CHAPTER 113 — CONVERGENCE
The streets around S.T.A.R. Labs were quieter than the ones they had passed through earlier.
Not empty, but different.
The panic that had spread through Metropolis had already done its work. People had fled indoors, locked doors behind them, and pulled curtains closed. Shops were shuttered. Traffic lights blinked over nearly empty roads. The noise of the city had thinned out, leaving behind something heavier and more tense.
Gaius noticed the change first.
It was not the lack of people that caught his attention, but the sounds beneath it. Engines. Many of them. Heavy vehicles moving in formation. Above, faint but growing louder, the steady beat of helicopter blades cutting through the air.
He did not stop walking, but his pace slowed just enough to signal awareness.
Behind him, Tony paused for half a second.
"JARVIS," he said quietly.
The response came immediately, calm and precise.
"Sir, there are multiple military vehicles converging on the S.T.A.R. Labs facility. Ground units and aerial support are inbound. Estimated arrival time: under three minutes."
Tony let out a slow breath and touched his armored chin with two fingers.
"Well," he said, looking ahead toward the distant outline of the S.T.A.R. Labs building, "it looks like they already know where we're going."
Diana glanced at him, then toward the sound of helicopters growing louder.
"So they are preparing," she said.
Naruto's head snapped up.
"Huh?" he said, looking around. "You mean the soldiers?"
Tony nodded. "Yeah. A lot of them."
Naruto frowned, concern flickering across his face. "Then shouldn't we hurry? If they know we're going to S.T.A.R. Labs, the one holding the Mother Box might escape."
Tony shook his head gently. "No. We don't need to rush."
Naruto blinked. "Why not?"
"They don't know what we want," Tony explained. "From the number of vehicles coming in, they think we're a threat. They're setting up to stop us, not to protect the Mother Box."
Naruto thought about that for a moment.
"Oh," he said. "Okay."
He relaxed again and continued walking, eyes drifting back up to the tall buildings around them.
Ahead of the group, Gaius increased his pace.
Not running, just longer, steady strides that carried him forward faster than the others. With each step, the heavy weight of his armor pressed into the pavement, leaving faint cracks behind.
The S.T.A.R. Labs complex came fully into view.
The wide building was surrounded.
Armored vehicles blocked every street leading toward it. Soldiers moved with practiced speed, taking positions behind barriers and trucks. Helicopters hovered above, their spotlights sweeping slowly across the empty streets.
One soldier, clearly higher in rank, stepped forward. He raised a megaphone, his posture tense but controlled.
"Unknown individuals!" his voice echoed through the street. "State your identities and your purpose!"
Tony and Diana reacted at the same time.
They looked at each other, a silent exchange of understanding.
Gaius walked ahead of them, his presence heavy and unyielding. They both understood what might happen next. Gaius was not cruel; he did not kill without cause. But if anyone stood in his way, if they tried to interfere with the mission or even simply obstruct him, he would act. Quickly. Without hesitation.
Diana broke into a run.
Tony lifted off the ground in a burst of controlled thrust, flying low and fast.
They reached the front line before Gaius could take another step.
Behind them, Gaius stopped.
He watched them go, understanding immediately what they were doing.
They were giving the soldiers a chance.
He had already decided what he would say when the megaphone called out. He would tell them the truth. They were here for the Mother Box. If they attempted to stop him, he would remove the obstacle.
Tony and Diana's actions changed that path.
So he waited.
Tony landed beside Diana, the hum of his armor fading as he shut down the thrusters. Diana stood tall, calm and steady, hands relaxed at her sides.
She spoke first.
"We are here for Dr. Silas Stone," she said clearly. "Take us to him."
The soldier holding the megaphone hesitated.
He lowered it slightly, eyes flicking toward the soldiers around him, then back to Diana and Tony.
"Wait here," he said. "I need to report this."
He turned away and raised his communicator.
"Sir," he said, voice tight. "They say they're here for Dr. Silas Stone."
The voice that answered was calm and familiar.
"Ask them their intentions regarding Dr. Stone," General Swanwick said.
The soldier raised the megaphone again.
"What are your intentions regarding Dr. Silas Stone?" he asked.
Tony and Diana exchanged another look.
Diana gave Tony a subtle nod.
This was his call.
Tony stepped forward, hands open, voice steady.
"We're here for the Mother Box," he said. "We need to retrieve it."
There was a long pause.
In the command center, Calvin Swanwick listened carefully.
Of all the things they could have said, this confirmed what he already feared.
The Mother Box.
Of all the technology stored within S.T.A.R. Labs, it was the most dangerous. Dr. Silas Stone had warned him many times. The energy output alone was beyond anything humanity could safely control. Used carelessly, it could destroy more than it powered.
As J'onn J'onzz, Swanwick felt the weight of the situation deeply.
Wonder Woman stood there openly now. That alone was significant. The others with her, especially the massive armored being, were unknowns. Powerful ones.
A fight here would devastate the city, and engaging them would only lead to senseless casualties among the soldiers.
He made a decision.
"Tell them," Swanwick said into the communicator, "that the Mother Box can be given."
The soldier froze for half a second, surprised.
"Yes, sir," he said.
He raised the megaphone.
"The Mother Box will be handed over," he announced.
Tony blinked.
Diana stiffened slightly.
They had expected resistance. Arguments. Maybe even violence.
This was… too easy.
Behind them, Gaius resumed walking.
Moments later, the Mother Box was brought out, secured and sealed.
The mission objective was complete.
As the group regrouped, Tony let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Well," he muttered, "that went smoother than expected."
With one Mother Box secured, the mission would not fail. Even if they could not find the others, they could return home.
Now, only Doomsday remained.
Elsewhere, Bruce Wayne trained like a man possessed.
He had been training relentlessly, pushing his body to its absolute limits, preparing for the possibility of facing Superman. Bruce knew the destruction he had witnessed in Metropolis showed just how unstoppable Superman could be. It wasn't hatred that drove him, but caution, a need to be ready for someone nearly godlike.
He honed his mind and body, crafting strategies, gadgets, and specialized suits designed to exploit any weakness. Every training session, every calculated move, was fueled by both logic and the fear of unchecked power. This was his way of ensuring that if Superman, or anyone like him, ever became a real threat, he would be ready.
His fists struck the heavy bag again and again, sweat dripping down his face. Every movement was sharp, controlled, and relentless.
Alfred entered quietly.
"Master Bruce," he said. "You may want to see this."
Bruce stopped, breathing hard. He took the towel Alfred offered and wiped his face before taking the tablet.
Images filled the screen.
Armored figures. A woman he did not recognize in public records. A towering golden warrior.
"Who are they?" Bruce asked.
"I've found nothing," Alfred replied. "No records. No history. They appeared suddenly. Only one matches any data at all."
He handed Bruce a file.
Diana Prince. Museum work. Artifacts.
Bruce frowned.
"That doesn't explain this," he said.
"No, sir," Alfred agreed.
Bruce stared at the images again, remembering Metropolis two years ago.
"Find out what they want," he said quietly.
In another place, Lex Luthor was furious.
"What do you mean you can't find anything?" he shouted.
The assistant trembled. "There's no data, sir. It's as if they appeared from nowhere."
Lex slammed his fist onto the desk. He had already decided to acquire the Mother Box, but someone had taken it before him.
"The Mother Box," he snarled. "And the military just gave it to them?"
The assistant wanted to protest, pointing out that this wasn't a good idea. The military had been hesitant before, when they'd requested the Mother Box, it had been denied outright. Now, someone asked again, and it had been handed over with ease, It suggested that the other person must be extremely powerful.
But seeing the anger radiating from Lex Luthor, the assistant stayed silent. He simply complied, voice firm yet careful: "Yes, sir!"
Lex's eyes burned with anger.
"Find them," he ordered. "We're taking it back."
The world was watching.
And the pieces were moving.
~~~
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