Chapter 60 – Titus
The desert night had grown quiet again. Wind whispered through the cracked pavement and hollow streets, brushing past the scattered debris left behind by the battle. The stars were sharp above them, clear and distant.
Tony stood near the diner's parking lot, his armor's faceplate open, eyes reflecting the faint orange glow from a nearby light post. The scent of burned sand still lingered in the air. A few meters away, Gaius stood like a statue of gold beneath the stars, his massive frame half-lit by the dim lights of the diner sign that buzzed weakly in the wind.
Thor had already departed with the two woman and an old man, and the Asgard Warriors, were summoned back to Asgard. SHIELD agents moved quietly, cleaning up the mess, cataloguing pieces of metal that once belonged to the Destroyer. Coulson was speaking with Natasha near a car, the both of them glancing at Tony from time to time.
Tony exhaled, crossing his arms. "So… this is it then?"
Gaius turned slightly, his helm in one hand. "Yes." His voice was calm, deep, the kind that carried even through the quiet night. "My duty here is complete. This world… no longer requires my presence."
Tony gave a small nod, looking down at the cracked ground between them. "So, it seems."
Tony smirked, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You know, for a guy your size, you fit into this place pretty easily, so you must visit more often then."
Gaius replied. "I shall, when a mission appears."
Tony's smirk faded a little. "Yeah," he said quietly, "I'll remember that."
For a moment, there was nothing else, just the hum of cooling metal from Tony's armor and the low hiss of the desert wind.
Coulson approached then, his hands tucked into his suit pockets. "Stark," he greeted, nodding, then looked up at the massive warrior. "And Sir Gaius."
Gaius inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment.
Natasha joined them, her gaze steady as always. "So you're leaving," she said. It wasn't a question, just a statement, calm and certain.
"Yes," Gaius answered. His voice carried no hesitation. "I must return to my world."
Tony gave a small laugh, "You really don't do long goodbyes, huh?"
Coulson's gaze softened slightly. "Then I guess… mission complete."
Natasha nodded, crossing her arms. "It seems Gaius' mission was completed. And now, he's going back to where he came from."
Tony looked up at the giant once more. The two stood there for a long second, one man made of iron, the other born of gold.
Gaius nodded once to Tony. "Farewell, Iron Man. May your will guide you well."
Before Tony could reply, a faint glow began to spread from Gaius' armor, soft and golden, like sunlight breaking through dust. The air around him shimmered, pieces of light drifting off his armor like glowing embers carried by the wind.
then the glow intensified. Gaius' massive form began to dissolve into countless golden particles, each fading upward into the starry sky.
Coulson and Natasha stood in silence, watching. The sound of the desert wind filled the space he left behind.
And then, he was gone. Only the faint, dying motes of light remained, swirling briefly before disappearing completely.
Tony stood there,. He didn't say anything for a while. Just watched the last specks vanish into the night.
Coulson placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on," he said quietly. "Let's go. We'll handle things from here."
Tony gave a faint nod, eyes still locked on the spot where Gaius had stood.
"Yeah," he murmured, "sure."
The agents left him there for a moment longer. The sky above was wide and endless, full of stars, and somewhere far beyond them, a different world waited for the warrior of gold.
When Gaius opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the desert.
The air was colder here, heavy with incense and the distant hum of machinery. He stood upon the marble floors of a vast, shadowed hall. Light from enormous stained windows spilled across the polished stone, casting patterns of gold
He was back.
Terra, the cradle of Mankind.
Gaius stood silently for a moment, adjusting to the shift. The great Imperial Palace stretched far beyond sight, its halls filled with quiet echoes and the steady rhythm of distant footsteps.
"...I have returned," he murmured to himself.
Then a small chime sounded in his helm. He turned his head slightly. a panel that only he can see pop up, the Multiversal Chat Group.
He hadn't opened it since his mission began.
The group was already active.
Tony:Are you back in your place, Gaius?
Gaius:Yes. I am back on Terra.
There was a pause, then new messages popped in quickly.
Saeko:By the way, Gaius, we rescued Rei Miyamoto's parents. They're safe now, but Takashi's father wasn't found.
Gaius:I see.
Naruto:That's unfortunate… Takashi's father wasn't found?
The young ninja's words carried genuine sadness, even through the text.
Mindy:Sister Saeko, how's the blade I sent you? My favorite one.
Saeko:It's great, Mindy. Thank you.
Tony:By the way, Naruto, how are you right now? Still chasing those bad guys?
Naruto:I'm good 😊 My friend Gaara was saved from the bad guys, Akatsuki, but his grandma, Chiyo, had to sacrifice her life to bring him back. ☹️
Tony:That's… unfortunate. I'm sorry, kid.
The chat continued with small talk and quiet exchanges between worlds, warriors, heroes, survivors, all connected by invisible threads.
Gaius read their words for a while, then slowly closed the interface. The glow of the chat faded from his vision.
He looked around his quarters, large and austere, with stone walls adorned with banners of gold and deep blue. His armor gleamed faintly in the light of burning incense lamps.
"...It seems I do not need maintenance yet," he murmured, running a hand along one of the vambraces. "Auramite holds well."
Though built in the shape of a Space Marine, his armor needed little repair, its craftsmanship a divine fusion of art and war.
He turned toward the door. When it opened, a servant in simple grey robes bowed low before him.
"Lord Gaius," the servant said respectfully, head still lowered. "Lord Guilliman instructed me to inform you, he requests your presence in his strategium once you leaved the door."
Gaius gave a single nod. "I see. You may continue your duties."
The servant bowed deeper, then quietly departed down the hall.
Gaius began walking. The corridors stretched endlessly, vaulted ceilings high above. The sound of his armored steps echoed through the grand halls.
Thankfully, Guilliman's strategium was not far. The room he had given Gaius was within the same wing, still, even "close" in the Imperial Palace meant a thirty-minute walk.
When he arrived, two Custodians stood at the door, their halberds crossed in silent recognition. Without a word, they opened the gates.
"Thank you," Gaius said, passing through.
Inside, the strategium was dimly lit, a map of countless stars flickering in the air above a long table. Roboute Guilliman stood at its center, armor polished, pen in hand as he worked over datasheets and parchment.
When he noticed Gaius, he set down the stylus. "Gaius," he greeted, his voice firm but calm. "It seems the mission Father gave you is complete."
"Yes, my lord," Gaius said, bowing his head slightly. "The task is done."
Guilliman regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Then I have another mission for you."
Gaius straightened slightly, his tone steady. "I am ready."
Guilliman looked toward the star map. "You may have heard of one of my sons, Captain Titus of the Ultramarines. He does not follow the Codex as scripture, but as guidance, so he is quite flexible compare to my others sons. Many in the Inquisition doubted him, accused him of corruption. Yet he was proven pure."
He paused, his expression firm. "Titus was sent on a mission to a corrupted world, to destroy a relic of Chaos. It was meant to be a suicide assignment."
Gaius's eyes narrowed slightly. "Titus…"
He has heard of Captain Titus and his actions on Graia defending a vital Forge World against overwhelming Ork and Chaos force.
"Yes," Guilliman said. "You will quite like him. You are alike in many ways."
The Primarch turned toward Gaius fully, the faint light of the holomap gleaming across his armor.
"Go, Gaius," he said quietly. "Bring my son home."
And with a single nod, the golden warrior bowed and turned to leave.
End of Chapter 60 – "Echoes Across Worlds."
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