CHAPTER 114 — LINES DRAWN
The area outside S.T.A.R. Labs did not return to normal after the Mother Box was handed over.
The soldiers stayed where they were. Vehicles remained in position. Guns were still held tight in trembling hands. No one truly relaxed, the threat hadn't disappeared, and until it did, they were to remain on alert.
Tony stood a short distance from the soldiers, the sealed container holding the Mother Box secured behind him. He looked around once, then stepped forward again.
He raised his voice, not loud, not sharp. Just clear.
"Where is Superman?"
He needed to find Superman first, to begin planning how to capture him. or eliminate him, depending on whether he truly was Doomsday or not.
The question cut through the tense street.
Several soldiers blinked, clearly caught off guard. One of them frowned, then looked at his squad leader. The leader hesitated, then spoke.
"Superman?"
The word sounded uncertain, like it was not something they were ready to deal with.
The soldier reached for his communicator, thumb hovering for a second before pressing it.
"Sir," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "The unknown individuals are asking for the location of Superman."
In the command center, General Calvin Swanwick listened without changing his expression.
Superman.
His thoughts immediately went to the aftermath of the Capitol bombing, which had claimed many lives. Superman, the main suspect in the public eye, had vanished after helping the survivors.
They had searched. Satellites. Signals. Witness reports.
Nothing.
Swanwick answered calmly.
"Tell them we do not have information on Superman's current location."
There was a pause.
Swanwick leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing as he thought. These people had come openly. They had not attacked. They had taken the Mother Box without forcing a fight. Dangerous, yes, but controlled.
He made another decision.
"Tell them to wait," he said. "I'll speak to them in person."
Back on the street, the soldier froze when he heard the order.
"In… in person, sir?"
"Yes," Swanwick replied. "That's an order."
The soldier swallowed, wanting to warn that it was dangerous for him to come here, but the words stuck in his throat. He pushed them down and replied instead, "Understood."
He turned back toward Tony.
"General Swanwick says he does not know Superman's location," the soldier said. Then, more carefully, "He's coming here to speak with you."
Tony lifted an eyebrow.
"Well," he muttered, "that's unexpected."
He glanced back at the others. Diana met his eyes and gave a slow nod. If this general was willing to come himself, they could get answers. Maybe not about Superman, but About Doomsday.
Tony turned back to the soldier.
"We'll wait," he said.
Waiting turned into something strange.
The soldiers, clearly unsure what to do, began bringing out folding tables and chairs from nearby trucks. Someone dragged out a long couch meant for indoor use and set it awkwardly in the street.
For Gaius.
Naruto dropped into a chair like he was settling down for a meal. Mindy followed right after him, stretching her legs out.
Saeko hesitated.
They sat in the middle of a military lockdown zone. Soldiers with rifles surrounded them at a distance.
She glanced at Tony, relaxed. Diana, calm. Gaius, already seated like this was nothing.
Her mouth twitched.
"Well," she muttered under her breath, and sat down too.
Despite everything, the group began talking like they were alone.
Naruto leaned forward, hands on his knees, eyes bright.
"Hey," he said, unable to hold it in, a grin spreading across his face. "I've gotten way stronger, I finally mastered Sage Mode!"
Diana smiled softly at him.
"Is that so?" she asked.
Naruto nodded proudly.
Mindy, hearing Naruto, seized the chance to tease him. She turned to him with a playful grin. "Then… where's our souvenir from Mount Myōboku?"
Naruto blinked. "Souvenir?"
"Yeah," Mindy said. "Didn't you bring us anything?"
Naruto scratched his head. "There's nothing there but toads."
Mindy leaned closer. "What about food?"
Naruto froze.
His face twisted as memories hit him. Slime. Legs. Crunch.
He gagged a little.
Everyone laughed.
Tony laughed openly. Diana smiled wider. Saeko shook her head.
Only Gaius remained silenty watching them.
After a moment, Gaius reached up and removed his helmet. He placed it carefully on the table in front of him.
His face was calm. Human. Stern. No anger, no tension.
The soldiers watching stiffened even more. To them, this figure looked like another Kryptonian, only far bigger. Zod had appeared in armor as well, and the memory was still fresh. Seeing the towering, armored presence before them, they couldn't help but draw the comparison, fear tightening their grips on their weapons.
The sound of a helicopter grew louder.
Wind kicked up dust and loose paper as it descended nearby. The aircraft touched down, and three figures stepped out.
General Swanwick walked forward, flanked by two guards.
As he approached, Swanwick studied them carefully.
Wonder Woman. The armored man. The others.
And then his eyes fixed on Gaius.
Tall. Heavy armor. Calm presence.
J'onn J'onzz reached out with his mind.
The moment his telepathy touched Gaius, it was torn away.
Not blocked.
Thrown out.
Pain flashed through J'onn's head
And suddenly, he was lifted off the ground.
Gaius had him by the neck, his hand so large it swallowed more than just the throat. His grip locked around the man's neck and upper shoulder at once, fingers digging in with crushing certainty, lifting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
The moment he tried to enter Gaius's mind, Gaius had already moved, rising from his seat and gripping him by the neck in a blur of speed.
In an instant, the street erupted into motion.
Guns snapped up. Soldiers shouted orders. Panic rippled through the line.
Tony shot into the air, armor humming, weapons locking onto targets.
Diana drew her sword.
Saeko and Mindy both drew their weapons.
Naruto felt chakra rise without thinking preparing to fight.
J'onn raised one hand despite being held.
"Stand down!" he forced out.
The soldiers hesitated. Slowly, they lowered their weapons, but did not release them.
J'onn looked at Gaius, eyes steady.
"Forgive me," he said. "I did not mean to intrude. I only wanted to understand your origins."
Tony stared.
"You can read minds?"He snapped, weapons raised and aimed on the person Gaius was holding, ready to fire at the slightest threat.
Gaius considered crushing the man's neck in his grip. The strength was there, the outcome certain.
But the man still had value. Killing him now would serve no purpose.
Instead, Gaius punished him, hurling him aside with brutal force.
J'onn slammed into the pavement hard enough to crack it.
The guards rushed to him.
Gaius stepped forward.
"Don't move!" a soldier shouted, voice shaking.
Gaius kept walking.
They fired.
Bullets slammed against his armor, flattening on impact. A few whizzed past his head, missing by mere centimeters as he tilted just enough to avoid them.
Blood sprayed as Gaius reached the guards.
One punch.
A sickening crack.
The first guard's head burst. Blood and bone sprayed across the street.
The same blow crushed the second guard.
Both fell, dead before they hit the ground.
Silence followed.
Gaius turned back to J'onn, who lay still.
"Stop pretending," Gaius said calmly. "Get up."
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