"What exactly is going on? Have I been exposed?"
The moment he was attacked, the Zola Algorithm immediately started running, locking the door leading to his core. But this couldn't stop the cyborgss for long. Zola decided to transfer himself out, but found that the network had been cut. He didn't know which bastard had cut his network cable. It was infuriating... Oh no! It was infuriating to an artificial life form! Even his old chassis was smoking. Since he couldn't escape this time, did he just have to wait to be destroyed?
"Boom!"
A massive explosion sounded inside the mountain but couldn't be heard outside. This was largely due to the soundproofing materials mixed into the construction materials, as some things simply couldn't be known by the outside world. However, this undoubtedly made the destruction of the Zola Algorithm easier. After the explosion, Zola's final defense vanished. A dark, charred hole in the thick iron door clearly stated the visitors' intent.
"Who exactly are you people? If my calculations are correct, the first person to arrive here should have been Captain America or Tony Stark. What happened? Did I calculate incorrectly?"
The fact that 'I' was used in every sentence shows the intelligence level of the Zola Algorithm. Dr. Zola truly was a genius, capable of weaving his way of thinking into code through programming and allowing it to quickly grow into a self-aware entity. It was incredibly powerful. Moreover, Zola's algorithm wasn't wrong; theoretically, his existence should have been discovered half a month later, and Captain America and Tony would have come here. But he didn't know about the concept of 'variables' in the world. Dr. Zola was too confident. Artoria, that variable, made a small move that allowed Howard and Maria to survive. Therefore, according to the Buddhist principle of 'karma and retribution, endless cycle,' Zola's reckoning had arrived.
"Say something! Who are you?"
The cyborgss expressionlessly carried out Howard's orders. They began dismantling the critical components of the supercomputer and setting up bombs everywhere. The artificial intelligence named Zola could only watch helplessly as they did all this. When one cyborgs removed the storage disk containing the core code, Zola's face on the screen vanished. The cyborgss completely disregarded this, and after setting the bombs, they began an orderly retreat.
Once the cyborgss had retreated far enough, Howard, operating remotely, pressed the detonator. Accompanied by the collapse of the mountain, the last remnants left behind by that Nazi scientist from back then were mostly destroyed. Howard quietly waited for the cyborgss to return, intending to analyze the item Zola had left behind.
"System restarting, self-check, no damage detected."
"I know you're awake, Dr. Zola. May I refer to you as that?"
The Zola Algorithm, which was suddenly powered on and undergoing self-repair, received a voice from within its database—a voice that was clearly marked as deceased. The Zola Algorithm activated its 'camera,' and the familiar individual appeared before it. Faced with this situation, the Zola Algorithm's operating system momentarily stalled, displaying numerous conflicting data points.
"Howard Stark, I am very curious, is the person standing before me Howard Stark? Because in my data, you have already been..."
"Killed? How ridiculous! Dr. Zola's final work is somehow this'stupid.' That's right, I am Howard Stark, the man Hydra has always wanted to kill."
Howard harshly mocked the artificial intelligence's question. It was because of this entity's existence that he and his wife gave up being near their child and chose to live a secluded life in this remote place. These bastards were responsible for everything. Some of Tony's bad habits were inherited directly from Howard, particularly his sharp tongue. Howard wasn't young anymore, so some of his words weren't as venomous, but now, in a state of fury, his sharp tongue was fully unleashed.
"I must admit, Howard, you truly exceeded my expectations. I never calculated that you would still be alive and know this secret. That's right, cut off one head, and two more shall take its place. This is the will of Hydra. We have never died; we have only been waiting for the opportunity to re-emerge."
Zola's electronic voice lacked any fluctuation in tone, yet Howard could sense the fanaticism in its words when speaking of Hydra. It was indeed a fanatic. People like this were nothing but trouble in the world, constantly bringing irreparable harm to those around them. The entity Howard was currently facing was the type that would disgust people even after Death.
"Yes, I also have to admit, you Hydra guys are exceptionally disgusting."
Howard opened his mouth and spewed venom, silencing Zola, the artificial life form. The best way to make a fanatic uncomfortable is definitely to attack their faith. As long as you target their beliefs, the enemy is easy to deal with. Sure enough, Zola was speechless, and the electronic eye Howard had installed on it even widened. Fortunately, the device had limitations, or it might have exploded.
"I won this exchange, but you must remember, Dr. Zola, the world is already peaceful. We don't need things that are old, unstable, and pose a threat to the surroundings."
As he spoke, Howard pulled out a USB drive containing a virus he created, capable of completely destroying any code. Howard intended to destroy the Zola Algorithm. He had vented his anger, and it was time to destroy this thing. He quickly connected the USB drive to the hardware housing Zola.
"I will not die, Howard. Cut off one, and two shall take its place. Hail Hydra!"
Zola's electronic voice was as grating as fingernails scraping a blackboard. It cried out its faith, and even as it was being killed by the virus, it did not forget to shout its final words. Indeed, this artificial life form was exactly like Dr. Zola. Howard looked at the destroyed and scrapped AI, once again regretting the talent of Dr. Zola. It was truly heartbreaking that such a genius was a Nazi lunatic.
"I have to say, Zola really was a genius."
While sighing with emotion, Howard instructed his assistant to destroy all the retrieved items. He had no use for these components, and since they housed the ideology of a lunatic, Howard thought it best to burn them. The flames destroyed the last part of Dr. Zola, and the world was rid of one more lunatic.
"What exactly happened inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
The Captain, attacked once again, subdued his opponent, only for the opponent to immediately commit suicide by poison. This familiar scene greatly troubled the Captain, especially since the person appeared to be a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Captain now strongly suspected that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal structure contained Hydra agents, or perhaps Nick Fury had been deceiving him all along. But Carter wouldn't deceive him! Wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. built by Carter and Howard? What on Earth was going on? And what happened to Bucky? Why did he look so unfamiliar? The Captain was deeply conflicted.
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