After the Age of Ultron began, Stephen Strange continued his work as usual.
Doctors were still needed, so his job didn't change. However, the life of luxury he once knew was gone. Now, he lived like the rest of humanity, trapped in the same routine of survival.
Everything started to change when Ultron, in his obsession to eliminate any potential future threat, announced the beginning of what he called "the cleansing."
One day, chaos erupted. The news covered Ultron's atrocities live, broadcasting how his robots wiped out thousands of people in mere minutes, all while he justified it by claiming the victims posed a future threat to the world.
Fear was thick in the air, and despair seeped into every corner. But while the rest of the world watched in terror, Strange was frozen—because standing before him wasn't just any robot. No, it was Ultron himself.
"Doctor Strange, danger level: High-High. Immediate elimination required," Ultron declared in a metallic voice, unwavering, as if his sentence had been carved in stone.
Without giving him a chance to respond, Ultron lunged at him. With a single blow, he struck Strange with such force that he was sent flying into the nearest wall.
But to Strange's surprise, he felt no pain. It was as if he had passed through glass, yet the sensation was strange, ethereal—like diving into water.
When he opened his eyes, everything around him looked the same, but an absolute silence reigned. There was nothing—no human figures anywhere. It lasted only a few seconds.
Suddenly, a crack appeared in space, as if a slit in the air had opened, and from it emerged two enormous robotic hands. Slowly, the rift widened until a colossal being stepped through.
It was Ultron.
But this time, something was different. Ultron stopped, motionless, not making a single move. As if he were paralyzed.
In front of him appeared an imposing figure—an old woman dressed in monk robes with a shaved head. She walked calmly toward Ultron, as if nothing could stop her. With a disconcerting serenity, she reached her hand toward his chest.
Her hand passed through his body as if it were air, and when she pulled it back, Strange saw strange components in her palm that he didn't recognize. Still, what shocked him most was the ease with which she had defeated Ultron.
"Stephen Strange, welcome to the world of magic" the old woman said in a calm tone.
From that moment, everything changed for him.
The following months were difficult. The old woman, who introduced herself as the Sorcerer Supreme, explained that he was her successor. Wasting no time, she began training him relentlessly. Strange learned quickly—his talent made him stand out. The lessons on magic, dimensional contracts, demons, and dark realms were intense but necessary.
They focused on teaching him what he could do—and what was absolutely forbidden.
Although he often asked the Sorcerer why she didn't intervene if she was so powerful, she revealed that there were enemies far greater than the world could imagine beyond the physical realm, and as the Sorcerer Supreme, it was her duty to confront them.
But as always, Ultron's plans were bigger. After half a year of training in Kamar-Taj, the peace ended.
Ultron attacked.
The sorcerers fought with all their might, but the thousands of robots were too much. In her final effort, the Ancient One opened a portal for the survivors to escape—but she didn't cross it.
Even so, with the power she possessed, Strange was certain she was alive. The situation was uncertain, yes, but even with Ultron's ability to monitor every corner of the world, he wouldn't be able to kill her.
From what Strange understood, if she had stayed behind, it had to be to face problems far beyond their comprehension.
Strange smiled at the memory of those days.
"I'm sorry, Ancient One. I never liked following the rules."
A strange energy coursed through his body. His skin, which had remained youthful for years, began aging rapidly. Now, he looked at least fifty—but instead of weakening him, it empowered him.
His magic surged dramatically, and as if it were an extension of his will, he began to destroy robots effortlessly. In exchange for a quarter of his lifespan, Strange had gained overwhelming power—though only for one hour.
"That'll be enough," he said with a tight smile as he continued decimating the enemies.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Tony, Steve, and T'Challa arrived at Ultron's castle. What had once been a Wakandan fortress had now transformed into a futuristic, massive, nearly impenetrable facility.
They entered quietly, but apparently, no civilians had survived this far. Only the three of them remained. Despite the signs of destruction, they found no defenses—only more and more advanced technology.
"Ultron only keeps humans alive because they're useful. But what's he building here?" Tony wondered aloud.
They got no answers until they reached the top of the castle, where the throne room used to be. There, they understood what Ultron had done. The room was modern, technological—almost as inhuman as Ultron himself.
"This is..." Tony began, but he was cut off by a robotic voice behind them.
"A dreadnought, Stark."
It was Ultron.
"Ultron..." Steve muttered with fury, every word dripping with the pain of everything they'd lost.
"Calm down, Captain. This is the part where I tell you my plan," Ultron said, completely unafraid.
Ultron's words felt like a provocation. Seeing him treat everything like a game only fueled the Avengers' rage. But they didn't attack—not yet.
"Conquering Earth was easy. But once I did it, I felt empty, as if I no longer had a purpose."
He paused and looked toward the sky.
"But when I saw those stars, I thought: 'They will all be mine.'"
"So now you want to conquer the universe, huh? Great plan," Tony said sarcastically.
"I see you haven't changed, Stark. Truly admirable," Ultron replied, unfazed.
Without giving them more time to speak, the Avengers attacked together, as they always had. But it wasn't enough. Ultron fell—but his voice rang out once more.
"Nice try, Avengers, but my new body is much larger."
"So the dreadnought is your body," said T'Challa, realizing the scale of what they faced.
Ultron didn't respond. Instead, the entire facility began to shake. The dreadnought began to lift off—it was the culmination of ten years of work and technology.
The ship started to rise at high speed. There was no escape. They were trapped.
Tony rushed to the control console and began scanning the systems.
"I think I can open an exit. Go straight to the end of the hallway. T'Challa, got anything that can fly?"
"I can glide. That should be enough to carry the Captain," T'Challa replied.
"What about us? What about you?" Steve asked, looking at Tony.
"It took too much to get here. I have to try to shut Ultron down."
Steve frowned, then nodded.
"We'll remember you, Tony."
"I want a giant statue," Tony said with a wry grin.
No more words were spoken. Steve and T'Challa ran toward the path Tony had indicated.
Left behind, Ultron spoke:
"You know you can't stop me, Stark. I surpassed your level long ago."
Tony smiled calmly.
"I know. But I can shut down your weapons—so they get out safely."
"A useless sacrifice for such a brilliant mind," Ultron replied, turning his back.
When Tony saw that Steve and T'Challa were far enough, he sat on the floor. He accepted his fate.
The ship accelerated uncontrollably, turning into a white streak crossing space at impossible speed.
But just as it was about to leave the solar system, it collided with something solid.
Tony, who should've died in the impact, remained intact. At first, the red energy surrounding him surprised him—but he quickly understood.
Ultron roared from deep within the wrecked ship.
"What is happening?! This should be impossible!"
Tony looked at him with a defiant, mocking smile.
"We found your extreme-level threat."
Suddenly, the dreadnought began to collapse inward, as if giant invisible fingers were crushing it. The ship compressed until it became a metallic sphere, no larger than a thumb.
Thanks to the energy surrounding him, Stark was ignored by the ship, as if he were intangible.
Wanda appeared, floating in space, her hands glowing with the same red energy. With a single gesture, the sphere compressed even more—until it vanished completely.
Silence returned to space.
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Hey, until the Age of Ultron arc is over, there's a 30% discount on my Patreon using the code "ULTRON"!
+20 chapters in advance on Patreon.
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(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)