"Found you!" Garus murmured, tightening his grip on the thin strand of psychic energy that still linked him to Dr. Arnim Zo’s main consciousness. Through this connection, he instantly discerned Zo’s location.

  "Garus, will those aliens you brought here pose a threat to Earth?" Nick Fury, though no longer the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., still felt obligated to ask.

  Garus chuckled. "Rex, Fury. Star-Lord is just a petty thief and a smooth talker. Drax is a brute who loves breaking necks. Rocket will do anything for money. And Gamora? Well, she’s Thanos’ adopted daughter. Trust me, nothing to worry about."

  Before Fury could respond, Garus released the soul of Apocalypse. "I’m heading off to deal with Dr. Zo. If you need backup, contact Wanda."

  A shimmering violet energy field enveloped Garus, and in an instant, Apocalypse teleported them to their target’s coordinates.

  Fury stood there, dumbfounded. "He... he wasn’t serious, was he?"

  Inside Dr. Zo’s secret base, the infamous Red Skull was also present. Though his influence still lingered in Hydra’s current operations, he knew when it was time to cut his losses and disappear.

  To Red Skull, Hydra’s current leadership—Madame Viper, Baron Strucker, Alexander Pierce—were nothing more than disappointments. If he could, he would torture them daily for their failures. The only subordinate he could still rely on was Dr. Zo.

  And there was also Hive, the ancient Inhuman entity Madame Viper had retrieved. If they had managed to bring him back during World War II, things might have been different.

  "This base is compromised," Red Skull decred, rising from his seat. "Is the soul-exchange device ready?"

  Dr. Zo bowed slightly. "Yes, Mr. Schmidt. As per your instructions, it has been pced inside a residential building in New York, not far from where Captain America resides."

  Red Skull smirked as he opened the door. "Excellent. I’m leaving now. The rest is no longer your concern."

  Zo had been reluctant to participate in Madame Viper’s schemes. His life's work—the Zo Algorithm—was something he would never willingly share. However, in order to construct the soul-exchange device, he required rare materials that only Hydra could provide. Reluctantly, he had cooperated.

  Hydra was weak for now. Red Skull needed something... unconventional.

  Minutes after Red Skull’s departure, a violet sphere of energy materialized in the underground b.

  The facility, built by Zo’s robotic army, was known only to him and Red Skull. But when Garus suddenly appeared, Zo froze in disbelief.

  "Impossible... you—"

  "Did you really think you could escape?"

  "Die!" Zo commanded, activating every combat unit in the base. In an instant, missiles and ser beams filled the confined space.

  But Garus was unfazed. The anti-magic shield absorbed the energy bsts, while the incoming missiles were effortlessly caught and thrown back at Zo’s mechanical minions.

  Explosions rocked the chamber. Metal fragments rained down.

  Realizing Garus was even stronger than before, Zo abandoned the fight. Activating thrusters in his feet, he bsted toward the ceiling, intent on escape. The valuable equipment and data he had gathered would have to be sacrificed.

  In his panic, he forgot that his consciousness could simply abandon his robotic body and flee into the digital world.

  "Running? Not a chance." Garus raised a hand. Chains of dark energy coiled around Zo’s legs, yanking him back down.

  "Boom!" The impact cracked the reinforced floor.

  Zo’s body was made of incredibly durable alloy, yet it still showed no visible damage. But that wouldn’t st.

  "Crack!" Frostmourne cleaved through the metal shell. Zo’s robotic head was severed from his torso.

  Yet his consciousness remained intact. As long as his processor was undamaged, his mind could persist within his mechanical shell.

  "In a few days, once my new body is complete, you won’t stand a chance against me," Zo sneered. Pierce had recently supplied him with a fresh stockpile of vibranium. If he had just a little more time, he could have transferred into an even stronger form.

  "Vibranium?" Garus rummaged through Zo’s fragmented memories. A smirk formed on his lips. "Oh, that’s mine now. And Schmidt’s little scheme... Do you really think it will succeed? He’s been back for half a year and hasn’t accomplished anything significant. If Thanos finds out, I imagine he won’t be pleased."

  Zo attempted to transfer his consciousness. Nothing happened.

  "Why... why can’t I escape?!"

  "Don’t bother," Garus said, tightening his grip on Zo’s soul. "You’re under soul-binding. Death Knights and Warlocks specialize in dealing with creatures like you."

  Zo’s mechanical body trembled. For the first time, fear crept into his voice. "How... how do you know all this?!"

  Garus reached into Zo’s mechanical head, extracting a swirling mass of gray mist—his corrupted soul. Unlike an ordinary human spirit, Zo’s was altered, granting him the ability to infiltrate digital networks and possess machines.

  In many ways, a human brain was like a biological computer, capable of abstract thought. But Zo’s mind had long since become something else—pure logic, pure calcution. That was what had allowed him to create the infamous Zo Algorithm.

  Garus approached a terminal. Recalling Zo’s memories, he retrieved a peculiar hard drive from a nearby drawer. The Zo Algorithm wasn’t just a program—it was an intricate web of countless subroutines, a masterpiece of computational genius.

  Copying it took over an hour.

  "Now, who can actually make use of this?" Garus pondered.

  Azeroth Technologies had few experts in advanced AI. More importantly, they cked the necessary satellites to execute Zo’s full capabilities. The algorithm required orbital tracking to pinpoint every Hydra agent still lurking in the world.

  After some thought, only one name came to mind.

  Tony Stark.

  Anyone who could create an AI like J.A.R.V.I.S. would undoubtedly be able to integrate the Zo Algorithm. More importantly, Stark wouldn’t misuse it.

  Garus smirked. "Looks like it’s time to visit Tony. After all, st time he left me stranded on the other side of a wormhole with a nuke. This time... I think I’ll collect some interest."

  —————

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