Chapter 54 — The Hammer in the Desert
Days had passed since the meeting with the Ancient One.
Life inside Stark's mansion had settled into a quiet rhythm.
This peaceful life and silence is what would be the dream of his Gene Father Guilliman, but in his world that can't be done. The silence was broken only by the faint hum of machines and the low voice of Tony talking to J.A.R.V.I.S. somewhere in the workshop.
He spent most of his days observing. Sometimes watching the news, sometimes studying Tony's designs with quiet interest. His presence had become normal enough that the agents who came to monitor him no longer flinched every time he turned. Coulson, Natasha, and even a few others rotated in and out, keeping an eye on things and checking in for updates.
Despite their quiet curiosity, Gaius never showed annoyance, or any emotion at all beyond his usual calm and stern demeanor, leaving them unsure whether they were bothering him or not
Tony, on the other hand, made it his mission to draw him out.
He would talk during meals, during repairs, during anything really.
"So," Tony had said one morning, "where you're from… people actually pray to your boss the Emperor, right? Sounds exhausting."
Gaius only replied, "Faith sustains men through darkness."
Tony blinked. "Right. Noted. No darkness here, just coffee and sarcasm."
It was like that for days, quiet conversation, soft machine hums, and a tension underneath it all, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Around noon one day, Gaius and Tony were having lunch in the dining room when Coulson arrived. The agent greeted them politely, as always, then sat down with a plate Pepper had ordered for him earlier.
The atmosphere was calm, J.A.R.V.I.S. played quiet music in the background, and sunlight spilled across the table.
Tony was halfway through a story about his armor designs when Coulson's phone buzzed.
He glanced at it, frowned, and answered immediately.
"Yes. …Yes, I'm listening," he said, his calm voice slightly tenser than usual.
"Understood. Keep the area sealed off."
He hung up and turned toward the two men at the table.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "That didn't sound like a lunch call."
Coulson gave a small nod. "We found something. A hammer, buried in the desert near a small town in Mexico."
Tony blinked. "A hammer?"
"Yes," Coulson said. "After what the sorcerer mentioned, the event that will happen in Mexico, we set up constant monitoring on Mexico. Two hours ago, sensors picked up an unusual energy surge. A team went to check and found this… hammer. It's embedded in the ground. No one can move it, so we had the area secured and set up a facility first."
Tony leaned back, curious now. "Can't be moved? Sounds like a challenge. Let me guess, half your agents already tried pulling it out?"
Coulson gave a dry look. "You're not wrong and we also have tried using machines to move it but it just cannot be move."
Across the table, Gaius set down his fork quietly. He took a napkin and wiped his mouth, his movements precise, disciplined. Then he stood up.
"Then we will go there," he said calmly.
Tony blinked, then smirked. "You make it sound like we're going for a picnic."
But there was something in Gaius's tone, steady, certain, that made both men understand he wasn't suggesting. He was deciding.
Without another word, Gaius walked toward the workshop.
Inside, the air shifted with the familiar hum of Stark's machines.
The armor platform waited, surrounded by rows of robotic arms.
Gaius removed his shirt and pants, folding them neatly aside, leaving only the close-fitting shorts he wore underneath. His voice carried clearly through the room.
"Begin armor assembly, J.A.R.V.I.S."
"At once, Sir Gaius."
The mechanical arms came alive, moving with smooth precision.
They lifted the black undersuit first, freshly cleaned and repaired. The flexible plates wrapped around his body like a second skin, locking perfectly to the dark ports embedded along his torso.
Next came the armor. The greaves locked around his legs with solid clacks. The chest plate split and sealed with a hiss, followed by the pauldrons, vambraces, and gauntlets. Each piece settled into place with mechanical certainty, gold reflecting the workshop lights.
Tony and Coulson stood nearby, silently watching. The air grew heavier, charged with a feeling none of them could quite explain.
Finally, a mechanical arm handed Gaius his helmet.
He took it with a steady hand and placed it over his head. The seals locked with a faint hiss.
The eyes lit up softly, blue light glowing from within.
He turned toward Coulson. "Prepare transport. We leave now."
Coulson, caught off guard for a second, nodded quickly. "Right. I'll call the Quinjet."
He pulled out his phone and issued the order, then glanced at Tony.
"You coming with us?"
Tony grinned. "You even need to ask?"
Moments later, Tony stepped onto his own platform. The Iron Man armor mark 6 assembled around him piece by piece, matching the rhythm of Gaius's earlier sequence.
Coulson only muttered under his breath, "I'm surrounded by 2 armored, one giant and one normal height."
The Quinjet arrived minutes later, its engines kicking up dust as it landed on the helipad. Natasha was at the controls, her calm expression unchanged when she saw who she'd be flying with.
Coulson boarded first, followed by Gaius, who had to duck slightly to fit through the hatch. Tony hovered beside the jet in his armor, staying airborne until everyone was inside.
The flight was long but quiet. Below them stretched endless desert, wind and sand rolling under the sun.
Tony broke the silence. "So… mysterious hammer that nobody can lift. Place your bets, guys. Alien tech? Ancient artifact?"
Coulson sighed. "Let's just hope it's not dangerous."
Gaius didn't answer. His gaze stayed fixed on the horizon. Well whatever it was, Gaius is ready for it.
When they landed, the desert heat hit immediately. The site was surrounded by fencing, trucks, tents, and floodlights. Agents moved everywhere, securing equipment and maintaining the perimeter.
Clint Barton was on the ground, overseeing the operation. He turned when he saw the Quinjet touch down, saluting casually when Coulson stepped out, nodding at Natasha when she came out, and nodding at Tony as well.
Then Gaius emerged.
The golden giant stepped down slowly, the sun gleaming off his armor. Every motion was measured, every step solid. Even among trained agents, silence fell.
Clint froze for a second, even though he'd read the reports about Gaius, as Nick Fury gave Information about him. Seeing Gaius in person was something else entirely, more statue than man, radiating command and weight.
A few new recruits instinctively raised their rifles, unsure what to make of him.
"Lower your weapons!" Clint shouted instantly. "That's an ally, not a target!"
The soldiers obeyed quickly.
As said Clint read Information about Gaius, and know the danger with it as well.
Clint walked up to them, trying to keep his tone steady. "Agent Barton. I was told to expect you, Coulson, Natasha, Stark, and…" His eyes lifted slightly. "…Gaius."
Gaius inclined his head once. "Bring me to the hammer."
"Right this way," Clint said, turning.
They moved across the sandy ground toward a metal enclosure built around the discovery site. When they reached the entrance, Clint stopped, the door was too short.
He blinked, looking at Gaius's towering frame. "Ah… this might be a problem."
Tony laughed softly. "You really didn't think about door size, huh?"
Gaius said nothing. He simply turned toward the side of the enclosure, gripped the metal wall, and tore it open as if it were paper.
The sound of ripping steel echoed across the camp. Dust scattered.
Every nearby guard froze in alarm until Clint quickly raised his radio. "All units, stand down! He's with us!"
Tony was still laughing quietly. "You should have taken accound for Gaius size."
Clint just ignored him.
Inside, at the center of the chamber, rested the hammer.
It wasn't large, roughly the size of a sledgehammer.
The head was square, engraved with delicate knotwork and runes. The handle was wrapped in brown leather, ending in a looped strap.
It sat embedded in the ground, untouched yet radiating a strange presence.
Gaius approached slowly. The air around it felt charged, humming faintly, alive. His strenghten will senses an energy unlike anything from his universe, not warp energy, not psychic power, but something deeper and purer.
"This weapon carries a will," he said quietly.
Tony scanned it from a distance, readings flashing across his visor. "Whatever it's made of, it's rejecting every kind of analysis. Like it's… choosing not to be read."
Gaius reached out, then suddenly stopped.
He turned his head slightly, as if hearing something.
Without warning, he pivoted and threw a single punch into the empty air beside him. The force cracked like thunder.
Something invisible slammed against the wall with a loud crash, flickering into view, a figure in green and gold armor, gasping from the blow.
The man landed hard, the illusion vanishing to reveal his true form.
Loki.
The agents shouted, raising their weapons, but stayed frozen when they realized who they were looking at.
Loki stood slowly, brushing off dust, his eyes narrowing at the golden giant before him.
"Who are you?" he demanded sharply. "Why do you interfere in Asgard's affairs?"
Loki thought it was another pantheon or it might even be the olympians.
Gaius ignored his question. He simply stood tall, helm glowing faintly, the desert light catching the golden edges of his armor.
End of Chapter 54 — The Hammer in the Desert
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