The sensation of the dimensional jump was like being dismembered and reassembled in a blink. Li Wei had no time to scream. One moment, he was in a rain-soaked alley; the next, gravity pulled him to the floor of what appeared to be a gigantic, abandoned control room. The light was dim, a murky gray filtering through the cracks of a collapsed ceiling. The air... the air smelled of mold, rust, and, strangely, despair.
"Host, we have landed in the Fortress of Justice," Aegis's voice resonated in his mind, now with sharp clarity. "Initial configuration complete. Stabilizing dimensional portal."
Li Wei got up with an effort, his body aching in a way he hadn't felt in his life of "privileges." Around him, the "Fortress" was imposing. It wasn't a building, but a massive biomechanical structure, alive with pulsating lights and the hum of advanced machinery. Armored windows revealed the vast expanse of a ruined city, skeletal skyscrapers rising against a sky tinged with a strange reddish hue.
"Our primary objective is Earth-199999," Aegis continued. "A post-Thanos universe, five years after the mass extinction. The Avengers failed. The Gems were destroyed. No reversal is possible."
Aegis's words were a cold echo of reality. Li Wei felt a chill. This was not a fantasy; it was a nightmare.
"Detecting hostile activity nearby. A group of human survivors is under attack. Attacker origin: Searching. Enemy type: unknown, with anomalous energy signatures. Helldiver deployment recommended."
Li Wei looked at one of the main screens. Granulated images showed emaciated figures, some clutching children, fleeing desperately. Behind them, deformed beings with ashen skin and twisted limbs pursued them, wielding makeshift weapons and some pieces of alien technology that resembled Chitauri. Their movements were spasmodic, as if their own flesh betrayed them.
"What are those things?" Li Wei asked, his voice firmer than he expected.
"Estimate: Humans mutated by exposure to residual cosmic radiation from the Snap or by post-Infinity energy anomalies. Their aggression is extreme. We will call them 'Desolated'."
Li Wei's heart raced. They weren't monsters out of a legend, but what was left of people. The desolation of the world burned itself into his mind.
"Deploy the Helldivers," Li Wei commanded, authority welling up from an unknown place. "An assault team to contain the mutated. A rescue team to secure the civilians. I want a defensive perimeter around the evacuation zone."
"Orders received. Deploying Squadrons Alpha and Beta. Commander, it is recommended to observe from the Fortress for tactical analysis."
But Li Wei shook his head. The idea of remaining inactive while others fought for him was unbearable, an echo of his previous life. "Negative, Aegis. Deploy me with them. I need to see with my own eyes."
"Your request is suboptimal for Host survival. However, it does not infringe primary directives. Standard Helldiver equipment activated at your position."
A dark, sleek combat suit materialized in a nearby capsule. It was made of a robust material, with armor plating and a full visor. It was heavy, but he didn't feel it as a burden, but as armor. He felt... different. Powerful. Not with Lin Jian's false arrogance, but with the promise of a force that could, at last, be used for good.
Stepping out of the Fortress, the outside air hit him. Cold, acrid, and with a silent lament. The city was a necropolis of glass and steel. Rubble. Silence. And suddenly, screams.
The Helldivers, imposing and methodical figures in their tactical armor, were already in action. Energy weapons sliced through the air, disintegrating the Desolated in bluish flashes. They were war machines, precise and lethal. But the horde was endless.
Li Wei ran alongside them, his own weapon in hand, pulse pounding in his temples. The sound of gunfire, the stench of death, the palpable fear of the survivors... it was a brutal immersion. He fired his rifle, energy rounds dropping a Desolated. There was no hesitation. Only the need to act.
Amidst the chaos, he saw a figure crawling through the rubble of what looked like a communication tower. It was a man, emaciated, with disheveled hair and a neglected beard. His eyes, sunken and dull, carried the weight of unfathomable pain. He struggled to get up, his body trembling. Li Wei recognized the features, though worn by misery. It was Tony Stark. Or what was left of him.
Li Wei approached, his Helldivers clearing the path. The man raised a trembling hand, trying to reach him. His voice was a hoarse whisper, barely audible over the din of battle.
"Did you come from the sky?… You're too late, kid."
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. Too late. The same thing that had happened to him. Always too late to be saved, to be seen, to be loved. Tony Stark, the Avenger, the genius, now a specter of his former self, inhaled his last breath. His hand fell limp.
Li Wei's body tensed. It wasn't the pain of grief, but the impact of ultimate powerlessness. This man, a god among mortals, had fallen. And there was nothing Li Wei could do. Rage, cold and contained, surged within him.
"Commander, new hostile contacts. Kree energy signatures detected. An 'Eagle' class scout vessel is entering the atmosphere," Aegis reported, its voice imperturbable. "Probable objective: planetary resource assessment and enslavement of residual population."
"Damn it," Li Wei gritted his teeth. Thanos had left them broken, and now the scavengers were arriving to finish the job.
"Helldivers, change of priorities! Establish a defensive line south of the evacuation zone. I want anti-aircraft cannons in position for that Kree ship. They're not taking anyone else!" His voice rose above the din, an unexpected roar that surprised even the Helldivers, who obeyed without a shred of doubt.
The battle intensified. Li Wei charged to the front, not just directing, but fighting with a consuming ferocity. He couldn't save Tony Stark. He couldn't reverse the Snap. But he could ensure those Kree didn't lay a single finger on the few survivors. This initial powerlessness, this utter failure in his first encounter, became the engine of his determination.