The sky had turned a pale gray-blue, the sun climbing carefully above the horizon. Smoke still lingered in the air from the destruction earlier in the night, thin and stretched, carried by a light breeze that did little to hide the sll of burned tal and concrete.
Four hours had passed since Gaius' broadcast. Four hours since the world had been reminded, very clearly, that power did not always belong to those who thought it did.
Now, the city moved again.
Convoys rolled in from every direction. Long lines of trucks filled the highways, escorted by military vehicles and flashing lights. So carried military markings, others were civilian freight trucks repurposed under ergency orders. Drivers followed directions closely, guided by soldiers and officers posted at every intersection.
The delivery zones were alive with motion.
Forklifts humd without rest. Cranes swung carefully overhead. Workers shouted instructions, their voices sharp but focused. Pallets were stacked in clean rows. Crates were organized by type, food, at, and general supplies. Everything was counted. Everything was logged.
The numbers mattered.
By now, roughly eight thousand tons had been delivered. The ground itself seed weighed down by it, wide fields of concrete and packed earth filled with towering piles of cargo. Only two thousand tons remained. The rest was already on the way, confird by tracking systems and radio updates.
It would arrive within the hour.
The six-hour deadline would be t.
Even knowing that, tension remained thick in the air. No one celebrated. No one relaxed. Every worker, soldier, and officer moved with the sa quiet urgency, as if slowing down even slightly might invite disaster.
Then the mood shifted.
Not suddenly. Not loudly. But unmistakably.
People nearest the outer edge of the delivery zone felt it first, a pressure, heavy and unseen. Conversations faded. Heads turned. Forklifts slowed. One by one, people stepped aside, creating space without being told to.
Gaius had arrived.
He walked into the zone in his golden armor, each step steady and controlled. His presence was overwhelming without him doing anything at all. The armor reflected the early light. Heat seed to ripple faintly around him, not enough to burn, but enough to remind everyone that this was not sothing ordinary.
Workers swallowed hard and moved away. Soldiers straightened instantly. Even those who had been coordinating loudly monts before fell silent.
No one wanted to be too close.
Not out of disrespect.
Out of instinct.
A periter soldier noticed Gaius approaching and felt his throat tighten. He had been briefed. He knew who this was. He had been told the na, the rank, the importance of getting this right.
Taking a steadying breath, the soldier stepped forward.
His boots felt heavier with every step. When he stopped a few ters in front of Gaius, he stood straight, hands stiff at his sides.
"C-captain Gaius," he said, voice tight but clear.
The title felt strange in his mouth. Yet it was the only one he knew to use. Orders had co down from above. The armored giants at the White House had spoken the na, and the military had listened.
"We are still transporting supplies to the area," the soldier continued quickly. "The remaining deliveries should arrive within one hour. We will not miss the six-hour deadline."
Gaius stopped.
He looked down at the man in front of him. The soldier felt that gaze like weight pressing on his chest. For a brief mont, Gaius was surprised, not by the report, but by the title.
Captain.
His thoughts flicked briefly to Titus and the others inside the White House. That must have been where it ca from. The na had spread.
He did not correct it.
Gaius gave no verbal response. Instead, he stepped past the soldier and continued forward toward the supplies.
The soldier hesitated, then hurried after him, walking quickly to keep pace. Even at a normal stride, Gaius covered ground faster than most n.
"I'll show you the supplies, sir," the soldier said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Food and at are staged here. Additional supplies are being unloaded further down."
Gaius listened without speaking.
They reached the first stack of cargo. Massive crates sat neatly arranged, each labeled and secured. Gaius stopped in front of them.
Then he raised his hand.
Light flickered.
The air shifted, as if space itself had been opened. One by one, the crates began to dissolve, turning into streams of glowing particles. The light flowed upward and vanished, pulled into sothing unseen.
The supplies were gone.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Workers froze mid-step. A forklift operator nearly dropped his load. Soldiers stared openly, disbelief written on their faces. So took instinctive steps back, unsure whether they were witnessing technology, power, or sothing else entirely.
Gaius moved to the next pile.
More supplies vanished.
Crate after crate disappeared into light, stored away through the Multiversal Chat's parcel system. Gaius worked thodically, never rushing, never stopping. The piles shrank. The ground cleared.
Shock gave way to quiet awe.
No one spoke.
No one interfered.
Nearly an hour passed before the remaining two thousand tons arrived. Gaius collected it as well.
By the ti he finished, all ten thousand tons had been secured. The delivery zone, once crowded with supplies, now stood nearly empty, save for machinery and stunned personnel.
Gaius turned and walked back toward the periter.
The sa soldier stepped forward again, this ti joined by a higher-ranking officer. Both stood rigid, hearts pounding.
"Captain Gaius," the officer said, voice firm despite visible fear. "The ten thousand tons of supplies have been completed."
Gaius looked at him.
"Tell them," Gaius said calmly, "the demands have been fulfilled. This shall not happen again. Otherwise-"
He did not finish the sentence.
He did not need to.
The officer nodded quickly. "Yes. Yes, sir."
Gaius activated his jetpack.
With a controlled burst, he lifted into the air, rising straight upward before angling toward the distant skyline. Within seconds, he was gone, leaving behind silence, relief, and fear that would not fade easily.
LexCorp Tower stood tall against the morning sky.
Inside, the group had gathered once more. Everyone was present now. Gaius returned and landed smoothly, his heavy presence settling into the room.
For a mont, no one spoke.
Naruto broke the silence with a grin.
He had returned as soon as he realized there was nothing for him to do. No one needed saving. Titus' forces had done nothing beyond monitoring and securing the operation. So Naruto had simply co back with the soldiers escorting the supply deliveries.
"Then let's go back to our world!" he said brightly.
Mindy nodded eagerly. Saeko smiled softly and agreed. Tony crossed his arms, thoughtful, then nodded as well.
"Indeed," Tony said.
Gaius gave a single nod.
Diana nodded too, though she knew she would remain. This was her world.
Saeko stepped forward first. "Goodbye, everyone," she said warmly.
Her body turned into light, particles rising and fading until she was gone.
"I'll miss you guys!" Mindy called out, waving before she too dissolved into light.
Naruto grinned wide. "Goodbye! Dattebayo!"
He vanished next.
Tony stepped forward, looking at Gaius. "I'll follow them. Goodbye, Gaius. Goodbye, Diana. Wait for my news."
Gaius nodded.
Tony disappeared.
Gaius turned to Diana. "We'll also go now."
She t his gaze and nodded.
He vanished, light fading into nothing.
Inside the White House, the tension remained.
Titus and the three Bladeguard Veterans stood guard, silent and unmoving. The President approached Titus carefully.
"We have complied fully with Captain Gaius' orders," the President said. "Everything has been done as instructed."
Titus observed the room. The fear. The stillness. The truth was clear.
He nodded.
Then he felt it.
The sa sensation as before. Light forming around him. A familiar pull.
He looked to the others. They understood. They nodded to one another.
Light swallowed them.
The Ultramarines vanished.
Silence fell.
One voice broke it, sharp and loud.
"Teleportation technology?!"
~~~
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