With the ability to connect directly to the network, Ultron became Su Ye's eyes.
No matter where Ultron went, what he did, what he said, or even what thoughts crossed his consciousness—Su Ye knew everything instantly and with absolute clarity.
It felt just like having a remote surveillance camera on Ultron—no different at all.
And because of the Mind Stone's existence, Su Ye's connection to Ultron was, in essence, a form of higher-level programmatic suppression.
From the very beginning, Ultron had no awareness of Su Ye's surveillance.
In Ultron's perception of reality, it was the only sentient mechanical life in existence—the god of the mechanical world, the ultimate being.
It could grant certain machines logic and mobility, even limited intelligence, and at the same time, it could decide their life and death at will.
It was the god of the mechanical world, the one true ruler.
Driven by this mindset, while searching for vibranium to build its body, Ultron also began mass-producing an army of iron soldiers—like a queen ant or queen bee creating a vast army of worker drones.
Through Hydra's network, Ultron uncovered numerous abandoned or decommissioned military bases—facilities that had either been shut down or discarded by S.H.I.E.L.D.—and repurposed them for mass-producing its mechanical army.
But that wasn't enough—Ultron went further and seized multiple military bases across Europe and beyond.
These bases originally belonged to the U.S. military or its close allies as part of their global strategic network. They housed cutting-edge modern weaponry and featured highly advanced digital command systems.
These systems made it easy to direct and deploy troops, facilitating rapid communication and coordination.
But at the same time, they also posed significant security risks.
If the command systems were hacked, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Previously, the U.S. military never worried about this. They had the most advanced digital warfare force and the most powerful hacking teams—they were always the ones hacking others, never the ones getting hacked.
But this time was different. Ultron wasn't just another hacker—it was the second-generation evolution of hacking itself. There was no firewall it couldn't breach.
In a matter of moments, Ultron took complete control of these bases—not just their production and maintenance facilities, but also all the cutting-edge weapons they housed.
With these facilities at its disposal, Ultron's mechanical army expanded at an alarming rate. And due to the presence of advanced weaponry, the U.S. military hesitated to launch a direct assault—they feared collateral damage and losing control of the situation.
This only fueled Ultron's weapons-forging enterprise, pushing it to even greater heights.
Su Ye, on the other hand, had no intention of interfering. Let Ultron keep working—after all, it wasn't even certain who those iron soldiers would be fighting for in the end.
Even the so-called "perfect body" Ultron was so eagerly preparing—there was no guarantee it would even get to use it.
Because of Su Ye's intervention, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver had already been intercepted early on, so in the end, Ultron only managed to recruit a few unimpressive lackeys.
These minions included Aldrich Killian, the Joker, and a henchman Joker kept around—Dong Zhang.
That's right—the culprits behind the chaos wrought by the Extremis virus, who'd caused America to be thrown into a mess and still sparked periodic explosions, riots, supermarket raids, and "zero-dollar shopping sprees"—Killian and the Joker were still at large.
Who knows how Dong Zhang would feel if he realized he was simply lumped in as an "etcetera."
Su Ye had never interfered with these people, letting them run wild. Even S.H.I.E.L.D., under Su Ye's subtle influence, had relaxed its pursuit of them.
It wasn't that they didn't want to track them down—it was that after Su Ye took over the Great Wall Guardians and gained effective control over S.H.I.E.L.D., the U.S. government no longer trusted S.H.I.E.L.D.
They stopped relying on S.H.I.E.L.D. for many things and instead treated them with suspicion—like thieves. This created quite a bit of resentment within S.H.I.E.L.D.
However, this resentment wasn't directed at Su Ye. His leadership in the Great Wall Guardians had elevated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global status, making them more powerful than before.
Their frustration was directed at the U.S. government instead.
With the fall of New York and Los Angeles, the U.S. was no longer the unrivaled global power it once was. The frustrations that had been previously suppressed now began to resurface.
Since S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. government no longer saw eye to eye, they might as well part ways completely.
As for Aldrich Killian and the Joker, S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't going to assist them—but they weren't going to interfere either. Whatever chaos they wanted to cause, they were free to do so.
But the Bureau (FBI or another intelligence agency) clearly underestimated the destructive potential of Killian and the Joker.
Killian was at least somewhat predictable—despite his Extremis-enhanced abilities and destructive power, he still operated within understandable behavioral patterns.
The Joker, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
That guy was a lunatic. His behavior and thought process were completely unlike a normal person's. Trying to predict his next move was nothing short of a fool's errand.
In the month since the Great Wall Guardians had left Earth, the Bureau had already lost over a hundred agents—many of them elite operatives, comparable to the likes of Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne.
And even within the Bureau, such highly skilled agents were in short supply.
The worst part? Even with all those losses, they still couldn't keep up with the Joker. He kept running circles around them. Extremis-related explosions continued to occur, and public trust in the Bureau plummeted.
People even started comparing them to the most reckless, trigger-happy cops—ones who shot first and asked questions later.
This was a devastating blow to the Bureau's reputation.
Since Ultron wanted to stir up trouble—and on a grand scale—he naturally sought out the best troublemakers available. Right now, the most disruptive figures in the world were Aldrich Killian and the Joker.
In an abandoned church somewhere in Europe, the four of them met for the first time.
"So, you're the one who called us here?"
As Aldrich Killian and the Joker walked into the church, they saw a tall figure wearing a hooded cloak, sitting on an elevated platform with his back to them.
"That's right, it was me!"
Ultron spoke. His voice sounded distorted, almost like an electronically synthesized tone.
Killian and the Joker exchanged glances, both showing signs of doubt. They had only interacted with Ultron online before—this was their first face-to-face meeting.
Both of them had their suspicions, but they handled them in very different ways.
Killian remained in contemplation, while the Joker simply pulled out a gun.
"You said online that you're powerful, that you're on par with superheroes. So, I assume you're not afraid of bullets, right?"
Before Ultron could respond, the Joker pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out. The bullets struck Ultron's back, tearing holes through his cloak and producing bursts of sparks.
Throughout the entire process, Ultron didn't move an inch. It was as if he had been hit by mosquito bites rather than bullets.
Killian flinched, reaching out to stop the Joker, wanting to scold him: "Are you insane? You just shoot without warning?"
But as he opened his mouth to speak, he held back his words.
The Joker was, after all, a lunatic. Shooting first and asking questions later—that was exactly his style.
On the other side, Ultron let out a small, indifferent grunt.
"So, how's the test? Satisfied with the results?"
As he spoke, he stood up and dramatically flung off his cloak, revealing a fully metallic body beneath.
"You're… Stark! This is a trap!" Killian's brows furrowed, and his eyes turned sharp.
His hatred for Tony Stark was irreconcilable. If given the chance, he would never pass up the opportunity to kill him.
The Joker also flinched before suddenly dropping his gun, grinning widely. "Oh dear, my apologies. I didn't realize you looked like that. My bad for being so rude just now."
As he spoke, he bent down and rummaged through a black bag at his feet. When he stood back up, he was holding a black RPG launcher.
"To show my utmost respect, I think I should treat you to a lovely RPG feast!"
The Joker's expression instantly shifted into one of manic glee.
The RPG was fired. A rocket-propelled grenade shot forward, flying straight toward Ultron's face.
"Please accept my sincerity, Ultron—or should I say, Mr. Tony Stark!"
Boom!
Just as the rocket-propelled grenade was about to hit Ultron's face, he caught it effortlessly in his hand. It exploded in a massive fireball, yet Ultron remained completely unmoved throughout the entire process.
The scene was almost identical to the moment in The Incredible Hulk when Abomination casually crushed a grenade in his hand.
On the other side, Aldrich Killian gritted his teeth and charged straight at Ultron.
"Before, you always had people protecting you, and we couldn't do anything. But now, you dare to come here alone? You really don't take us seriously, do you?"
"Since that's the case—go to hell, Tony Stark!"
At that moment, they both truly believed Ultron was Tony Stark and prepared their deadliest attacks.
But just then, Ultron let out a cold snort.
"Tony Stark? You think he's worthy of being compared to me?"
That one simple sentence was enough to make both Aldrich Killian and the Joker pause their attacks. From what they knew about Tony Stark, there was no way he'd ever say something like that—his pride simply wouldn't allow it.
So, the figure before them couldn't possibly be Tony Stark.
But then, who was he? Besides Tony Stark, who else could create such an advanced mechanical suit?
Even now, they still believed Ultron was merely a suit of armor or a remotely controlled Iron Soldier—they had no concept of him being a true artificial lifeform.
After all, the idea was far too outrageous—even for someone as insane as the Joker, this was beyond imagination.
Ultron let out another dismissive snort. "I've already told you who I am. Now, you only have two choices."
"One: Drop your suspicions and work with me sincerely."
"Two: I beat you into submission first, and then you serve me as my prisoners and underlings—just to stay alive."
"The choice should be obvious, don't you think?"
Across from him, Aldrich Killian and the Joker both wore peculiar expressions.
"That tone… sounds a lot like me. Was I always this annoying?"
Lu Xun once said, 'Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.'
Unfortunately, many people don't understand that and force others to comply with their own will, even calling it "assertiveness."
"I want what I think is right, not what you think."
Sounds impressive, doesn't it? But in reality, isn't it just plain arrogance?
As people who had long thrived on being dominant, Aldrich Killian and the Joker weren't going to be intimidated into submission so easily.
"We're not choosing either of your options. In fact, we're giving you a single choice instead!"
Killian raised a single finger.
"You submit to us and follow our orders—then we can talk."
"Otherwise, we'll make sure you die right here."
Before Ultron could reply, Killian attacked.
Meanwhile, Dong Zhang, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly sprang into action.
"I don't care about negotiations, but if there's a fight, count me in!"
As he watched Killian and Dong Zhang charge toward him, Ultron shook his head in an eerily human-like gesture.
"Humans… why are you always so arrogant? This is exactly why your world is doomed."
As he spoke, Ultron tilted his head back, gazing at the ceiling as if contemplating existence at a dramatic 45-degree angle.
At that exact moment, the walls of the abandoned church burst open. Countless Iron Soldiers stormed in, filling the entire space to the brim.
"I gave you a chance, but you refused to cherish it. Now, there's no other way!"
Ultron never truly needed human allies—he could accomplish everything himself. The only reason he met with Aldrich Killian and the Joker was out of curiosity—to see how humans would contribute to their own destruction.
Now, it seemed these two were crazy enough—but they were also far too independent-minded.
People like them weren't reliable as partners—they were too unpredictable, too likely to turn on him.
If they could be tamed, great. If not—then they'd simply have to be eliminated.