After Ultron's ultimate attack had been swallowed by the Corrupted Doctor Strange, he was clearly off his game. In the ensuing flurry of relentless blows from all sides, he actually started to fall behind.
Perhaps it was because his attention was entirely locked onto the Soul Stone — he kept struggling to get closer to it. Yet in the end, neither Ultron nor the other Guardians managed to claim it.
Cornered, Ultron seized an opening and activated another gem embedded in his body — the Time Stone!
A wave of green light rippled outward, and everyone caught within its shimmering field slowed to a crawl. On the screen, it was as if someone had pressed the slow-motion button.
The only one unaffected was Ultron himself. At last, he seized the Soul Stone — but just as he was about to restore it and embed it back into the armor on his chest, a massive octopus tentacle coiled tightly around him!
The one who stepped forward to turn the tide, unsurprisingly, was none other than the Corrupted Doctor Strange.
He, too, had a Time Stone from his own universe, allowing him to nullify the time-slowing effect Ultron had created — and, at the crucial moment, stop him in his tracks!
"Gotta hand it to Stephen," Tony said with genuine admiration from outside the screen.
"Honestly, in this fight he's the undisputed MVP. I'm giving him a perfect score — no matter how you look at it, he's way more reliable than Thor, who's just coasting along and being completely useless."
Natasha nodded in agreement. "I'd even say maybe they wouldn't need anyone else. If Stephen teamed up with the Watcher, they could probably take Ultron down on their own."
Magneto, however, offered a measured opinion. "No — Gamora's Infinity Stone Crusher is still key. Stephen is powerful, but he's clearly not a match for an Ultron who holds all six Infinity Stones. At best, he can restrain him, but actually defeating him? I don't think so."
That said, he clearly admired Strange's performance in the footage — not just his overwhelming and versatile magical power, but also his sharp tactical sense and perfect timing when it came to saving the day.
Back in the video, a furious Ultron transformed in an instant into a towering giant.
Stephen was unimpressed.
In the very next moment, his own body erupted with even thicker, more powerful tentacles, each like a massive python coiling around Ultron until the latter was forced back into his original form.
At the same time, a magic circle flared to life, binding Ultron completely. Arcane chains shot out in all directions, and Captain Carter, Natasha, and the Star Lord all pulled together to keep him restrained.
Watching this, many in the audience outside the video couldn't help but be reminded of the Battle on Titan from the Avengers' fight against Thanos.
Back then, it had also been Stephen Strange who led Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy against a Thanos wielding four Infinity Stones.
Stephen had created the perfect opening, and together they'd managed to hold Thanos down — until, at the worst possible moment, Peter Quill lost his temper, smacked Thanos in the face, and snapped him out of their control, causing the plan to collapse completely.
That was why Tony, watching from outside, now kept a sharp eye on the Star-Lord in the footage, muttering, "Don't you dare screw this up again."
This time, Star-Lord didn't — though it helped that he wasn't Peter Quill at all, but T'Challa.
Even if it had been Peter Quill, it might not have mattered. After all, they were fighting Ultron, not Thanos, and Gamora was right there fighting alongside them.
Inside the video, the Guardians of the Multiverse worked in perfect sync. Gamora successfully claimed the Soul Stone, giving her the power source she needed to activate the Infinity Stone Crusher.
With Ultron pinned down, the machine automatically moved into position, its blades aimed directly at the other Infinity Stones embedded in his chest — and then it began to grind and cut with violent force.
"You're finished!" Gamora declared confidently, and Ultron did seem to be in pain.
Moments later, a blinding light burst outward from him, scattering dust and debris.
Thor shrugged. "That's it? Seems like it wasn't that hard after all!"
Outside the video, Natasha let out a relieved breath and smiled. "Finally… it's over! Without the Infinity Stones, Ultron's no big deal. Even though this is a future event, now we know how to beat him!"
Tony's expression, however, remained serious. "I wouldn't be so sure, Nat…"
Sure enough, even as he spoke, the footage revealed a new twist — the Infinity Stones were completely unharmed, and Ultron had even managed to snatch the Soul Stone in the process!
"Didn't the Watcher tell you? Every universe is unique — and so are its Infinity Stones!" Ultron declared, once again gathering all six Stones before soaring into the sky.
Gamora realized the problem immediately — her Infinity Stone Crusher was designed only for the Stones from her own universe. Against those from a parallel reality, it was utterly useless.
The battle's momentum flipped instantly. The Guardians' plan was in ruins, their trump card exposed. Ultron, now wiser, knew exactly who the true threat was — the Corrupted Doctor Strange — and launched a ferocious assault directly at him.
If Strange went down, the rest wouldn't stand a chance.
"Damn, this fight is intense!" Tony muttered, frowning. "Their plan failed. They're gonna need a new one — and really, they could use my help right about now. I'm telling you, I could turn the whole thing around in a moment like this."
It wasn't empty bragging — future footage had shown that time and again, when Earth was in mortal danger, Tony was the one who stepped in to save the day.
In the proper timeline, he'd even been the one to overturn Thanos and reverse everything.
But most of the players here were newcomers who'd never seen those legendary moments. All they knew was that Tony had created Ultron, which had now led to a multiversal crisis.
Homelander snorted derisively. "Please. If you were there, your only use would be drawing Ultron's fire."
Natasha shook her head. "It's not that I don't trust you, Tony. It's just… the Guardians' lineup is already incredibly strong, and they're all giving it everything they've got. Ultron's just… a nightmare to deal with."
Then, her eyes lit up. "Wait — there's still one more card to play. Doctor Zola!"
_____
T/N:
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