Relief arrived with the dawn over U.A. Academy. The villains had been dispersed, their riots quelled, and the tide of chaos receded. Li Wei, his body still sore, returned to the bridge of the Fortress of Justice. His Helldiver armor, though already repaired by the ship's nanobots, still felt the echo of his Personal Distortion Field's overload.
"Commander, U.A. Academy has been secured. Local authorities are in the process of detaining the remaining villains. Super Earth has completed its support mission in this universe," Aegis reported, its voice immutable but with a nuance of efficiency.
Li Wei observed the screens showing U.A., now under control. Students and heroes worked on recovery, the tension diminished but exhaustion palpable. The memory of the sniper attack and Momo Yaoyorozu's terrified face was etched in his mind.
"Commander, an emergency communication channel has been established from U.A. The Number One Hero, All Might, requests an audience."
"Grant the audience," Li Wei ordered, his voice still a little hoarse. It was time to face this world's heroes.
The Questioning and Disbelief
All Might's hologram materialized on the Fortress bridge. It wasn't the muscular form of the Symbol of Peace, but his skeletal figure, his face tired and his eyes sunken, yet filled with unwavering determination. Beside him were other notable heroes: Endeavor, with his stern expression, and Eraser Head, his gaze penetrating.
"Commander Li Wei," All Might began, his voice resonating with a tired authority. "We are very grateful for your intervention. Without your support... things would have been much worse. But we must ask... who are you? Where do you come from? We have never seen technology like yours, nor a military force of this magnitude."
Li Wei stood tall, his armor imposing even without his helmet. He could not reveal the truth of the multiverses. "We are Super Earth," Li Wei replied, his voice deep and controlled. "A force born from the need to protect organized life on all planes. We are the hammer against tyranny and the shield of freedom."
Endeavor snorted, his fiery eyes scrutinizing Li Wei. "Planes? Freedom? Are you saying you're a paramilitary organization with alien technology? And you expect us to trust you? Who authorizes you?"
"Our authority is the despair of the innocent and the threat of those who seek to oppress," Li Wei retorted, his voice devoid of emotion. "We come from where hope has been crushed, to ensure it doesn't happen again. We seek no control, only the stabilization and protection of democracy."
Eraser Head, with his keen gaze, observed Li Wei closely. "Your methods are... efficient. But brutal. Lethal force authorized without question? Indiscriminate orbital assaults?"
"Our lives are at stake," Li Wei said, his voice now with a hint of coldness. "When organized life is in existential danger, pragmatism is the only morality. We cannot allow complacency to cost more lives. I have already seen what happens when 'heroes' fail." The words, tinged with his own experience with Tony Stark, resonated with undeniable authority.
All Might sighed. "I understand your stance, Commander. The circumstances were extreme. But we hope that, in the future, there will be more transparency. Our world has its own rules, its own symbols."
"And your world has its own shadows," Li Wei responded, his gaze unyielding. "We will not stay. But know that Super Earth will be watching. And if democracy or innocent life are threatened again, we will act."
The hologram faded. Li Wei was left alone, feeling the tension in his shoulders. The heroes of this world, with their Quirks and their moral structure, were so different from him. But the threat was the same.
An Unexpected Thank You and a Silent Spark
Moments later, Aegis reported: "Commander, a personal communication channel has been opened. Request from U.A. student, Momo Yaoyorozu. Do you allow the connection?"
Li Wei hesitated for a moment. He had protected this girl, but he didn't expect a personal interaction. His mind, accustomed to the coldness of command, felt uncomfortable. "Grant the connection."
Momo Yaoyorozu's face appeared on the screen, her hair still tied up, her eyes large and expressive, though somewhat tired. She was in a U.A. infirmary room, a clean bandage covering her cheek.
"Co-Commander Li Wei," Momo began, her voice soft and a little shaky, but filled with deep sincerity. "I... I wanted to thank you. In person. I was on the roof... I saw the laser. And... and then the shot deflected. I know it was you. My Quirk doesn't allow me to see that, but my instinct does. You saved my life."
Li Wei looked at her. It wasn't the fear or contempt his parents or Lin Jian had shown. It was pure gratitude. There was a sparkle in her eyes, an intensity that disconcerted him.
"It was my duty," Li Wei replied, his voice a little softer than he expected. "Super Earth protects the innocent. Your potential is vital for this world."
Momo smiled, a small but radiant smile. "You... you're different. You don't look like the other heroes. You don't talk like them. But your actions... were more heroic than anything I've seen." Her gaze lingered on Li Wei's scars, barely visible in the hologram's resolution. There was a curiosity, a concern, in her eyes, not horror.
An awkward silence hung between them. Li Wei, accustomed to commands and logic, didn't know how to respond to such a personal connection. There was something. A spark. A strange resonance between the hardened warrior and the young prodigy. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since... since his past life, since before Lin Jian destroyed everything. A sense of being seen, not for his weakness, but for his silent strength.
"Thank you, Commander," Momo repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "Really... thank you."
"You're welcome," Li Wei finally articulated. The screen went dark as Momo ended the call.
He stood staring at the spot where her image had been. Something felt strange. A warmth that wasn't from his Helldiver armor, an emotional echo he hadn't experienced in years. The solitude of his crusade was deep, but for an instant, that unexpected connection, that sincere gratitude, had pierced his emotional armor.
"Commander, mission parameters in World 2 have been 100% completed. Preparing jump to next universe. Destination: Unknown," Aegis reported, its voice returning to its usual monotony.
Li Wei closed his eyes for an instant. He had saved the world of heroes, even if they didn't understand it. He had felt a strange connection with a young woman who represented hope. And his path, that of a warrior who forged democracy with blood and steel, would continue. The shadow of Lin Jian and his old life was still there, but now, it wasn't the only driving force. There was something more.