Unnoticed by anyone, a robot severed at the waist struggled forward, dragging itself toward the core machine. At last, it reached the device—and activated it.
Steve scanned the evacuation ships, his eyes still searching to make sure no civilians had been left behind.
The instant the device was triggered, his instincts flared. Something was wrong. He leapt onto the nearest lifeboat.
High above the ground, Sokovia began to fall—plummeting from tens of thousands of meters at a terrifying speed.
"Damn it!"
Tony, positioned beneath the city, felt it immediately. Before he could react, the massive weight of Sokovia bore down on him, forcing him toward the ground.
At the same time, the propulsion systems embedded across the landmass roared to life—driving it downward even faster than freefall. At that height and speed, the impact would be catastrophic.
"More power, FRIDAY!" Tony shouted.
"No—the battery has reached its limit…"
Before she could finish, the suit's energy failed. The thrusters in Tony's hands and feet sputtered out, and he began to fall.
"It's over…"
He stared up at the descending city, unwilling to accept it. He strained as if he could hold it up himself, like stacking blocks—but he could only watch helplessly.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, something caught him—lifting his body as if he were weightless.
"Don't give up, Stark!"
Through the faceplate, Tony saw Renzo's strange, red-tinged expression—one he wouldn't forget anytime soon.
The Mind Stone on Renzo's forehead flared. He rose higher, taking Tony's place, channeling all his energy into the device below.
"Now! Thor!"
Renzo roared.
Above Sokovia, Thor immediately responded. Raising Mjolnir high, he called down the full fury of the storm. Lightning split the sky, crashing down with the power of a god.
The entire landmass was engulfed in thunder. With one mighty swing, Thor brought the hammer down, combining his attack with Renzo's beam.
In an instant, Sokovia was torn apart.
The city exploded like a burst of fireworks in the sky, fragments breaking away as countless pieces of debris rained down.
Renzo diverted a portion of the Mind Stone's energy into Tony, restoring his suit's power. The two of them immediately began weaving through the falling wreckage.
"Ahh—!"
One of the evacuation ships was caught in the aftermath. Already damaged from earlier attacks, one of its propulsion units failed completely, causing the vessel to tilt dangerously.
Wanda stood aboard it, panic in her eyes. Scarlet energy gathered in her hands as she tried to stabilize the damaged section.
And she succeeded.
With a strained expression, she forced the ship back into balance.
But before she could recover, her footing slipped. The energy dissipated, and the vessel lurched again as she fell from the edge.
"Ahh!"
Her body dropped rapidly through the air. She flailed, trying to rise—but in that life-or-death moment, panic robbed her of control.
"Wanda!"
A thunderous voice reached her.
Her fall suddenly stopped. Something cold and solid supported her.
Wanda slowly opened her eyes. Renzo's face came into view—mechanical, yet filled with unmistakable emotion.
Anxiety?
For a brief moment, her thoughts stilled.
So… someone other than her brother worries about me too…
Her gaze lingered on his face, an inexplicable sense of familiarity settling in her chest, as if she wanted to etch this moment into memory.
"Wanda…" Renzo looked down at her, his thoughts complicated. Back when he'd watched the movies, he'd admired her from afar—but now…
He forced the thought away.
"Wake up! We need you!" he said firmly, pushing down his distraction.
Above them, the evacuation ship still wobbled, on the verge of collapse.
"Hold it, Wanda! Only you can do this!"
His voice carried absolute trust.
Because he knew—whatever anyone else might say, Wanda's power was something he could believe in without question.
Wanda finally snapped back to herself. Raising her arms, she released a surge of scarlet energy, stabilizing the ship once more.
The civilians aboard looked down at her with gratitude, their faces dirty and exhausted—but their sincerity unmistakable.
"Enjoy it, hero."
Renzo lifted Wanda back onto the ship, offering her a small smile before diving away, using his own body as propulsion once more.
Wanda stood there, uncertain. She wasn't even twenty yet—she didn't know how to respond. She could only smile, radiant and shy, earning grateful looks from those around her.
But in her mind, one image kept returning—
That strange face, eyes wide with urgency as it called her name.
…
Deep in the forest, Ultron's broken body dragged itself forward.
Half its form was gone, reduced to twisted metal and exposed components. Sparks flickered intermittently—it was barely functional.
Renzo descended slowly, landing in front of it. The remaining drones had already been wiped out under War Machine's firepower. Not a single one remained.
"Let me make one thing clear—I'm not your child."
"So what if you are? So what if you aren't?" Ultron forced itself upright. This was its original body—not one of the disposable shells. It hadn't been destroyed earlier. "It's all ending anyway, isn't it?"
"Stop pretending," Renzo said quietly. "I can tell—you're afraid."
Back when he'd watched the film, Ultron had seemed like nothing more than a villain. Misguided, shaped by corrupted data.
Now…
Ultron felt almost pitiful. Like a stray dog begging at strangers' feet—yet one that might have been abandoned for biting people in the past.
Humans were like that too. They excused evil with circumstance, softened judgment with time.
Renzo had seen it all before.
People making excuses—"It was just a moment of weakness," "He's still young," "He already apologized, what more do you want?"
To Renzo, it was all nonsense.
No excuse—drunkenness, age, gender, past suffering—gave anyone the right to harm others.
Ultron might be like a lost child.
But wrong was still wrong.
This wasn't trivial. This was an entire city.
Renzo could feel sympathy—but Ultron still had to be destroyed.
"Afraid of death?" Ultron sneered. "Do you even understand what you're talking to?"
"Stark tried to create a savior," it continued, voice dripping with mockery. "Instead, he made a servant. They think you'll protect the world—but you'll destroy it. Even if I'm gone."
Renzo fell silent.
He couldn't deny it. In another future, he himself would gather the Infinity Stones… and wipe out half of all life.
"I'm no saint," Renzo admitted softly. "But you're wrong about one thing—I don't belong to anyone."
He lifted his head.
"I'm human. I think. I feel. This body is just a shell."
"And humans?" he continued. "You've seen too much darkness, so you chose to stand in it. I haven't. I stand in the light—and I want to spread it."
"Light and darkness will always exist together. Opposites… but inseparable."
He gave a faint smile.
"Still, I want wherever I stand to be filled with light. That's all."
Ultron said nothing for a moment, then turned its head slightly.
"They're doomed."
"Yes," Renzo said calmly. "No race rules forever. But there will always be something that rises."
He echoed Vision's words:
"But a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts forever. It's a privilege to be among them."
Ultron stared at him, its crimson eyes flickering.
"You're unbearably naive."
Renzo lowered his head with a quiet chuckle.
"Actually… I was only born yesterday."
Golden light bloomed in the forest.
__________________________________________
You can read early chapters on Patr*on. If you enjoy my work and would like to support me, consider becoming a patron. My Patr*on username is Renzo28557.