The hum of the Fortress of Justice's engines was a constant lullaby for Li Wei, a strange contrast to the deathly silence of the post-Snap skies. He had returned to the bridge, the image of the dying Tony Stark and the determined face of Helldiver-74 etched in his mind. Aegis had given him War Credits, a number that to his reincarnated mind felt less like wealth and more like the weight of lost lives.
"Commander, the 50 Super-Earth soldiers have been integrated into the Fortress," Aegis announced. "They are ready for deployment and training. Their capabilities are basic, but their numbers provide an invaluable strategic buffer."
Li Wei nodded. The sight of the family sacrificing themselves, the despair he had witnessed... He couldn't leave that world like this. The primary mission, "Planet Stabilization," was only partially completed. There was a reason Aegis had given him the option to purchase more soldiers.
"Aegis," Li Wei said, his voice resonating with a new conviction. "We're not leaving Earth-199999 yet. There's more work to be done. And we need to impart the values of Super-Earth."
"Unusual request," the AI responded, its tone as cold as ever. "Efficiency in threat eradication typically involves rapid movement between universes. However, your 'imparting values' plan could contribute to long-term stabilization. Please define your secondary objectives."
Li Wei thought of the idealistic Super-Earth propaganda Aegis had briefly shown him in its files. It was a brutal contrast to this world's reality. But maybe, just maybe, a bit of that blind faith in humanity and freedom was exactly what they needed.
"First secondary objective: Locate and secure remaining human settlements. Establish rallying points and offer constant protection against raiders and the desolate. We want the survivors to know they are not alone," Li Wei began to trace a holographic map of Earth, pointing out the red zones of conflict and the few green spots of life.
"Second objective: Resource and technology recovery. Search for food, water, and any functional technology that could be useful for the survivors and for us. Especially abandoned Chitauri or Kree technology, if we can adapt it."
"Third objective: Neutralize the largest criminal gangs and the most dangerous Desolates. We can't stabilize the planet if chaos remains the norm. We have to show that there is order."
"Objectives registered. Commander, to execute these missions, Super-Earth soldiers are more suited for routine occupation and patrolling. Helldivers will be reserved for high-priority threats. Do you agree with this approach?"
"Agreed," Li Wei confirmed. "I don't want to waste my Helldivers on every skirmish. We need a containment force."
Chapter 5: The Blood Contract and the Awakening of the Titan
The deployment on Earth-199999 became a war of attrition. Li Wei and his Helldivers not only defended, but also advanced. The 50 Super-Earth soldiers, though less capable in direct combat, were vital for logistics, patrolling, and building "Democratic Protection Zones." Small oases of security began to appear on the map, and hope, a concept almost forgotten in this world, began to whisper.
The Kree Incursions and the Growing Threat:
The calm didn't last long. Aegis soon detected new Kree incursions. These weren't scouting vessels, but flotillas of smaller, faster assault and transport ships, attempting to establish beachheads. Their objective was clear: harvest resources and, worse, enslave the survivors for their labor.
"Commander! Multiple Kree contacts in the southern sector! They're deploying shock troops!" a Helldiver reported, his voice tense.
Li Wei was on the front lines, leading his troops in an assault on a raider base. His hands were stained with blood, and his face, once pale, was now weathered by sun and ash. "Aegis, divert Alpha and Beta squadrons! I want them to intercept those Kree forces. We will not allow them to take a single civilian!"
The Helldivers moved as a single organism, their energy weapons cutting through Kree soldiers with brutal precision. Alien technology recovered from the Snap had already been integrated thanks to the Technological Integration Module. Now, Helldivers fired Chitauri plasma bursts and deployed Kree energy shields, making them even deadlier. Li Wei, in the thick of the crossfire, knocked down a Kree soldier with a brutal blow from his rifle, his mind focused on victory.
The Shadow of Thanos Lengthens:
But the Kree threat was just the prelude. Aegis, with its unwavering coolness, reported a seismic shift:
"Commander, a massive energy fluctuation has been detected in the Gamma Quadrant sector. The energy signature is consistent with that of a Sanctuary-Class warship. Ship identification: The Sanctuary II. Data indicates the return of... Thanos."
The air froze around Li Wei. Thanos. The Mad Titan. The one who had destroyed the world. His first instinct was terror, an echo of the helplessness that had defined him. But then, the image of Tony Stark, the sacrificed family, Helldiver-74... determination consumed him.
"I won't let him absorb anything from this world!" Li Wei roared, his eyes fixed on Aegis's screen. "Aegis, deploy all available Helldivers! All Super-Earth soldiers who can fight! Prepare for a frontal assault! We're going to face him!"
"Commander, the probability of success in a direct confrontation against Thanos and his fleet is extremely low. Recommendation: Tactical evasion and regrouping."
"Negative, Aegis! There's no evasion possible! If Thanos absorbs this world, how many more will fall? We won't retreat! This is our chance to stop him before he becomes too powerful!"
The Final Battle on Earth-199999:
The battle against Thanos's forces was hell. Chitauri assault ships rained from the sky, Outriders surged in endless waves, and the Black Order, though reduced, were formidable adversaries. The Helldivers fought with unheard-of ferocity, their elite skills shining in the chaos. The Super-Earth soldiers, though suffering losses, held the line, defending the Democratic Protection Zones as if their very lives depended on it.
Li Wei was in the heart of the combat. His movements were fluid, instinctive. He faced an Outrider with his knife, his armor gleaming with enemy fire. Then, he switched to his rifle and brought down several more, his mind a whirlwind of tactics and decisions. He was no longer a scared child. He was a leader. A commander.
The climax came when Thanos himself descended from The Sanctuary II, his imposing figure casting a gigantic shadow over the ruins. He no longer wielded the Gauntlet, but his physical power and tactical genius were terrifying. He sought the planet's life energy.
"For Super-Earth! For humanity! For freedom!" Li Wei shouted, leading his Helldivers' charge against the Titan. It wasn't a fight to win, but to impede. To defend every ounce of hope he had managed to sow. The Helldivers launched a coordinated assault, trying to contain him, slow him down, wear him out. It was a meat grinder, but they didn't flinch.
Li Wei, with an audacity born of desperation, devised a risky strategy. Using infiltration technology recovered from the Kree, a small team of Helldivers slipped through Thanos's lines to attack the energy nodes he was trying to connect to the planet. They couldn't kill him, but they could thwart his absorption.
The battle lasted for hours, a whirlwind of explosions, screams, and the sound of metal against flesh. Helldivers fell, one after another, but their sacrifice was not in vain. The nodes were destroyed. Thanos's attempt to absorb Earth was frustrated. Enraged, and seeing that he couldn't complete his ritual without massive cost to his forces, Thanos roared and ordered a retreat, his ship ascending back into the skies.
"Commander, Thanos has aborted planetary absorption. His forces are in full retreat. Kree threat repelled. Mission objectives in this universe have been... 100% completed." Aegis's voice carried a rare note of something akin to approval.
Primary Objective 1: Planet Stabilization: Completed. Kree incursions repelled. Anarchy reduced. Reward: 2,000 War Credits. Primary Objective 2: Prevention of Thanos's Return: Completed. Planetary absorption thwarted. Thanos repelled. Reward: 2,500 War Credits. Primary Objective 3: Stop Planetary Mutation: Completed. Energy anomalies have drastically reduced with Thanos's retreat. Reward: 1,500 War Credits. Bonus for Moral Impact and Restoration of Hope: Reward: 1,000 War Credits.
"Total War Credits accumulated: 7,000. Current Commander Level: Level 2. Next level: Level 3. Congratulations, Commander. You have unlocked new recruitment options."
Li Wei collapsed against a wall of rubble, sweat and blood (his own and others') covering his armor. He was exhausted, but for the first time, he felt he had done something truly significant. He had saved a world. He had stopped Thanos. Not definitively, but he had driven him away.
Earth-199999, though still broken, held a small hope, a faint echo of Super-Earth. The survivors emerging from their shelters looked at them with a mixture of exhaustion and a new respect. They had seen their saviors fight a Titan.
His family in the original world continued to notice him. His absences grew longer, his presence upon returning, denser, more authoritative. It was not just a change in mood, it was a profound transformation. Lin Jian, in turn, felt a growing unease. The shadow of Li Wei...