"Obviously, yes."

Meeting the Watcher's shocked gaze, Alex spread his hands.

"This shouldn't be possible…"

The Watcher rubbed his nose, muttering in disbelief. But quickly he shook it off—this was no time to dwell on such details.

"Normally, I should never interfere with the natural progression of any universe. No—this isn't interference. This is merely a friendly reminder. My appearance distracted you, that's all. If I hadn't interrupted, you would've noticed on your own. I'm simply setting things back on course."

"Homelander, a very troublesome being has entered your universe."

The Watcher rambled on for a while before finally cutting to the point.

Alex didn't bother to argue. The Watcher was right. If he hadn't suddenly shown up, Alex probably would already be in New York.

But judging from the Watcher's demeanor, Alex could instantly guess who the intruder was.

Ultron Infinite.

Who else could make the Watcher this wary?

His gaze shifted instinctively toward New York, toward the spatial black hole.

Sure enough—there it was. A caped figure wearing a "helmet," hovering in the air with regal menace.

Who else could it be but Ultron Infinite?

Beneath him stretched a wasteland. Entire kilometers had already been reduced to rubble.

Truly, destruction was Ultron Infinite's first priority. He hadn't been here long, and yet the city's heart already lay in ruins.

But for the moment, Ultron had paused.

Because before him stood several uninvited guests.

Tony Stark in his Iron Man armor.

Bruce Banner.

Captain America.

And several other Avengers.

They had responded swiftly, arriving on the scene almost at once.

Thor, however, was absent. He had enough chaos to deal with in Asgard and had no time for Earthly crises.

"Avengers? You pests again?"

Ultron Infinite swept his gaze across them, his expression twisting with loathing, as if they were flies buzzing around him.

"Who sent you here?"

Black Widow lifted her chin, eyes locked on the machine floating above, her voice cold and hard.

The truth was, none of the Avengers recognized him. After all, in this world there had never been a Battle of New York.

No battle meant no chain of events.

Tony had never created Ultron. He'd only come up with the idea after that war, inspired by Loki's scepter.

But now?

No New York battle.

No scepter.

No Ultron.

"Sent me? Do you think I'm the same as those clunky armors of Iron Man?" Ultron's voice dripped disdain. "I've already evolved beyond such things. I am me!"

He lifted the strange "umbrella" in his hand and pointed at the Avengers.

"And you will perish with this world."

"Destroying the world? That's your goal?"

Captain America's brows knitted, his face grave.

"It is my only purpose," Ultron Infinite replied coldly.

Then he aimed the "umbrella" downward.

Shhh!

A massive sphere appeared from thin air, floating above Ultron's head.

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!

The next instant, swarms of robots poured from it like locusts, flooding the skies.

A great horde broke off and surged straight toward the Avengers.

"What—!"

"This is bad!"

The Avengers' faces drained of color. Pupils contracted sharply. Their minds reeled.

Tens of thousands of robots.

Even for them, it was hopeless.

"Everyone, be careful!"

In the blink of an eye, the robot horde descended on them like a tidal wave.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Iron Man fired off a volley of missiles.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions shook the city as fire consumed a cluster of robots.

But against a sea of machines, it was nothing. A drop in the ocean.

And that had been the Avengers' strongest strike.

Bang, bang, bang!

Bang, bang, bang!

Black Widow crouched behind cover, squeezing her triggers desperately.

But bullets? They were laughable against robots.

Hawkeye's arrows at least had some effect—explosives, EMP heads, shock arrows—but still, they could barely thin the swarm.

Captain America? He was even worse off. Throwing his shield, swinging it in melee—utterly futile.

The only one inflicting real damage was the Hulk.

With a beastly roar, the green giant leapt into the army, smashing and tearing robots apart with his fists. Each swing crushed machines into scrap. Some he even shattered with his sheer bulk.

Brutal. Savage.

But still not enough. There were just too many.

"There are far too many of them! This won't work!"

Hawkeye loosed another explosive arrow, blowing a hole through the swarm, but his voice cracked with desperation as he turned to Stark and Rogers.

"Stark! Rogers! Do either of you have a plan?"

But for once, both men were silent.

Men who always had an answer had none.

Because this crisis was already beyond them.

Only one person in the world could stand against it.

The strongest man alive.

Homelander Alex.

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