Ding! The Ultramarine Joined the Group Chat!

The lawn of Stark Manor was quiet.

The grass moved gently under a light breeze. The sky was clear, calm, and normal. The Quantum Tunnel stood nearby, silent and inactive, its structure still intact, untouched since the moment they had sent Gaius away.

Tony sat with Pepper, Mindy, and Tanya at a table set out on the open lawn. Plates of food were spread before them, rich and carefully prepared, almost overly luxurious. A bottle of wine sat between Tony and Pepper, though neither Mindy nor Tanya were allowed a glass.

They ate and talked, their conversation circling back to Gaius and the future Tony had experienced, quietly wondering what they went through.

Then Tony leaned back slightly in his chair, watching the Quantum Tunnel.

"…should've been five seconds," he muttered.

Pepper glanced at him but didn't reply. She understood what he meant.

Mindy, on the other hand, didn't look worried. She picked at her food, clearly thinking about something else.

Tanya sat straight, composed as always, though her eyes moved from time to time, observing everything around her. Even in a calm place like this, she didn't fully relax.

Then,

Light gathered on the lawn.

It didn't flash. It didn't burst.

It simply formed.

Everyone at the table stood up at once.

Gaius appeared.

He stood at the center of the lawn, unmoving for a moment as the light around him faded.

But something was different.

First, he was himself again.

The presence that once pressed faintly from within him… was gone. The Emperor's influence had fully withdrawn. Gaius was no longer possessed, no longer an extension of something greater. He was whole.

Second, his form had changed.

Tony blinked.

"…okay," he said slowly.

Gaius looked the same.

And not the same at all.

He stood taller now.

Much taller.

His frame had grown, stabilized, refined, reaching a full Primarch-class stature, nearly eleven feet in his armor. Not warped, not unnatural. Just… completed.

His armor had also been reforged.

It was still Space Marine in origin, but now it was pure auramite-gold, polished and absolute. The Ultramarine blue on his shoulder had been erased entirely. In its place was auramite and a flowing red robe draped from his shoulders.

Two eagle insignias marked his chest plate.

The Ultramarine symbol was gone.

Not destroyed.

Rewritten.

Tony let out a breath.

"…you got bigger," he said. "Like… a lot bigger."

Gaius didn't respond. He simply stood there, calm.

Before leaving, the Emperor had refined him once more using the power of the Infinity Stones, strengthening him to a level beyond what he had been before.

His body now matched what his soul had always carried, overwhelming strength, stability, and control.

A being finally shaped to hold his own power without restraint.

And yet.

He was still Gaius.

Behind him, more figures appeared.

Four Ultramarine Bladeguard Veterans.

The Sister of Silence.

And then,

The Dreadnought.

It did not emerge from the Quantum Tunnel.

It appeared behind them on stable ground, carefully placed.

Not by chance.

But by design.

The Emperor had considerately ensured it caused no damage to the structure or the surrounding space.

Tony noticed immediately.

"…huh," he muttered, then looked at Gaius.

"Was everything fine there?"

Pepper stepped closer, her eyes moving over them, relief visible but controlled.

Mindy leaned forward.

"Wait, wait," she said quickly. "Was I there too? In the future?"

Gaius answered Tony first.

"Yes. The mission was completed successfully."

A brief pause. Then he turned slightly toward Mindy.

"No. I did not see you there."

Mindy froze.

"…what?"

Then she slumped back into her chair.

"I wasn't even there…" she muttered. "What happened to me in the future…"

Tony wasn't focused on that.

He was studying everything.

Then he frowned.

"…okay, hold on," he said. "We sent you through that thing."

He pointed at the Quantum Tunnel.

"Time travel. Five seconds here, no matter what."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

After all, it was time travel. Even if they had spent decades there, they should have returned within the five-second mark.

But they didn't.

It had taken at least an hour.

"…so why did it take you an hour to come back?"

Silence.

Then he added,

"And where's the time suit? And how did the Dreadnought even get here?"

Tony's gaze sharpened.

"…you didn't use the tunnel at all, did you?"

Gaius answered calmly.

"We did not return through the Quantum Tunnel."

Tony raised an eyebrow.

"…yeah, I figured."

Gaius continued.

"The Infinity Stones were not used through the machine. They were returned to their own timeline."

That made Tony pause slightly.

"…you sent them back?"

A small nod.

"Yes."

Tony leaned back.

"…okay. That's actually kind of responsible."

Gaius continued, unbothered.

"We traveled back in time through a different method."

Tony exhaled slowly.

"…you know what? I'm not asking."

He looked at the Dreadnought again.

"…I don't want to know how that works."

Then he sighed.

"I'll just… prepare rooms."

"No need."

Gaius interrupted.

Tony stopped.

"We will not remain. Our mission is complete. We will accept the reward and depart."

Tony blinked.

"…oh."

Then nodded.

"Yeah. That makes sense."

Gaius looked at Tanya, and she gave a small nod in return, accepting it.

Both of them raised their hands slightly.

A faint interface appeared before them, visible only to the two of them.

System panels.

Mission Complete.

Mission: Help Iron Man

Objective 1: Protect New York — Completed

Objective 2: Kill Chitauri — 1232

Accept Reward?

They both accepted.

Tanya felt it first.

[Physical Strengthening: Your body is strengthened to a high degree, enhancing strength, durability, and physical efficiency beyond normal limits.]

Her body shifted.

Not painfully.

Just… refinement.

Her frame adjusted slightly, barely noticeable, but beneath the surface, everything changed. Her strength deepened instantly.

Muscle, bone, structure, all reinforced.

She touched her arm.

It looked unchanged. Still small. Still normal.

But the weight behind it…

Was no longer normal at all.

She could feel it.

Far beyond an adult human.

Controlled. Stable. Growing.

"…oh," she said quietly.

Satisfied.

Gaius also received his reward.

[Regenerative Core: Your body possesses an advanced healing system that rapidly restores physical damage, resists fatigue, and stabilizes critical injuries, allowing you to continue fighting even under extreme conditions.]

His body now carried rapid restoration, resistance to fatigue, and stabilization against critical damage.

A system that allowed him to continue without pause.

He accepted it without reaction.

It fit him.

Neither asked what the other received.

Neither needed to.

A silence followed.

Then Gaius turned slightly toward Tanya.

"Will you return now?" he asked. "Or remain?"

Tanya didn't answer immediately.

Her eyes drifted across the manor, the sky, the people, the quiet peace.

No war. No constant orders. No collapse.

For a moment, she considered staying forever.

Tanya hesitated. What she wanted most was a peaceful life. This world wasn't like her previous one, it had superpowers, aliens, and wizards, but it was still a modern world. For the first time, she could imagine a different life unfolding in it.

But even so…

Her thoughts returned to her men. Her soldiers.

She couldn't leave them behind in that world.

Before she could answer, Gaius spoke again.

"The maximum time one may remain in another world is one year."

That settled it.

"I will stay," she said. "For one year."

A pause.

"After that, I will return."

Gaius nodded.

"Understood."

Mindy's face lit up immediately.

"You're staying?!"

Tanya glanced at her and gave a small nod.

"Yes."

Mindy broke into a bright smile. "Nice!"

Pepper smiled softly, relieved more than anything.

Tony just gave a light shrug, casual as ever. "You're welcome here."

Tanya nodded once.

That seemed to be enough.

Gaius looked over them one final time.

"I will depart now."

A brief pause followed.

"We will meet again."

Tony lifted a hand slightly in acknowledgement. "…yeah. Take care."

Pepper nodded beside him.

Mindy gave a small wave, still half in disbelief.

Tanya stayed quiet, simply watching.

Then it happened.

Gaius didn't vanish in an instant or in a burst of force. He simply dissolved into light, his form breaking apart into a calm, steady glow that faded into nothing.

The Ultramarines followed without hesitation, their forms dimming and disappearing in the same quiet way.

Next came the Sister of Silence.

Then the Dreadnought, standing unmoving for a final moment, like a statue carved from war itself.

And then it faded too.

All of them returning to the Warp aboard the Oath of Rectitude.

Silence settled in their place.

The Quantum Tunnel remained, but it was no longer active. No longer needed.

Tony let out a slow breath. "…well," he said, glancing around at the quiet aftermath. "That was something."

Mindy dropped back into her seat again. "…yeah."

Pepper nodded once. "It's over."

Tanya stayed still for a moment longer.

Then she slowly sat down. Her hand rested on the table, steady—but she could still feel it lingering.

That strength. Not gone. Just… settled into her now.

Tony glanced at her. "…one year, huh?"

Tanya nodded. "Yes."

A faint smile crossed Tony's face.

"…we'll make it a good one."

~~~

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