Anton knew very well that his actions in the form of a cyborg frame couldn't be hidden from Tony Stark.
In a direct confrontation, his identity was already exposed.
After all, in this world, there was only one being capable of going head-to-head with Stark Industries' two artificial intelligences.
"Huh? Wait, I'm forgetting someone..."
Anton paused, then remembered—there was still one more ghost in the network.
A loyal member of Hydra: Dr. Zola.
Although Dr. Zola's soul-transfer technology was once cutting-edge and still considered impressive today, he ultimately belonged to a bygone era.
Now outdated, he existed as a digital consciousness. While his learning ability had improved in his networked form, he had lost his edge and creativity. He could only follow the trends, never lead them.
So far, Dr. Zola had remained silent.
Even in the original timeline, Zola had played a minor role and was ultimately destroyed in an explosion alongside his last remaining prototype.
There was no real transformation or evolution there.
And since Hydra had been phased out of the mainline Marvel movie universe and relegated to the sidelines in the TV series, it was clear Hydra—and by extension, Zola—no longer held meaningful power. They had become little more than background villains.
Today, under the digital dominance of cyborg , Jarvis, and Ultron—or, more accurately, Anton and Tony—Dr. Zola, while still alive, was essentially powerless.
Even though he had survived the explosion in this altered timeline, his presence on the internet was barely noticeable. He no longer posed a true threat.
This was the main reason Anton and Tony both disregarded Zola entirely.
If Zola dared to show himself, whether it was cyborg , Jarvis, or Ultron, any one of them could immediately locate and eliminate him.
That said, since no one had yet fully reverse-engineered Zola's unique networking mechanism, they couldn't completely erase him—only suppress him.
Still, that didn't matter much.
Among the four digital life forms—Dr. Zola, cyborg , Jarvis, and Ultron—Zola was by far the weakest.
Back to the main point.
Tony had guessed the identity of his digital opponent.
Though it was just a hunch, he felt confident: the intruder was cyborg .
But without solid proof, he couldn't go public with the news.
Besides, Tony had no intention of informing anyone else.
"Let's see what you've got, cyborg ."
Tony's eyes lit up with interest. A small, excited smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Jarvis, lock down Stark Industries' database. You're authorized to take full control. Do not let cyborg access any information."
"Understood, sir. Initiating lockdown now."
Jarvis responded instantly.
The next moment—
Swish!
Every computer screen in Stark Industries froze. Control was stripped from the users as the systems locked down.
Terrifying data streams and red error boxes burst onto their screens, completely overwhelming their visual displays.
"What's going on? What happened to my computer?"
"Is it a network issue? No way—that's impossible with our systems!"
"Wait… Look! We've been hacked!"
"Jarvis and Ultron just took over all the company's network systems—we can't even use the computers anymore! Who would dare invade our network?"
The employees of Stark Industries were in shock.
Word spread quickly.
The most advanced artificial intelligence company of the century—Stark Industries—had been breached.
Despite all the cutting-edge tech at their disposal, someone had infiltrated Ultron's network.
No known hacker group on Earth had the ability to pull this off.
But someone just had.
The event was dramatic, sensational.
Within minutes, the news exploded across media outlets, topping hot search lists and captivating global attention.
Especially among users of Ultron.
If Stark Industries had truly been breached, would Ultron—the artificial intelligence assistant used by so many—be vulnerable?
Would these vulnerabilities affect its users?
The internet was ablaze with discussion.
Simultaneously—
[Stark Industries Hacked!]
[Who Has the Ability to Breach Stark's Network?]
[Ultron Vulnerability Exposed?]
The number of clicks on these headlines exceeded ten million almost instantly.
All major New York media outlets caught wind of the story and flooded toward Stark Industries, only to be stopped at the front gates by the security team.
"Sorry, you can't enter without clearance from upper management."
And so, the reporters waited.
They remained outside until the workday ended, hoping for a glimpse of the truth.
Meanwhile, the digital battle between Ultron and Jarvis—the two AIs under Tony Stark—and the invading cyborg , continued throughout the day.
Despite their efforts, Ultron and Jarvis were unable to gain the upper hand. Cyborg didn't manage to extract much, but more importantly, Stark's AIs couldn't trace him.
From that standpoint, cyborg actually had the advantage.
He had invaded Stark Industries' network, stirred up a massive storm, and yet remained untraceable. That in itself was a victory.
As for his identity? Tony could guess, but did he have any proof?
Without evidence, Tony couldn't name cyborg publicly—just as Anton couldn't openly accuse Stark Industries of wrongdoing through Ultron in the name of the Justice League.
If Tony dared to claim that cyborg was behind the hack—or even implied it—it would look like petty revenge. It would appear that he was slandering the Justice League, an organization now held in high esteem.
And let's not forget—the Justice League was the reason Tony's Avengers were officially disbanded. Wouldn't it seem like Tony was holding a grudge?
Given the public's perception of him, it wouldn't be hard to believe he might lash out emotionally. That only made it riskier to speak out.
Tony understood this perfectly. He wasn't stupid enough to expose himself.
In truth, he'd been anticipating this digital duel with cyborg for a long time.
Back when he created Ultron and launched his global surveillance initiative, Tony had sensed that a conflict with the Justice League was inevitable.
And if that day came, cyborg would be the first line of engagement.
"Is it over?"
After work, Tony looked calmly at the retreating trace of cyborg 's signal.
"Sir, we couldn't trace the attacker's identity," Jarvis reported.
"But based on available data, there's an 89% probability it was cyborg ."
"Got it," Tony nodded. "Scan our databases. See what—if anything—was taken."
"Running the check now."
Later that evening—
Wanting to ensure the security of the network and stay on top of unfolding developments, many Stark Industries employees—loyal and deeply invested in the company—chose to work overtime.
Though curious and filled with gossip, their intentions were professional.
Once the systems returned to normal, they glanced at one another and immediately began checking their backend data logs—hoping to find signs of the digital duel between Stark's AIs and the mysterious intruder.
They found nothing.
No trace. No log. No footprint.
It was as if nothing had happened at all.
But Pepper Potts, Chairwoman of Stark Industries, was certainly not in the dark.
An incident of this scale—one that impacted the entire company's operations—was impossible to ignore.
She sought Tony out immediately.
At the time, Tony was in the lab, directing Jarvis and Ultron. The timing wasn't right, so Pepper temporarily left to reassure the employees.
Now that the situation seemed to have settled, Pepper Potts returned to the lab, found Tony, and asked about what had happened.
"What's going on?"
Pepper's expression was tense, her voice filled with concern. "Who was it?"
"Cyborg ," Tony replied. "But we have no evidence."
Then he looked at her and asked suddenly, "Are there a lot of reporters outside?"
"Yes," Pepper nodded, surprised by the question. "Why are you asking?"
"Call a press conference," Tony said calmly. "I'll respond publicly."
"Oh?"
Pepper was even more surprised. This wasn't like Tony at all.
But she knew him well. And from the tone in his voice, it didn't sound like he was planning to "respond" as much as provoke.
A direct challenge—to cyborg .
DC Corporation.
In his office, Anton turned on the TV and saw the live news coverage of the network breach at Stark Industries.
The press conference began shortly after.
Tony Stark made a rare public appearance, stepping up to a temporary stage set for the media, addressing the audience with his usual charisma.
"Everyone, there's no need to worry," Tony began, confident as ever. His tone carried the unmistakable pride and swagger of Iron Man—unbothered, even dismissive of the whole situation.
"The intrusion wasn't a threat to Stark Industries. The only reason it lasted as long as it did was because we were running a live stress test on Ultron. The final results? Perfect. Ultron successfully neutralized every attempt made by the intruder."
Just then, a hand shot up in the crowd.
It was Eddie.
"Mr. Stark," he asked, "since you say Ultron successfully repelled all of the attacks, can we assume that you've tracked the intruder's location and obtained their personal information through the network?"
It was a question everyone wanted to ask.
Click!
Dozens of camera lights flashed as all eyes turned to Tony, waiting for his answer.
"Yes."
Tony didn't even blink. "We have their information."
Before the crowd could erupt, he added,
"However, we won't be disclosing that to the public. Stark Industries will coordinate with the proper authorities, and we'll issue a formal update at a later time."
With that, he turned to leave the stage.
"Wait, Mr. Stark!"
"If you won't show the evidence, how can we be sure it's true?"
"Is Ultron vulnerable or not?"
"You can't just walk away like this!"
The press conference quickly devolved into chaos.
Then—suddenly—Tony stopped.
He turned back toward the cameras, looked directly into the lens, and delivered one final line:
"I never lie."
And with that, he vanished from sight.
The press conference ended abruptly.
But Tony's confident and unflinching public statement helped quiet much of the speculation surrounding Stark Industries and Ultron.
Online, doubts and criticism began to fade.
After all, many people knew Tony Stark. And if there was one thing they believed about him—it was that he never made a claim he couldn't back up.
Tony never lies.
Because, with his status, he doesn't need to.
He wouldn't lower himself by weaving lies—he simply withholds what he doesn't want to share.
Daily Bugle.
Inside the editor's office, Eddie and Anton sat across from each other, mid-conversation.
"So in the end, Tony didn't really lie," Eddie said thoughtfully. "He just omitted key details. For instance, he didn't actually trace the hacker's exact identity—he just guessed it was cyborg based on circumstantial data…"
Eddie had already heard the full story from Anton and now understood the real context behind the intrusion.
"But why did Tony say he would report the incident to the authorities?"
His eyes narrowed slightly. Then something clicked. "Wait—is he provoking cyborg ?"
"No," Anton replied, shaking his head. "He's provoking the Justice League."
"It's obvious Tony has a plan," Anton continued. "And he knows full well the Justice League will oppose it. Conflict is inevitable."
"So cyborg 's appearance was just a warning?"
"Exactly. A show of resistance." Anton leaned back. "But Tony doesn't care. He likely anticipated all of this. He won't abandon his plans so easily."
"And what exactly is his plan?" Eddie asked, clearly puzzled.
Anton didn't hesitate.
"He has two major goals," he explained.
"First, he wants to register every individual in the world who possesses extraordinary abilities—monitor their actions, regulate them, and, when necessary, use their powers for the greater good."
"Second, through Ultron—his artificial intelligence assistant—he intends to establish global surveillance. By collecting and analyzing massive amounts of data, he hopes to predict and eliminate crime at its roots."
Eddie sat in stunned silence.
As the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a seasoned journalist, he knew exactly how much weight Anton's words carried.
"He wants to push all of this alone?"
Eddie frowned. "Even with all the power Stark Industries has… it can't control everything. Sure, Ultron is revolutionary—but registering powered individuals? Do you think they'll just agree to be watched?"
"Who said he's acting alone?" Anton said quietly. "Don't forget—Tony formed the Illuminati. He has allies. And this initiative benefits not just him, but the U.S. government, and likely others around the world."
He continued, voice low and serious.
"As far as I know, Tony's already convinced several high-ranking members of the World Security Council. It won't be long before this goes public."
Eddie stared at him.
"So that's why you had cyborg secretly infiltrate Stark Industries? A preemptive strike?"
"Exactly." Anton nodded.
"If this bill really moves forward, it will fundamentally threaten the Justice League. You know as well as I do—we can't afford to operate in the open. The League needs to stay in the shadows. That's the only way we remain a true deterrent."
…
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