Chapter 10 – Iron and Ceramite
The drive back from the ruined industrial complex was silent.Pepper gripped the wheel tighter than she needed to, jaw set, her eyes flicking to the mirror every so often. In the back seat, Gaius filled the space like a mountain. His massive frame forced him to angle sideways, armored pauldrons scraping faintly against the roof whenever the car hit a bump. Civilians and first responders had gawked as they left the scene, whispers rising about the armored giant who had fought alongside Iron Man.
Tony broke the silence with a tired smirk."Here's hoping the suspension doesn't snap. Hate to see what the insurance company files this under, insurance scam, maybe?"
Pepper shot him a look, but Gaius said nothing. His helmet turned toward the window, lenses glowing faintly as the night rolled past.
....
The ocean breeze was cool when they stepped out at the cliffside mansion. The contrast to the chaos of battle was startling. No smoke. No gunfire. Just waves crashing in the distance and a thousand stars above.
Gaius stood there a moment longer than the others, as though memorizing the stillness. For the first time since he'd arrived in this fractured reality, he sensed no whispers of the Warp, no psychic taint gnawing at the edges of perception. Just quiet. Just peace. It felt… wrong. And yet right.
Tony led them down into the lab. The sleek white walls, glass panels, and humming servers were a world away from the grit of warzones. J.A.R.V.I.S.'s mechanical arms descended from the ceiling as Tony stepped onto the platform, his Mark III dented and scorched.
"Alright, big guy," Tony muttered as the plates clicked loose one by one, "time to shed some weight. You planning to sleep in that tank of yours, or do we get a demonstration?"
Gaius scanned the room. His instincts told him to refuse, never reveal weakness, never disarm in front of strangers. But Tony's gaze wasn't mocking; it was curious, almost reverent. After a pause, Gaius gave a slow nod.
Tony raised his brows. "Okay then. Permission to record this? Strictly for science. You never know, might come in handy if you want it put back together again."
"…Granted." The Astartes' voice was deep, final.
The lab's arms clicked and whirred as Tony guided the process, cataloguing each step. Piece by massive piece, ceramite plating came away, greaves heavier than car batteries, gauntlets that could crush steel, the broad chestplate that thudded like stone when it hit the stand.
What remained was the black carapace bodysuit. Thin by comparison, yet still an armor in its own right, latticed with fiber-cabling and plugs that ran into the skin beneath.
Tony circled him slowly, eyes wide behind exhaustion. "Damn. That's… that's not a suit, that's biology welded to technology. You're not just wearing it. You are it."
Gaius inclined his head.
"Tell me this part comes off too," Tony pressed, gesturing to the bodysuit.
"No." The word was firm. "It is bonded. To remove it would require a Techmarine or me, and the risk is… not acceptable."
At removing it, and wearing it again, is quite the hassle.
Tony lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, fair."
Then the lab arms pulled free the final sections, helm, gorget, vambraces, leaving Gaius fully exposed in the black carapace. His true height dominated the room, nearly 9 feet of corded muscle wrapped in the sleek underlayer. Scars traced his arms like pale lightning.
Tony actually stepped back a little, his voice low. "Holy hell. You're built like a damn battleship."
A sound from the stairs interrupted. Pepper appeared, carrying a tray stacked with food, sandwiches, pasta, a jug of juice, even steak. She froze mid-step, her eyes locking onto Gaius' uncovered form. For a moment, the sharp executive mask slipped. Her breath caught.
Tony noticed, smirking faintly. "Pep, close your mouth. You'll make the guy blush."
She cleared her throat, cheeks coloring as she set the tray down. "I… didn't know how much he eats. So I just brought everything."
Gaius gave her a courteous nod, the gesture oddly gentle for someone his size.
After a moment of awkward silence, Pepper excused herself. The door closed, leaving a mountain of food behind.
Tony chuckled. "Good Thing, I happen to have a huge fridge and always stock with food."
As Tony dug into the tray, Gaius' vision flickered with the faint glow of the multiversal interface only he could see.
[System Message]:Mission: Save Tony Stark.Target: Obadiah Stane – Kill or capture. (Completed).Objective: Stabilize Stark and cure palladium poisoning. (Pending).Reward: Postal System unlocked – Members may send items to one another.
He dismissed it with a thought. The mission wasn't finished.
Tony had pushed aside his own plate, pulling open the small reactor unit. The glow of the arc reactor cast blue shadows across his face.
"Figures. The thing keeping me alive was also slowly poisoning me, palladium, nasty stuff." Tony shrugged, like it was yesterday's hangover. "Not a problem anymore, thanks to your miracle juice, but the design's still busted. I'll need a cleaner element if I want to keep upgrading this thing and making the armor more powerful. Too bad science hasn't caught up with me yet."
Gaius' gaze narrowed. Fragments of memory stirred. From Tony's Talking. That he remembered how Tony upgraded His Arc Reactor.
"Your father," he rumbled. "He left you what you need. A model. Hidden in his work. The key to a new element."
Tony froze, eyes snapping up. "… How do you know that? You're not from here. You're not even from anywhere in this universe."
The Astartes's black Eyes fixed on him. "I know."
For once, Tony Stark was speechless. Doubt flickered, but so did something rarer: trust.
Exhaustion crept into Tony's voice as he finally sank into a chair. "Tomorrow. First thing. Tonight, we… deal with the press, and the fact half of LA saw us tear the place apart."
From upstairs, Pepper's voice floated down. "Press conference at ten. Don't be late, Tony." The time for conference should be at this time, but she wants Tony to have some rests, so she change the schedule to morning.
Gaius rested a massive hand on the railing, staring out at the city lights beyond the glass walls. For the first time since he'd stepped foot in this reality, he allowed his guard to lower.
No whispers. No corruption. Just quite an extraordinary world.