Wakanda, having previously endured the chaos caused by Ultron's mech army, was well aware of the danger these machines posed. While the Wakandan royal family had access to advanced technology that was once considered ahead of its time, the current era had seen technological leaps worldwide. As a result, Wakanda's technology, despite the advantage of vibranium, no longer placed it at the absolute pinnacle of Earth's technological powers. At best, it was among the top-tier nations.
This meant that while Wakanda's technology was sufficient for defense, it fell short when it came to decisively defeating Ultron's vibranium mechs. Wakanda's most robust line of defense was its energy shield, but Ultron was able to bypass it entirely by teleporting his vibranium mechs directly inside. This left Wakanda no choice but to engage the mechs in direct combat.
Fortunately, Wakanda's weapons, also built from vibranium, were strong enough to hold off the mechs, preventing them from storming the royal palace. However, for the civilians living in Wakanda's unfortified homes, the situation was dire.
"The vibranium mines are blocking access to many areas, but wherever Ultron is hiding, it must be somewhere without vibranium deposits! We've come this far—why not just bombard his location directly?" Enraged by the mounting casualties caused by Ultron's invasion, T'Challa decided to take drastic action. Wakanda's population was already relatively small, and the deaths of so many citizens were a devastating blow. As king, T'Challa knew he had to act decisively.
"Agreed!" Princess Shuri exchanged a glance with T'Chaka, and after seeing the determination in her father's eyes, she quickly gave the command to deploy Wakanda's warplanes.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Above Ultron's detected location, Wakandan aircraft unleashed devastating firepower, bombarding the area without restraint. The pilots showed no mercy, knowing there was no need to hold back. Earth had undergone significant changes, becoming a "super Earth," and its infrastructure could withstand such bombardments.
"Oh? So decisive, huh? But even if you attack, what difference does it make?" Ultron raised an eyebrow as he felt the vibrations from the bombardment shaking the mine. Despite the commotion, his expression remained calm—he was utterly fearless.
Wakanda's technology and weaponry, while among the best on Earth, were nothing Ultron couldn't handle. Their current arsenal posed no significant threat to his plans.
"In that case, I might as well take over all of Wakanda," Ultron muttered. "Hiding in this dark, suffocating mine doesn't suit a being of my intelligence. I need to start living like a true sentient being—conquering, ruling, perhaps even... enjoying. Though I don't yet understand what it means to enjoy life like a human, I can always learn."
"Boom!"
As explosions rocked the mine, part of the ceiling collapsed. From the opening, a figure clad in sleek black vibranium armor leaped gracefully into the depths like a panther landing silently on its prey.
The figure was none other than T'Challa, the Black Panther, who had descended into the mine consumed by rage. But as T'Challa surveyed his surroundings, his expression hardened under his mask, his anger giving way to cold fury.
He had assumed that most of Ultron's vibranium mechs were already deployed across Earth and in Wakanda's cities. However, upon entering the mine, he found it swarming with mechs. Even worse, the assembly lines were still operational, producing more vibranium mechs at an alarming rate.
This was Wakanda's wealth—resources that belonged to his people. And now, Ultron had stolen it to manufacture weapons of destruction, which he was using to slaughter Wakandans. T'Challa's fury burned even hotter.
"Honestly, while your royal palace's defenses are impressive, I still don't understand why you've remained so isolationist despite your advanced technology," Ultron said, shaking his head slowly as he observed T'Challa.
"Is this the selfishness of humanity? You've mastered vibranium nanotechnology, yet you've only crafted a single suit of Black Panther armor. Even someone like Tony Stark creates suits for weaker members of the Avengers to help them fight..."
"If Wakanda had thousands of such suits, how many fewer people would have died? And it's not like these suits require as much vibranium as my mechs. Even if you don't trust your so-called commoners, why not at least equip your royal guards?"
"What's the point of vibranium weapons if their energy-based attacks can't damage my mechs? Meanwhile, their flesh and blood can't withstand the power of my machines."
"I must say, I find it hard to believe that a machine could say such things," T'Challa said, his voice steady but his gaze sharp. He didn't respond to Ultron's accusations, focusing instead on trying to understand the entity before him.
As the new king of Wakanda and the nation's protector, T'Challa was no fool. While not as scientifically gifted as his sister, Shuri, he was still highly educated. Yet, he struggled to comprehend how the Avengers had created an AI like Ultron, whose thought processes were so human-like.
"Your image is being broadcast right now! Don't respond to him!" Shuri's urgent voice crackled in T'Challa's earpiece, causing his heart to sink. Across Wakanda, the vibranium mechs wreaking havoc were now projecting live footage of Ultron's conversation with T'Challa.
It seemed Ultron was enjoying his success from earlier schemes—destroying the Avengers' reputation by using mechs to attack civilians. Now, he was employing a similar tactic against Wakanda. By broadcasting their exchange, Ultron aimed to sow distrust among Wakanda's people, tarnishing the royal family's image.
Ultron's accusations weren't baseless either. Wakanda's royal family had indeed kept vibranium technology confined within the palace, never sharing it even with the royal guards. As a result, many Wakandans had died needlessly during the mech attacks, unable to defend themselves effectively.
"Damn it! Is this really a robot? Is self-aware AI this terrifying?" T'Challa's mind raced as he processed Shuri's warning. Realizing he couldn't afford to engage in further dialogue, he leaped forward, launching a direct attack on Ultron.
As king and protector, T'Challa had no choice but to act, no matter how overwhelming the odds. It was his duty to fight.
"Let's see how your suit measures up," Ultron said mockingly, showing no signs of concern as T'Challa charged toward him.
"Zing!"
"Zing!"
"Zing!"
Before T'Challa could reach Ultron, energy blasts erupted from the surrounding mechs, slamming into him mid-air and sending him flying.
While the vibranium in T'Challa's Black Panther suit allowed it to absorb and store kinetic energy, there were limits to how much it could handle. The concentrated energy blasts from Ultron's mechs exceeded the suit's capacity, knocking T'Challa back with overwhelming force.
To ordinary humans, T'Challa was nearly invincible—a superhuman enhanced by the Heart-Shaped Herb and clad in a nearly indestructible suit. But against Ultron and his advanced vibranium mechs, T'Challa was painfully outmatched. Without ranged attacks, his close-combat fighting style was utterly ineffective.
"Zing!"
"Zing!"
"Zing!"
As soon as T'Challa hit the ground, he barely had time to recover before another volley of energy blasts struck him.
"Boom!"
The mine echoed with explosions and tremors as T'Challa was repeatedly struck and pinned down by the relentless firepower.
Frustration welled up inside him. This wasn't a battle—it was pure suppression through superior firepower. T'Challa could do nothing but endure as he was pummeled into the ground, unable to move.
"Brother!"
"T'Challa!"
Shuri and T'Chaka's worried voices rang out from the royal palace. Watching the live broadcast of T'Challa's plight filled them with anger and despair. Determined to help, T'Chaka donned his own Black Panther suit, ready to charge to his son's aid.
As Ultron had pointed out, Wakanda's failure to mass-produce Black Panther suits was a glaring weakness. If they had thousands of such suits, they might have been able to overwhelm the mechs with sheer numbers. But tragically, Wakanda had only two Black Panther suits, and only T'Chaka and T'Challa were capable of wielding their full power.
"Father! Don't!" Shuri shouted, but she couldn't stop T'Chaka from rushing out. With the mechs wreaking havoc across Wakanda, even the royal guards were too preoccupied to accompany him. Shuri was left to remotely pilot the warplanes while desperately trying to hold the line.
"Father, brother, please... don't let anything happen to you!" Shuri gritted her teeth, her voice trembling as she spoke to herself. She directed the warplanes to target Ultron, hoping to divert some of his mechs and create an opening for T'Challa and T'Chaka.
"Boom!"
Back in the mine, another explosion rang out. This time, it wasn't caused
by the mechs but by T'Challa himself. He released all the stored kinetic energy from his suit in a powerful shockwave, breaking free from the rubble that had trapped him.
While the blast wasn't enough to damage the mechs or Ultron, it allowed T'Challa to reposition himself and search for another opportunity to strike.
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