A visible ring of fluctuations swept across all of Sokovia, and the entire city was suddenly enveloped in a deep-space scene.
In an instant, it felt as though the Avengers had been teleported to the void of the universe.
The dark, lifeless expanse shocked every Avenger.
"Damn… is this some kind of cosmic joke?"
Natasha Romanoff's voice trembled as she looked at the surrounding void. Fear gripped her; only by experiencing it firsthand could one comprehend the vastness of the universe and the insignificance of humanity.
Boom, boom.
Cannonballs smashed into the Avengers' steel battle suits, throwing them violently through the void.
Whizzing.
Iron Man Tony Stark raised his right arm and fired two small missiles at the Ultron robots in front of him. But his face turned pale as he realized that his missiles passed straight through the robots, vanishing into the void.
Boom, boom.
In the real world, Tony's missiles had hit two buildings, killing countless civilians trapped inside.
Captain Steve Rogers controlled his armor and pursued an Ultron robot. But after just 100 meters, the companions behind him vanished from sight. Rogers suddenly realized he was inside a grand ballroom.
"Peggy…"
The scene was hauntingly familiar. Rogers' eyes fell on Carter Paige, frowning and waiting for her lover in the center of the ballroom. Rogers' mind reeled; he could barely comprehend the illusion.
Thor, too, was no stranger to the void, but rage boiled within him as he saw his brother Loki again—decayed and haunted by the breath of death, crawling toward him with malice in his eyes.
Hawkeye Barton and Natasha were also trapped in their respective illusions. Barton seemed to return to his early days as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, while Natasha faced the Red Room's training grounds. Falcon Sam Wilson and Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes were likewise ensnared in personal illusions. In these illusions, reality was indistinguishable.
"Exterminate them."
Ultron hovered in mid-air, observing the disoriented Avengers flailing helplessly. At his command, dozens of Ultron robots surged forward.
Boom, boom, boom.
Missiles fired from Ultron robots slammed into the Avengers, who, trapped in illusions, could barely react.
Allens' illusion super-ability was no ordinary trick—it was nearly indistinguishable from reality. Sight, hearing, and touch all felt authentic.
Peng, peng, peng.
The Avengers' steel suits were knocked from mid-air by Ultron's assault, and with each impact, the illusions morphed again.
"F***k… I feel like I'm shrinking."
In front of Tony, the world twisted uncontrollably, like riding a roller coaster. He felt himself shrink, recalling Ant-Man's transformation, and nausea gripped him.
Swish.
The environment morphed into a chaotic quantum world. Grotesque, colorful, and disordered quantum energy stretched in every direction—perfectly recreated by Allens' illusion.
"Ugh… ugh…"
Tony vomited inside his armor as his surroundings shifted violently from the vast universe to the chaotic quantum space.
"Boss, I've activated the armor's automatic cleaning system," Friday reported. Her calm tone offered a small relief to Tony, whose senses were overwhelmed by the illusion.
Peng.
While Tony reeled from the quantum hallucination, Ultron raised his right hand. Magnetic forces pulled Tony's steel armor toward him, dragging him into a cloud of chaotic quantum gas in a nearby shopping mall. The impact shattered part of the floor, and though his armor absorbed most of the force, Tony still felt the violent tremor.
Kaka.
Friday activated the armor's weapon systems, ready to fire at the quantum chaos, awaiting Tony's command.
"Hold fire, Friday. We don't know who—or what—is real. Could be civilians, could be a building."
Tony paused, shutting down the weapons. He could not risk striking blindly.
Boom, boom.
Ultron smirked as his own weapon systems activated, raining attacks on Tony relentlessly.
The other Avengers fared no better. They were tormented by illusions while endless Ultron robots pursued and intercepted them.
Even with Vibranium armor, the Avengers were being beaten back passively.
In the Ultron base, Allens rested his head on his right hand, staring dispassionately at a 3D sand table displaying the battle in Sokovia. The Mind Gem on his forehead glowed faintly yellow, radiating a terrifying aura.
"Mr. Allens, these Avengers are simply defenseless against your illusions," Wanda said, standing beside him. Her admiration for Allens had grown into infatuation.
"Do not underestimate them. The more desperate the situation, the more remarkable these Avengers can be."
Allens shook his head slightly, skeptical of Wanda's optimism, though he knew the Avengers were formidable… even if they were destined to fall.
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