CHAPTER 137 — CONSEQUENCES SET IN MOTION
The air felt heavy, thick with the aftermath of battle. The streets were quiet now that Batman and Superman had departed, leaving only the remnants of chaos behind. Broken buildings, scorched vehicles, and scorched earth painted a picture of devastation.Tony Stark shifted his weight and looked toward Gaius and Diana, the tension in the air palpable. He let out a half-serious, half-mocking laugh, his tone laced with irony.
"So… it seems we're the bad guys?" he asked.
Diana let out a small, dry laugh, light and almost amused, though not in a mocking way. She shook her head gently, acknowledging the statement.
"Indeed. It seems we are," she said, her voice soft yet carrying weight. Her eyes swept over the ruins around them. The laugh faded as quickly as it came, and she fell silent again, letting the reality of their position settle over them.
Gaius, as always, said nothing. His silence was not hesitation, nor doubt. It was focus. His mind worked, planning the fastest way to make this country comply with his will. Only results mattered.
A sudden vibration ran through the ground, subtle at first, then growing steadily stronger. Dust and small debris trembled loose from the surrounding ruins. The sound of the earth itself moving under something massive echoed faintly, growing louder and more insistent by the second.
Gaius turned immediately toward the source, his posture shifting ever so slightly into alertness. There was no panic, only precision and awareness. His optics scanned the distant street, registering the approaching movement.
At first, only dust clouds could be seen. Then the forms became clear. Dozens of figures ran in perfect synchronization toward them, Naruto and his shadow clones, moving with coordinated speed. Behind them, the ground itself seemed to move: the Dreadnought. Towering, armored, and immense, it ran with the rhythm of a building taking deliberate steps. Each impact shook the ground slightly, each motion a clear statement of unstoppable force.
Tony staggered back a step, involuntarily startled. He had already seen the Dreadnought, but seeing it charging at them was something else entirely. Its bulk, its speed, the sheer force behind its movement, unlike anything he had encountered. He barely had time to process it before it closed the distance rapidly.
The Dreadnought slowed as soon as it detected Gaius' presence. Its massive form shifted from a full sprint into controlled movement, settling into an even, measured pace. Tony's attention snapped to the smaller figures in front, the dozens of Naruto clones. They moved with unmatched precision, almost as if each was aware of the other, clearing the path, coordinating their approach with efficiency.
Naruto himself accelerated when he saw Gaius and the group. Relief washed over him. His eyes, marked with the orange patterns of Sage Mode, softened as he realized they were unharmed. A slow breath escaped his lips, a small release of tension after the long and tiring journey.
Finally, Naruto came to a stop in front of them. His posture was confident, his presence commanding, amplified by Sage Mode. He looked directly at the group, the calm focus of a trained ninja perfectly combined with the innate power of Sage Mode.
"Where is the enemy?" he asked clearly. His tone was steady, confident, ready to act. Every word carried intent, and the calm determination in his voice showed that he was far stronger now than the last time he had sparred with Gaius.
Tony smirked, a half-amused, half-exasperated expression crossing his face.
"What enemy? The enemy has already been defeated," he said lightly with a smirk on his face.
Naruto froze, a visible flicker of disbelief crossing his features. His eyes widened slightly, mouth twitching as he processed the words.
"What?! I was late?!" he blurted, a mix of frustration and surprise spilling from him.
Diana stepped forward, her smile gentle, almost teasing in tone, though it carried no malice.
"You were very much late, Naruto," she said simply, her words confirming what he already suspected.
Naruto's shoulders slumped. His face, normally bright with energy, now drooped with disappointment. He had come to help, only to find the battle already decided. There was frustration in his expression, but he accepted it silently, the calm of Sage Mode allowing him to process without anger.
Meanwhile, Gaius moved with purpose toward the remains of Doomsday. His eyes focused on the severed arm that Diana had cut earlier. With a smooth motion, he activated the parcel system. The arm disappeared cleanly into the Multiversal Chat System.
The Dreadnought reached Gaius, the massive machine coming to a halt just in front of him. Its heavy mechanical frame shifted slightly as it spoke in its deep, formal voice.
"My apologies, Captain Gaius. I am late," it stated.
Gaius regarded it for a moment, then nodded, voice calm and composed.
"It's fine," he said, no blame in his tone, no reprimand.
He turned to the group, his decisions clear and precise.
"This country will pay for its ignorance," Gaius said, his tone cold and final. "This time, I will attack personally."
Tony nodded in acknowledgment. Diana remained silent, her expression neutral. Both understood the reasoning,the missile attack earlier had crossed a line. Gaius' judgment was measured, not emotional, but they recognized its necessity in the moment.
Gaius turned to Tony.
"Locate the source of the missiles," he commanded.
Tony nodded and activated JARVIS. Within moments, the location appeared clearly: a military base, about forty kilometers away, constructed specifically as a contingency against Superman.
"I will take it from here," Gaius said. "I will erase that base from the map."
His attention shifted back to the Dreadnought.
"You will take on another mission," he said firmly. "The hostages Titus is holding will no longer serve any purpose."
He then addressed Tony again, instructing him to give Naruto a tablet containing the locations of all key decision-makers.
Turning to Naruto, Gaius' voice hardened slightly as he explained Titus and his squad's new mission: to capture all the key decision-makers, president, generals, vice president, and others.
"Deliver this tablet to Titus," he said. "Relay my commands clearly. There can be no mistakes."
Naruto straightened immediately, his expression serious. "Yes!" he responded, determination in his voice mirroring Gaius'.
Gaius then turned toward the direction of the missile base. He paused for just a moment.
"This will end fast," he stated.
Jetpack igniting, Gaius accelerated rapidly, vanishing toward the distant military base. The base detected his approach immediately, scrambling three fighter jets to intercept.
The jets fired missiles and guns. Gaius activated his Iron Halo, the attacks bouncing harmlessly off his defenses. He predicted their movements precisely, drawing his bolters with ease.
The first jet was disabled, its pilot ejecting. Gaius targeted the pilot mid-air, firing a bolter shot that destroyed the head instantly.
The second jet was eliminated similarly, the pilot unable to escape in time.
The third jet approached too closely. Gaius struck it with his power fist, piercing the aircraft, which exploded instantly, engulfing him in flames. Emerging unscathed, he continued toward the base.
Upon arrival, Gaius crashed through the outer wall, entering directly. Alarms blared and soldiers opened fire immediately. Bullets bounced harmlessly off his armor. Raising his bolter, he began firing with absolute precision. Each shot hit its mark, soldiers fell like grass under a scythe.
It was like watching a single custodian wielding unstoppable firepower. The number of armed mortals no longer mattered. Every bolter round was a self-propelled mini-rocket, every shot lethal and accurate, and the magazine seemed endless.
When the last rounds in the magazine were spent, Gaius replaced it with another from the parcel system, stocked and ready for moments like this.
A jet attempted to take off amidst the chaos. Gaius sensed it and ran to intercept, crashing through another wall to reach the runway. With a single punch from his power fist, he destroyed the aircraft, the pilot inside perishing instantly.
Gaius then moved methodically through the base. He grabbed military vehicles and hurled them into surrounding buildings, towers, and signal structures, destroying them utterly. Any soldiers hiding were eliminated. No resistance mattered.
Finally, Gaius reached the command room. He forced the door open, entering swiftly. Inside stood a corporal, armed with a pistol, clearly anticipating Gaius' arrival. The corporal fired point-blank, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off Gaius' helmet.
Gaius looked at the corporal, whose eyes were firm and unflinching. The corporal believed he was facing an alien and was willing to sacrifice himself. With a single punch, Gaius struck, reducing the corporal's upper body to bloody mist instantly.
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