On the return journey, Wanda no longer displayed obvious emotions...
Occasionally exchanging a few words with Sean, they mostly discussed work-related matters in a formal and serious tone.
Sean could roughly guess the complex thoughts running through the red-haired girl's mind and was happy to play along. He no longer actively teased Wanda, instead burying himself in reviewing the towering pile of documents.
Romantic relationships between men and women were sometimes like a war... the tactics employed depended entirely on the situation.
For someone with Wanda's introverted and sensitive personality, a blitzkrieg approach was clearly unsuitable. A slow, steady advance was the right path.
"Bobby has indeed matured a lot." Flipping through the documents, Sean nodded to himself.
Previously, among the mutant factions in North America, a new team had suddenly emerged. Its members were all young people who neither leaned toward Charles' academy nor aligned themselves with Magneto's Brotherhood, while also rejecting the government's proposed registration act.
This isolated new force gradually grew stronger across North America, attracting many young mutants with inherently rebellious personalities.
They had not experienced the dark era of their elders and did not understand the cruelty of being hunted by the government, captured by the military, and turned into live specimens on operating tables.
After Magneto left for the African continent, some radical young mutants refused to join Professor Charles' moderate faction, viewing it as cowardly, thinking it no different from surrendering to humans.
Later, someone proposed the slogan "the gifted", which quickly spread. A few young mutants with formidable abilities rallied under this banner, naturally attracting many followers. Eventually, they stirred up quite a bit of trouble across North America, with files on their activities piling up at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
For now, the relationship between the government and mutants was in a honeymoon phase. Thanks to Sean's efforts, the momentum of public opinion across society, and the prevailing trend against discrimination, the two sides coexisted relatively peacefully.
With Asgard's exposure and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s public debut, the world no longer resisted the idea of 'new humans'. People gradually adapted to the rapidly changing times, accepting the existence of mutants and superhumans.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stance toward these naive teenagers who couldn't see the harsh reality was ambiguous. On one hand, they feared that cracking down too hard would provoke protests and resistance from mutants. On the other hand, if they continued to turn a blind eye, it might lead to the rise of a second Brotherhood.
Not long ago, Zemo had consulted Sean on this issue. His response at the time was: "Mutant matters should be left to mutants to resolve." He then dispatched Iceman, Bobby Drake.
After prolonged training and guidance, the once introverted young man had finally begun to display his innate leadership qualities. Using a series of methods, he managed to subdue the group of young mutants preaching 'the gifted'.
Divide, co-opt, defeat one by one… These tactics which he learned from Sean were applied to his fellow mutants with remarkable effectiveness.
In the end, they were just a bunch of kids brought together by fleeting passion. A little storm was all it took to scatter them.
Bobby first applied government pressure, then planted a few mutants among them to pull the moderates to his side while deliberately sowing discord. Soon, the group collapsed without a fight.
From Pyro (John Allerdyce) to Iceman (Bobby Drake), traces of Sean's influence could be seen in both. The former's ambition, and the latter's calculated moves... each bore some resemblance to him.
"I had S.H.I.E.L.D. search globally for Kaecilius. Any traces of him?" Sean asked, looking up just in time to see Wanda propping her chin with one hand, staring at him in a daze.
Wanda quickly averted her gaze, turning to the drifting clouds outside the window and replying, "Not yet… Their movements are mostly concentrated in Eastern Europe, but it's hard to pinpoint their exact location."
Sean smiled faintly as he flipped through files on another Omega-level mutant... David Charles Haller, an individual suffering from severe dissociative identity disorder, currently confined to a psychiatric hospital in Los Angeles.
According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s danger rating, this person's abilities were highly unstable. If necessary, he should be terminated.
"Magneto's daughter, Charles' son…" Sean's lips curled.
Lorna Dane, codenamed Polaris, had already been brought back to S.H.I.E.L.D. by Iceman. Now, what should be done with David, codenamed Legion?
'Perhaps it was time to have a talk with the Professor...' Sean mused.
....
~Stark Industries~
Standing before a mirror, a triumphant Tony Stark felt today was a momentous occasion...
The Ultron program, into which he had poured boundless hope and effort, would officially go online in half an hour. In the form of an intelligent operating system, it would connect to the global network.
Every user's information would become vast streams of data, feeding into the pre-built framework, serving as nutrients for Ultron to continuously learn, refine its algorithms, and evolve.
In the information age, mastering individual data and analyzing it allowed for the creation of precise personal models.
Tony believed Ultron could evolve into a 'prophet'... a globally networked supercomputer capable of mobilizing immense computational resources. Combined with the 'chaos' calculation method he and Reed Richards had developed to simulate reality, Ultron could achieve unprecedented predictive abilities.
By scaling up personal models to construct a future model of the world, it could simulate reality and foresee crises.
The longer Ultron collected information and data, the sooner it would evolve into humanity's ultimate intelligence.
Of this, Tony was absolutely certain. So, after completing the framework, he couldn't wait to launch Ultron globally...
"You should have told Sean." Pepper said, adjusting Tony's tie.
Stark Industries was about to announce this bombshell to the world without prior notice to S.H.I.E.L.D. or the World Security Council, which would inevitably lead to misunderstandings.
Ultron wasn't just an intelligent operating system... it embodied the combined genius of two world-class minds. No one knew what it might eventually become.
"Sean will understand. If the World Security Council knew Ultron's true purpose, they'd never allow its existence!" Tony frowned deeply.
In a way, Ultron's launch was a violation of global privacy rights.
No nation, no individual, would accept this surveillance-like form of protection, no matter how well-intentioned.
"Geniuses are always one or two steps ahead of their time. Discarding those hollow legal formalities, Ultron can become humanity's future!" Tony exclaimed excitedly, his voice growing fervent as he looked at Pepper's worried face, "Ultron only needs three steps to grasp the future; from 'it' to 'him', and finally, to 'He'."
"Information, data, modeled through chaos algorithms, can outline the contours of the future, preventing imminent disasters and nipping potential crises in the bud… A peaceful world. That is my ultimate dream!" Taking a deep breath, a fanatical gleam flashed in the genius's eyes.
After everything he'd experienced, he had come to understand one truth: Humanity was fragile and insignificant. The flaws embedded in their genes ensured they would always harm themselves.
But Ultron could protect them and could create a truly peaceful world.
"Even without the Iron Man suit, Tony Stark can still be a hero."
Brimming with irrepressible excitement, Tony pushed open the door to face the waiting crowd of reporters...