CHAPTER 112 — FIRST MOVES
Gaius shifted slightly, his massive golden auramite armor catching the sunlight as he rose. His voice was calm, measured, carrying no emotion but a sense of inevitability.
"Then let us go to eliminate Superman," he said, as it was the primary objective, and the Mother Boxes could be secured later.
The words hung in the air. They were not dramatic, nor angry. They were simply a statement of fact.
Diana's hands tightened slightly. She took a deep breath, keeping her voice calm as she spoke.
"That… I cannot agree to, not so quickly," she said softly. "From what I see, Superman hasn't become Doomsday. It's only speculation, it might not even be him."
Her eyes flicked toward the burning images on the screen, then back to Gaius. "To kill someone who may still be innocent… it is not the way. We cannot act without certainty."
The group remained silent, letting her words sink in. Even Gaius paused slightly, though only in consideration, not disagreement.
Tony shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly. He had not met Superman before. He did not know him personally. But he understood the danger of raw power when left unchecked.
"I understand what you're saying," Tony said carefully, "but from what I can see, Superman is incredibly strong. If he ever turns hostile, the threat would be immense. I agree with Gaius, in principle, but not without caution."
He straightened, raising a finger to command attention, his gaze sweeping over the others. "We can't be sure he's Doomsday. Jumping straight to eliminating him would be reckless. But this mission… it also involves Mother Boxes. Even if it's a secondary objective, it's still an objective. We can't leave here without securing at least one."
Since The mission defined it, as a objective rather than an optional task. Failure to secure even a single Mother Box would result in a mission failure, effectively preventing their return to their respective worlds.
Gaius remained silent for a moment, considering Tony's words. Then, with the same calm decisiveness he had shown before, he nodded.
"Then let us find the Mother Boxes first," he said.
Diana exhaled quietly, a hint of relief in her expression. Gaius' acceptance showed discipline and respect for strategy, not stubbornness.
Tony raised a finger, stopping Gaius from standing fully.
"Wait, Gaius. Let me try something first," he said. He reached up and closed the faceplate of his Mark VII armor, the subtle hiss of hydraulics filling the brief silence. "JARVIS, search for items labeled 'Mother Box,' alien technology, or unidentified artifacts tied to military or scientific research."
A soft mechanical voice replied inside the helmet, calm and efficient. "Connecting to the internet, Sir Tony. Accessing databases, both classified and public. Compiling results."
Tony's visor flickered, displaying images and documents. A metal cube appeared on the screen, strange patterns etched across its surface. Research notes scrolled beside it, describing energy readings and unknown properties. He narrowed the search, scanning through years of classified files, leaks, and academic research. He could not get the current location immediately, but a name appeared repeatedly: Silas Stone.
Tony lifted his faceplate again. Everyone looked at him expectantly.
"I found who has the Mother Box," he announced, a small hint of smug satisfaction in his voice. "His name is Silas Stone."
Naruto blinked, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Wow! Tony, that's… that's amazing!" He jumped slightly in excitement. Mindy and Saeko nodded, impressed by Tony's quick work.
Diana's gaze remained calm but focused. "Can you find where he is now?" she asked.
Tony tapped the side of his helmet. "JARVIS is locating it as we speak," he said, leaving the faceplate open.
The mechanical voice now filled the yard for all to hear.
"Sir Tony," JARVIS spoke, calm and precise, "Silas Stone is the head researcher at S.T.A.R. Labs. His current location is confirmed: the S.T.A.R. Labs facility in Metropolis."
Diana's lips pressed into a thin line. "Oh," she said softly, then looked at the group. "This is Metropolis."
A quiet realization passed among the others. Tony leaned back slightly and muttered, "What a coincidence."
Gaius shifted slightly, rising to his full height. Even standing still, his presence seemed to push the air around him. He looked down at the group and said, calm but firm:
"Then let us retrieve the Mother Box."
Tony recognized the seriousness in Gaius' posture. He knew there would likely be resistance. Whoever had the Mother Box would not give it up easily. But looking at Gaius, Tony saw that he did not hesitate or worry about confrontation.
Diana stepped into her house and retrieved the armor she had brought with her. This was the moment she had been preparing for, leaving her quiet, hidden life behind and stepping into the world openly once more.
Naruto sprang to his feet. "Let's go!" he called, excitement bright in his voice, this was his first mission in another world, and now it was his turn to aid Diana. Mindy and Saeko fell in step behind him, ready and alert.
~~~
Far away, the military command room was tense. Lieutenant General Calvin Swanwick stood rigid in his uniform, eyes sharp and focused on the screens displaying the unfolding events at the U.S. Capitol.
A soldier knocked urgently at the door. "Come in," Swanwick said, his voice firm but measured.
The young soldier stepped forward, trembling slightly. "Sir… there are strange individuals… in Metropolis," he said. The soldier held up a tablet, showing images of Gaius, Tony, Wonder Woman, Naruto, Mindy, and Saeko.
The young soldier trembled, haunted by memories of the devastation caused by the Kryptonians and Superman. The thought of aliens striking again sent shivers down his spine.
Swanwick studied the images intently. He recognized Wonder Woman immediately, aware of her history and the years she had lived in secrecy, hidden within a museum. He had deliberately kept her information classified to protect her, but seeing this now, he realized that she had stepped out of hiding.
But his eyes widened slightly at Gaius. Over ten feet tall, massive armored hands, a stature far beyond human. As a Martian in disguise, Swanwick, J'onn J'onzz, could sense things others could not. He immediately assumed Gaius was an alien.
He controlled his reaction not showing on the surface, speaking with authority. "Find out where they are going."
The soldier snapped a salute and hurried off to relay the order, still trembling..
Outside, the group began moving through the streets of Metropolis. Tony and Diana led the way, with Gaius walking behind them. Naruto, Mindy, and Saeko followed closely, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
Naruto glanced at the tall buildings and moving traffic, clearly fascinated. Saeko and Mindy quietly explained the basics, what cars were, how traffic worked, and how the city was laid out.
Gaius, Tony, and Diana didn't rush. Among them were Saeko and Mindy, powerful by ordinary standards but still within human limits, so they kept a steady pace. The Star Labs were close enough that there was no need to hurry. Civilians, however, moved quickly, panic etched across their faces. Only two years had passed since the alien invasion that devastated Metropolis, and the memories of destruction were still fresh.
Seeing the unusual figures, especially the one in golden armor, easily ten feet tall, clearly not normal, people panicked, scattering to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the perceived threat.
Bags and small belongings were dropped in the rush. Trash cans rattled as they toppled, spilling paper and wrappers onto the sidewalks. Cars swerved to avoid pedestrians, horns blaring in short bursts, while cyclists rang bells and weaved cautiously through the chaos. A few office workers froze in doorways, clutching coats or coffee cups, eyes wide at Gaius and the others. Children tugged at their parents' hands, whimpering or pointing at the armored figures, while parents hurried them along.
From open windows above, a few residents peeked out, murmuring anxiously to one another, the faint smell of coffee and baked goods mixing with exhaust fumes. A delivery truck horn blared as it tried to navigate the panicked streets, narrowly missing a pedestrian who darted across the road. The city buzzed with noise, a mixture of tires screeching, voices shouting, and distant sirens, heightening the sense of urgency.
Civilians ran, cars swerved sharply, and police vehicles moved alongside, giving wide clearance. They weren't pursuing the group, only ensuring the citizens could evacuate safely.
Gaius observed the police. Noticing that they were merely assisting and posed no obstruction, he remained silent and continued forward.
The streets grew less crowded as they approached the S.T.A.R. Labs building.
~~~
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