
"Dr. Helen Cho…" Tony furrowed his brow, the name familiar.
"The Cradle of Regeneration…"
Tony had extensive knowledge about this technology.
"It can rapidly heal wounds, build molecular bridges, and integrate artificial tissue with human biology," he murmured, gaining a clearer picture of Ultron's bioengineered soldiers.
Though the Cradle couldn't create a human body entirely on its own, Ultron didn't need one. He only required a shell. The skeleton and neural network inside were controlled by his own programming—making the technology ideal for an AI like him.
It all lined up.
"So, Dr. Helen Cho also implanted Ultron's chips?" Tony asked.
"Correct," Anton nodded. "But we discovered that when Ultron initiated his rebellion, Dr. Cho had already boarded a plane and left South Korea. Her current location is unknown."
"Can't the chip be used to track her?" Tony asked.
"She holds a unique status for Ultron. With her help, Ultron can regenerate indefinitely. Even though we severed his network access, that doesn't stop him from copying his own program. It just makes the process more complex," Anton explained. "So if we want to track Ultron, we must first locate Dr. Cho. Also, vibranium is key. If Ultron wants to build a body he's satisfied with, he needs enough vibranium."
"Understood."
Tony nodded and let out a breath. "Working with you really was the right decision."
If you can't beat them, join them.
He had slowly accepted the reality of working with the Justice League.
Though officially a fugitive, the White House and the military clearly suspected he was hiding under the Justice League's protection—and chose not to press the issue. After all, his fugitive status was driven by public opinion.
All he had to do was wait for the right time to clear his name.
Tony understood the situation well and wasn't worried.
"Dr. Helen Cho and vibranium…" Tony muttered. "I'll begin investigating right away."
He paused, then looked at Anton.
"By the way, does the Justice League know the whereabouts of Rogers?"
"Captain America?"
Anton raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tony.
"After Rogers disappeared, I looked for him for a while, but there were no results," Tony explained. "In this world, there are very few people who could actually help him. I originally suspected you were involved, but later found out I was wrong."
"No idea," Anton said bluntly. "It's still an unsolved mystery. Honestly, we haven't been able to find out who took Rogers."
"Alright."
Tony didn't think Anton was lying, so he simply nodded, said goodbye, and went deeper into the lab to tinker with his work.
Anton glanced over curiously but couldn't understand what Tony was doing.
"He's programming," a voice said behind him.
After leaving work early to coordinate with the sewer experiment team regarding the Ultron incident, Donatello had just arrived. Seeing Anton's confusion, he explained proactively.
"Programming?" Anton raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like he's trying to create another artificial intelligence..." Donatello shrugged. "Let's hope he doesn't end up messing around with it again."
"I doubt he will," Anton said with a chuckle.
Manhattan, Bleecker Street, 177A.
While Anton was speaking with Tony, Shazam arrived at this location and met Daniel Drumm.
"What's going on?" Shazam asked, looking around curiously at the room's decorations. He quickly noticed equipment related to Doctor Strange displayed behind glass.
The most eye-catching item was the red Cloak of Levitation.
It flitted about inside the glass case, bumping against the sides as if trying to get Shazam's attention.
"Seems like you want to come out..." Shazam tapped the glass and spoke to the cloak.
"It doesn't actually want to leave," Daniel said as he descended from the second floor. "It's just bored—no one's talked to it in a long time."
He then waved his hand sharply.
In an instant, the room shifted.
Shazam and Daniel were now seated in a cozy tea room, where two cups of steaming tea awaited them.
"Please," Daniel gestured.
Shazam blinked in surprise and smiled. "Your tea room, huh? Not many people get to drink your personally brewed tea, do they?"
"Not many," Daniel smiled. "Very few, actually."
Shazam took a seat and nodded. "But I'm guessing you didn't invite me here just for the tea?"
Daniel leaned back, smiling. "A few days ago, I did you a favor. Now, I'm hoping you'll return it."
"Say the word," Shazam replied. "If it's something I can do, I won't refuse."
He had a good relationship with Daniel—and thanks to the legacy of the Ancient One, maintaining strong ties with Kamar-Taj was clearly beneficial.
"You probably know that Kamar-Taj has established three temples across the world: in New York, London, and Hong Kong," Daniel began. "Each temple has its own guardian. I'm currently the guardian of the New York Sanctum."
"Wait," Shazam interrupted, curious. "Does this have something to do with the New York Sanctum?"
"Yes," Daniel said, his tone suddenly serious. He looked Shazam straight in the eye and said something that left him momentarily speechless.
"I want you to take over as guardian of the New York Sanctum."
Shazam froze, stunned by the request.
Daniel calmly sipped his tea, his gaze never leaving Shazam's face, waiting patiently for an answer.
"Why?" Shazam asked, frowning. "Why are you stepping down?"
"Because this role has started to surpass my capabilities," Daniel replied. "According to the prophecies, this is the best outcome. You can do better than I can."
"Can I do better?"
Shazam looked at Daniel in amazement. He wasn't doubting his own abilities—but Daniel's behavior reminded him of the Ancient One from the original storyline, as if he had glimpsed the future.
According to that original plot, Daniel Drumm's death wasn't far off.
He was fated to die at the hands of a traitor from Kamar-Taj—someone who had taken refuge under the Lord of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu's follower: Kaecilius.
Shazam had planned to intervene when the plot reached that point, hoping to help Daniel avoid that fate. But unexpectedly, Daniel came to him first, trying to change his own destiny. It was clear now—Daniel had received some kind of revelation. That surprised Shazam.
"Was it a prediction from the Ancient One?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
"No," Daniel shook his head. "This is a future I saw myself. I'll die at the hands of a traitor within Kamar-Taj—right here in this temple."
"You used the Eye of Agamotto?"
Shazam's eyes widened with realization.
Daniel didn't answer, but his silence confirmed it.
He had used the Eye of Agamotto to peer into the future—and saw his own death play out, just as it had in the original timeline. That's why he came to Shazam, hoping to escape his fate by passing on the title of Guardian of the New York Sanctum.
"I didn't mean to deceive you, Shazam," Daniel said calmly. "But seeing my death… it terrified me. I couldn't accept dying in this room, like that. That fear pushed me to act, to take control. It's not that I want to run away from death—but right now, I'm not ready to die. I still have too many regrets."
"Alright."
Shazam nodded. "Since you've said all this, I'll take the position."
"Don't worry."
Daniel smiled. "Even though I'm asking you to take over, I'm not planning to sit back and let danger come to you. I want you to hold the fort in New York while I go track down the real threat—and eliminate it before it can grow."
"If I succeed, I'll take back the mantle from you. But if I fail… then you'll officially become the next Guardian of the New York Sanctum."
His meaning was clear.
Daniel wasn't pushing the responsibility onto Shazam—he was stepping away to confront the danger head-on and hopefully prevent the tragic future he had seen.
"Good luck," Shazam said, his expression mixed with admiration and unease.
The plot was evolving in a direction he hadn't fully anticipated, but it wasn't exactly unexpected either.
Throughout his journey, the storylines had been altered—nudged by the flapping of butterfly wings. Changes were inevitable.
If nothing had changed, that would've been strange.
After finishing his tea, Daniel tossed Shazam the key to the Sanctum, drew a portal, and stepped through it—disappearing to the other side of the world.
Shazam watched the swirling space beyond the portal, guessing that Daniel was heading toward Kamar-Taj.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
It felt like a pair of eyes were watching him.
The Ancient One.
Whoosh—
The portal closed, and that eerie feeling vanished.
Shazam exhaled a long breath.
"Daniel actually used the Eye of Agamotto to see the future... This could get interesting. If Daniel defeats Kaecilius and prevents the original events from unfolding... what happens to Doctor Stephen Strange?"
Would he still inherit the role of Sorcerer Supreme, as he did in the original plot?
Would the Ancient One still choose him?
That was the question.
As she once said, "Strange is the best of us."
But if that "best" never walks the same path, if he's no longer shaped by that destiny—will he still become the Supreme Sorcerer she foresaw?
Or will he simply be an excellent mage?
Shazam stroked his chin thoughtfully.
In fact, whether Strange becomes Doctor Strange or not… both he and Anton still have a huge influence over that outcome.
The Time Stone—the Eye of Agamotto—was kept in Kamar-Taj, a treasured artifact in the hands of the Sorcerer Supreme.
If Doctor Stephen Strange never appeared, the Earth's current peak combat force, the Sorcerer Supreme known as the Ancient One, would have no reason to willingly embrace death.
As long as the Ancient One remained alive, and considering Anton's current fear of her, obtaining the Time Stone from her would be a serious challenge.
Only during the brief window when the Ancient One had died and before Strange officially inherited the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme could Anton easily acquire the Eye of Agamotto—along with the Time Stone inside it.
As for the threat posed by Kaecilius and the Lord of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu—Anton believed that wasn't something the Dark Justice League couldn't handle.
Though Dormammu was powerful, Anton could easily replicate the tactic Strange once used to subdue him.
In fact, Anton now possessed enough Infinity Stones, along with various techniques and strategies, to handle Dormammu in more than one way.
Dormammu was no longer a significant threat to him.
"Ugh… headache."
Shazam sighed, deciding to leave this entire problem to the main body. After all, he was just a clone—why waste brain cells on all this?
"The Guardian of the New York Sanctum, huh…"
Before leaving, he glanced around the room, at the glass case, and at the many magical artifacts decorating the walls. A smile crept onto his face.
"I'll deal with the complications later. For now, just holding this title… is pretty interesting."
Whoosh!
In the next instant, he vanished.
…
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