"Black Panther! The Black Panther God has manifested! The Black Panther God has saved us!" As one vibranium mech after another shattered and Bast's ethereal figure appeared in the skies above Wakanda, cries of astonishment and gratitude erupted across the battered nation. Soon, a wave of kneeling citizens followed, with countless Wakandans bowing in reverence.
Though Bast's intervention had come late—too late for many lives lost to Ultron's onslaught—her divine display still managed to inspire awe and devotion among those who survived. For the living, survival trumped all else. Their gratitude overshadowed their grief, and none dared to openly question why Bast had taken so long to act. Her commanding presence alone silenced any dissent.
"You intervene now? What good does it do?"
In stark contrast to the public's reverence, Princess Shuri sat in the Wakandan royal command center, tears streaming down her face. She had already witnessed the deaths of her father, T'Chaka, and her brother, T'Challa, through the central monitoring system. Both of their Black Panther suits had been seized by Ultron. Bast's sudden appearance now felt utterly meaningless to her—it was far too late.
Anger and resentment began to burn within Shuri's heart. As a prodigy who had single-handedly designed Wakanda's defensive network, her faith in Bast had always been tenuous at best. Unlike T'Chaka and T'Challa, Shuri had never undergone the Heart-Shaped Herb ritual and therefore had no direct experience of Bast's power.
"Enough!"
Just as Shuri's emotions threatened to boil over, a firm hand rested on her shoulder. It was the queen, her mother, her face also streaked with tears. She shook her head gently, as though she could sense the anger building within her daughter. Her gaze warned Shuri not to act impulsively.
"Mother... Father and Brother are..." Shuri tried to speak but was cut off by the queen, who raised her hand to silence her.
"Say nothing more," the queen said, her voice calm but firm. "He is a god. Our god. And only he can save Wakanda now."
"I understand..." Shuri reluctantly nodded, suppressing the words she wanted to say. She turned back to the central monitors, her gaze filled with sorrow and resentment as she watched the chaos unfold in her homeland.
While Bast's divine manifestation had ended the threat of Ultron's vibranium mechs, the devastation left in their wake was vast. Wakanda lay in ruins, and its people, though alive, were shaken to their core. Under the protection of the royal guard, the surviving citizens were being evacuated to safer locations.
Wakanda had no police force; its royal guards fulfilled both military and protective roles. Similarly, the various tribes of Wakanda maintained their own militias, serving as both defenders and enforcers. Now, these fragmented forces were united in their efforts to shepherd the people to safety.
However, while Wakandans were grateful for their reprieve, the architect of their suffering, Ultron, remained. Even as Bast loomed over him with divine might, Ultron stood unfazed. He showed no intention of fleeing and instead seemed utterly absorbed in analyzing Bast, his mechanical mind brimming with curiosity about this "god."
"You're bold, for a machine. Or perhaps I should say, do machines even have the capacity for boldness?" Bast's gaze burned with fury as she addressed Ultron. "Your vibranium mechs have been annihilated. Do you truly believe I cannot destroy your body as well?"
"Do you know why I was created by the Avengers? It was to replicate and study the Celestials," Ultron replied, ignoring Bast's warning. His glowing eyes focused intently on her. "Have you seen the Celestials? Tell me—do you think I resemble them?"
"What?!"
Bast's expression finally changed, her divine composure faltering for a moment. Even the other Wakandan gods, though hidden from view, felt a tremor of unease ripple through their beings. The mere mention of the Celestials was enough to instill dread.
The gods of Wakanda were all too familiar with the Celestials. It was because of the Celestials that the Age of Gods had ended so abruptly. Bast also knew of Robert, the Saiyan from the Avengers, whose overwhelming power rivaled that of the Celestials themselves. If the Avengers were truly investigating the Celestials, if they sought to challenge such beings, then Earth was no longer a safe haven—not for gods, not for anyone.
"To think you call yourself a god... You're laughable," Ultron said with a sneer, his mechanical voice dripping with mockery. "It seems you're just a more powerful lifeform. Perhaps the Celestials are the same? How amusing..."
"You think the Celestials are comparable to us? Ignorant machine!" Bast's momentary fear turned to anger. Shaking her head, she steadied her resolve. No matter how frightening the Celestials or Robert might be, Ultron was no match for her. His overconfidence would cost him dearly.
"Hmmph!"
Bast's divine energy surged, a brilliant light radiating from her ethereal form. She was done with words. With a flick of her paw, a torrent of divine force lashed out at Ultron, aiming to obliterate his vibranium body. Against her divine might, vibranium was no more durable than glass.
"Buzz!"
But as Bast's power struck, a radiant blue light flared from Ultron's body. The energy of the Space Stone erupted, momentarily holding Bast's attack at bay.
"Divine power? It's just another form of energy. I wield one of the ultimate powers in the universe. You cannot defeat me!" Ultron declared, his tone filled with mechanical arrogance.
"Naïve!" Bast scoffed, her anger giving way to derision. "If you had fully mastered the power of the Space Stone, I might not be able to defeat you. But your strength cannot even destroy vibranium, and yet you dare boast here?"
"Buzz!"
"Crack!"
With a surge of divine energy, Bast's power intensified. The next moment, a cracking sound echoed from Ultron's vibranium body. Despite the Space Stone's protection, his frame began to fracture under Bast's relentless assault. She could already see the lifeless black matter inside his chassis, as well as the Space Stone glowing brilliantly at his core.
"Impossible! Your power surpasses that of the Space Stone?!" Ultron exclaimed, his tone filled with disbelief. The Space Stone's light grew brighter, and in the next instant, his body began to dematerialize, preparing to teleport away.
"Trying to escape? If we were anywhere else, I might not be able to trap you. But unfortunately for you, this is Wakanda!" Bast's voice was filled with icy confidence as she unleashed a burst of divine energy. The surrounding space seemed to warp, countering the Space Stone's teleportation. Ultron's body was pulled inexorably into another realm—a divine domain.
"Where am I?" Ultron's voice carried a rare note of surprise as he examined his surroundings. "Is this what you call a 'divine realm'? This isn't a planet, nor a true dimension. It feels like a space between subspace and dimensions... so this is what a god's realm looks like?"
"You're here, yet you still waste time analyzing? You might have the curiosity of a living being, but your survival instincts are utterly lacking!" Bast sneered, her divine energy flaring once more. She tore apart what remained of Ultron's fractured body, exposing the Space Stone embedded within his core.
"Swish!"
In an instant, the White Gorilla God appeared beside Ultron with lightning speed. Without giving him a chance to react, the White Gorilla God ripped the Space Stone from Ultron's chassis.
"So this is the Space Stone," the White Gorilla God mused, holding the artifact aloft. "I recall it was hidden on Earth after Odin defeated the Frost Giants. To think it ended up as a robot's power source—what a waste!"
"If we used the Space Stone as a power source, we could expand our divine realm. Maybe even remodel it," he added with a mischievous grin.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Bast snapped, glaring at her subordinate. "Didn't you hear him? This Space Stone is tied to the Avengers. Do you think we're ready to challenge the Saiyan? He's already preparing to confront the Celestials! Compared to them, we're like mid-level bosses in a beginner's zone. Return the Space Stone to him when they arrive… Wait! I sense his presence already!"
"Swish!"
Before Bast could finish speaking, Robert, the Saiyan, materialized within the divine realm. His gaze swept over the broken remains of Ultron's body before landing on the White Gorilla God holding the Space Stone.
"You've arrived, Saiyan?" The White Gorilla God's expression froze. Hurriedly, he extended the Space Stone toward Robert, his voice trembling slightly. "This robot caused great suffering in Wakanda, killing both its kings. That's why our leader intervened to deal with him..."
"It's fine," Robert replied calmly, taking the Space Stone and nodding slightly. "Even if you hadn't intervened, we would have dealt with him. This is, after all, the result of our mistake."
"But this robot… killing him won't be so
easy," Robert added, his eyes narrowing as he studied Ultron's lifeless frame.
"What? But he's already in our grasp!" Bast and the other gods exchanged incredulous glances before looking back at Ultron's remains.
"He's a robot, not a normal lifeform. Capturing his body doesn't guarantee we've captured his consciousness," Robert explained. "If we had acted quickly enough, we might have prevented him from distributing fragments of his mind elsewhere. But the odds of that are slim."
Robert didn't immediately destroy Ultron's remains. He was waiting for confirmation from Kaecilius and the Avengers that Wakanda's borders were fully sealed, ensuring no trace of Ultron's consciousness could escape. Only then could he safely deal with the robot's body, knowing that no fragments of Ultron would survive.
Meanwhile, in Wakanda, as the Space Stone's seal lifted, a fiery portal appeared on the battlefield. The sight of the circular portal caused a stir among the Wakandan people.
Though they didn't know the specifics of Kamar-Taj, the fiery portals were widely recognized as the handiwork of the Avengers.
"The Avengers?! Why are they here?! Does this mean Ultron really was part of their sinister plan?!"
Suspicion and anger flared among the Wakandans. After suffering such heavy losses, it was easy for them to believe the conspiracy theories linking Ultron to the Avengers.
"So much devastation…" Steve Rogers murmured as his gaze swept over the ruins of Wakanda, his heart heavy with sorrow. "This is our failure. We'll have to make amends."
"Agreed. But first, we need to deal with Ultron," Tony Stark said, his voice resolute. "Robert says Ultron's body is in Wakanda's divine realm. This might be our best chance to stop him once and for all."
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.