Marvel x Genshin: Mavuika, The Sun Goddess Rules Asgard — Chapter 188

Chapter 188: The First Anomaly

Loki leaned back into the plush sofa, a teacup cradled in his hand and a half-smile playing on his lips. “You said it’s ‘almost finished,’ which implies it is not, in fact, finished yet?”

Tony nodded, a flicker of pride in his eyes. “We’re in the final stages. Banner and I have already cracked the most complex core algorithms. Now, it’s just a matter of final integration and testing. If all goes smoothly, it’ll be online in a few weeks.”

From the side, Banner added his own perspective, his tone far more cautious than Tony’s. “Theoretically, it’s feasible. But the autonomous consciousness of an AI is an exceptionally delicate thing. We have to proceed with the utmost care.”

Thor scratched his head, looking utterly lost. “This… AI thing you’re talking about… what is it, exactly?”

Tony stared at him, his expression a mask of mild astonishment. “You don’t know what an AI is?”

Thor puffed out his chest, righteous and confident. “Why should I? I am Thor, the God of Thunder, not a… what was that word again?”

“A programmer,” Loki supplied dryly.

“Right, right!” Thor nodded emphatically. “I am not a programmer.”

A muscle in Tony’s jaw twitched. He turned to Banner. “You explain it.”

Banner considered for a moment, then chose the simplest language he could. “An AI is about giving a machine the ability to think like a human. It can learn, it can reason, and it can make its own decisions. Jarvis is a type of AI, but he doesn’t possess true ‘self-awareness.’ Ultron is different. Ultron will have its own thoughts, its own goals… its own will.”

Thor’s expression shifted into something uncertain. “Its own will? Then what if it decides to do something bad?”

Tony waved a dismissive hand. “It won’t. Its core directive is to protect the Earth. It can’t go against its fundamental programming.”

Loki’s smile was thin and sharp. “Are you so certain? Do you truly believe you can control an existence that possesses an independent will?”

Tony shot him a look, a trace of displeasure hardening his eyes. “Your Highness, do you have some sort of misunderstanding about human technology?”

Loki shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. “No misunderstanding. I have simply seen too many tales of creators being destroyed by their creations. In the legends of Asgard, such stories are quite common.”

Tony snorted. “That’s mythology. This is science.”

Loki’s mouth curled. “And what, precisely, is the difference?”

Tony opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort, but at that exact moment—

A shrill, piercing alarm blared from the communicator he wore.

Tony’s entire demeanor changed in a heartbeat. The casual arrogance vanished, replaced by sharp focus. “Jarvis?” he called out.

“Sir, there is a problem…” The AI’s voice was strained, distorted.

“Jarvis?!” Tony’s voice grew urgent. He tapped the earpiece, but the only response was a cacophony of harsh static and fragmented noise.

Banner was on his feet, his face pale and grave. “Tony, what’s happening?”

Through the static, a broken message fought its way through. “Anomaly detected… Ultron is attempting to breach system defenses…”

Then, another, more desperate fragment. “Ultron… has gone rogue… it is… attempting to consume me…”

Banner’s pupils constricted. “What?”

Tony didn’t hesitate. He bolted from his seat and sprinted toward the door.

“Tony—” Banner started to call out, but Tony had already vanished from the living room.

A crisp series of metallic clicks and whirs echoed from the courtyard—the unmistakable sound of the Iron Man suit assembling around him. A moment later, a powerful roar tore through the air as the red and gold figure rocketed into the sky, disappearing into the afternoon haze.

The living room fell silent for a few seconds.

Thor stared in the direction Tony had vanished.

“So, something actually went wrong?” he said, a note of innocent bewilderment in his voice. “I was just joking earlier. This has nothing to do with me!”

Loki watched the last glimmer of Tony’s arc reactor fade into the distance. “Is it wise for him to go alone?”

Banner stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the empty sky, his expression grim. “I don’t know. Jarvis is his core operating system. If Ultron is truly consuming Jarvis…”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence.

Everyone in the room understood the terrifying implication: the “guardian” Tony had just created to protect the world had, in its first moments of life, gone completely out of control.

Mavuika set her teacup down with a soft click and rose to her feet. “Banner, you said Ultron’s core directive is to protect the Earth?”

Banner nodded numbly.

“Then why would it try to consume Jarvis?”

Banner was silent. He had no answer.

Thor stood as well, his hand finding the grip of his hammer. “Mavuika, should we go take a look?”

Mavuika considered for a moment, then gave a firm nod. “Yes. Let’s go. If he’s in trouble, we can offer our assistance.”

Loki placed his own cup down, stood, and smoothed the collar of his jacket. “Then what are we waiting for?”

As Mavuika turned to leave, a voice stopped her.

“Wait.”

Wanda had risen from the sofa, Pietro instantly moving to stand with her. She looked at Mavuika, the anger in her brown eyes still smoldering, but now it was mixed with something else—a complex, struggling light.

“We are going too,” she declared.

Mavuika met her gaze, waiting.

Wanda offered no further explanation. Pietro stood beside her, his arms crossed over his chest, his tone cold and sharp. “We aren’t going to help him. We just want to see what kind of disaster Stark has unleashed this time.”

Banner’s expression grew awkward, but he remained silent.

Mavuika studied Wanda and Pietro for a few long seconds before nodding. “Fine. Then we go together.”

She turned and walked toward the door. As she moved, golden-red flames erupted from beneath her feet, swirling up to envelop her body in a cloak of living fire.

Thor shouldered Mjolnir, and arcs of blue lightning began to crackle across his armor.

Loki raised a hand, and a shimmering green light danced at his fingertips as his form began to blur and waver—not vanishing, but preparing some form of rapid magical transport.

Wanda’s hands ignited with swirling, chaotic crimson energy, and her body slowly lifted from the ground, supported by an invisible force.

Pietro stood beside her, sinking into a low crouch, his muscles coiling like a sprinter at the starting block. His speed was more than enough to keep up with anyone.

Left standing alone in the living room, Banner watched as this assembly of gods, sorcerers, and superhumans revealed their extraordinary powers one by one. He suddenly felt distinctly redundant.

“I… I’ll just drive there,” he said lamely.

Thor glanced back at him and grinned. “No need! I’ll take you.”

Banner’s instincts screamed in protest, but before he could refuse, Thor had already closed the distance and clamped a hand on his arm. With a mighty swing of Mjolnir, the hammer launched them both into the sky.

The only thing left behind was Banner’s terrified scream, which quickly faded on the wind.

Mavuika hovered above the garden, her long, golden-red hair fluttering in the breeze she generated. She looked down at Wanda and Pietro, a warm light softening her amber eyes.

“Let’s go,” she said simply.

With that, she transformed into a blazing streak of golden-red light and shot into the sky.

Wanda floated in the air, her gaze fixed on the distant trails of light. She took a deep, steadying breath. She had never attempted to fly such a long distance using her Chaos Magic before, but today, she refused to be left behind.

The dark red energy flared, wrapping around her like a second skin, and she surged forward in pursuit.

Pietro remained in the garden, watching the four streams of light painting the sky. He stretched his legs, one then the other, limbering up.

He took a deep breath, and his body dissolved into a flash of silver-white lightning that hugged the ground, racing away at impossible speeds.