"Of course, we can't just kill them."
Anton, in his Batman persona, was also deeply troubled. This was the issue he feared the most.
Ultron wasn't exactly an impossible opponent to defeat, but the real problem lay in how to resolve the aftermath of everything Ultron had set in motion.
Like the infected individuals from Washington and other regions pouring in, all controlled by Ultron chips.
The scariest part was that these people weren't just ordinary infected individuals each one had been enhanced by the Extremis Virus, boosting their physical abilities to nearly superhuman levels.
From another perspective, this was essentially the most powerful army the world had ever seen.
"That a special forces aircraft..."
The Ninja Turtles not only recognized the transport plane serial numbers but also identified some of the personnel aboard.
As the most well-known unit in America, the Special Forces had collaborated with the NYPD task force where the Turtles often operated. Given their previous joint operations, the Turtles were no strangers to them.
"Even the Special Forces are in trouble?!"
Michelangelo was shocked, while his three companions wore nearly identical expressions of disbelief, though with varying degrees of intensity. They all exchanged uneasy glances.
Seeing this, Batman remained silent for a moment before a thought struck him.
"I have an idea!"
He turned to Spider-Man and the others, saying, "Hold these people off. Reinforcements will arrive soon."
"Reinforcements?"
"Who are you calling?"
The Justice League members were puzzled, but they noticed Shazam stepping forward. He activated his teleportation bracelet, confirmed the coordinates, and was instantly engulfed in a purple light wave before vanishing from sight.
"Where did he go?"
"No idea. Is it another one of our hidden Justice League allies? Who could it be?"
Various thoughts crossed everyone minds, but the initial anxiety and unease had significantly eased.
If Batman said there was a way, then there was a way.
That was the level of influence a single sentence from Batman could carry.
At this moment...
Nations and organizations observing the scene through various channels didn't understand the internal discussions among the Justice League members. All they could sense was the growing tension and weight of the situation.
"How do we fight this?"
The same question Spider-Man had posed earlier now echoed in the minds of countless observers.
They couldn't simply kill these people.
The consequences of doing so would be unimaginable, and everyone present was acutely aware of that.
"Wait, Shazam disappeared..."
"He teleported. Where did he go?"
Someone noticed the change in the Justice League lineup, and an uneasy murmur spread. It felt like the League had a specific strategy in place to handle this escalating crisis.
While everyone speculated about Shazam destination, he hadn't actually left New York. Using teleportation, he quickly arrived at 177A Bleecker Street in Manhattan.
This address was his target.
It was the location of the New York Sanctum.
"Shazam."
The moment Shazam appeared, he was immediately noticed by Daniel Drumm.
"Shouldn't you be out there dealing with the mess? Why are you here?"
Daniel Drumm, the guardian of the New York Sanctum and a master sorcerer, regarded the superhero with curiosity.
In front of Daniel was a magical projection he had conjured, displaying the battlefield outside New York City where Batman and the others were dealing with the infected individuals controlled by Ultron.
"I'm here seeking help, Master Drumm."
Shazam glanced at the projection in front of Daniel, surprised that the sorcerer still had the time to watch a live broadcast of the crisis. Nevertheless, he gave the Sanctum guardian the respect he deserved and said earnestly, "Right now, you're the only one who can help us."
"Oh?"
Daniel asked curiously, "How can I help you? For you, dealing with opponents shouldn't be difficult. Even if I intervene, I wouldn't do it better than you."
Shazam said, "No, with your help, we can win this war without casualties."
"War?"
Daniel was stunned.
"Yes."
Shazam nodded. "This is the war between humanity and artificial intelligence."
Hearing this, Daniel fell silent for a moment before saying, "What do you want me to do?"
"It simple."
Shazam pointed to the scene before them and said, "You just need to trap them all in the Mirror Dimension. Once we find a way to erase Ultron control over them, we can release them."
"That does sound simple."
Daniel smiled bitterly.
For a master of magic like him, opening the Mirror Dimension wasn't difficult. But to include tens of thousands of people in the Mirror Dimension at the same time was far from easy.
"I can try."
But Daniel didn't refuse.
As the guardian of the New York Sanctum, his existence aligned with the Justice League goal: to protect Earth and safeguard humanity.
So, despite the difficulty, he couldn't back down.
In the outskirts.
"Guys, they're getting closer."
Spidey felt like the few minutes Shazam had been gone had stretched into years.
"Don't worry, everything is going smoothly."
Batman spoke calmly.
At this moment, a group of heroes stood atop a vantage point, watching as transport aircraft approached from the distance.
The wind pressure and air currents they brought blew across their faces like a hurricane, and the slight relief they'd felt earlier started to fade as tension slowly thickened again.
Right now, the most nervous weren't the heroes but the politicians in the White House.
Through drones controlled from New York, they were live-streaming the scene.
Despite being far away in Washington, every blade of grass and tree in the New York outskirts was within their view, let alone the rapidly approaching aircraft in the sky.
"What should we do? How will the Justice League deal with these people?"
The President was drenched in sweat.
He could no longer control his facial expressions or his anxious emotions.
This sudden turn of events had his fingerprints all over it—though all in a negative light.
No matter how it ended, he would bear enormous responsibility.
But regardless, if Batman and the others could secure those infected and controlled by Ultron without casualties, there was still a glimmer of hope.
That was almost his only hope now.
"Look! Someone coming!"
"What is that?"
"Is it some new teleportation technology?"
Someone exclaimed, as the scene on the monitors changed once again.
The military transport aircraft approached the forested area.
The massive wind pressure and air currents swept across the scene. Spidey and the others could see the transport aircraft opening its cabin doors, revealing one heavily armored soldier after another, all staring expressionlessly at them.
At this critical moment—
In mid-air before them, a fiery circle suddenly appeared out of thin air.
On the other side of the circle was a different landscape.
Shazam and a man in a mysterious robe stepped out from the circular portal and entered the forest.
"Is this our backup?"
The Justice League members were stunned.
Then—
They witnessed a breathtaking scene.
The robed man hovered in the air, standing against the sky and facing the transport aircraft head-on.
With a staff in hand, he raised his hand and made a sweeping gesture.
Before them, every enemy, including the massive transport aircraft, vanished without a trace.