Chapter 339 — A New Mission
Tony's eyes remained fixed on the mission.
Osman frowned.
"What happened?"
Tony looked toward her.
"There are serious things happening in Gaius's universe."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
Naruto had already stepped forward.
"There are only two spots."
He looked toward the members of the Group Chat.
"Who's going to accept it?"
"I will."
Diana spoke first.
The Amazon rose from her seat.
No one objected.
Among the members of the Group Chat, she was undoubtedly one of the strongest. If Gaius was facing something powerful enough to trigger an emergency mission, Diana was one of the safest choices they could make.
The others remained silent, considering the situation.
Then Naruto raised his hand.
"I'll do it."
Tony immediately shook his head.
"No."
Naruto blinked.
"What?"
Tony pointed toward the mission.
"I'll take the second slot."
Naruto looked confused.
"Why? I'm strong too."
"You are."
Tony nodded.
"But this isn't just about strength."
The room grew quiet.
Tony looked back at the mission details.
"The Warp."
"Gaius's universe."
He folded his arms.
"Gaius's world operates vastly differently from ours."
His gaze swept across the others.
"We all know some things about it."
"But out of everyone here, I'm probably the best person to figure out what's happening once we get there."
Naruto opened his mouth.
Then paused.
Tony continued.
"If the situation is as bad as the system is making it sound, we need someone who can analyze what's happening, coordinate with Gaius, and figure out exactly what we're dealing with, not just fight."
He pointed at himself.
"That's me."
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"When you put it like that..."
Tony's expression softened slightly.
"I also think it's time for me to help Gaius."
That earned several looks.
Tony rarely said things like that.
Looking back, Gaius had helped him more times than he could count.
Before Tony had even revealed that he was Iron Man, Gaius had already helped him.
He had helped Tony with the Arc Reactor.
He had stood beside him during the conflict with Obadiah Stane.
He had helped during the Chitauri invasion.
And there had been countless other occasions since then.
Gaius had helped Tony and the others on numerous occasions since joining them.
Now, it was Tony's turn to return the favor.
The others didn't object further.
The decision had been made.
Meanwhile, everyone else in the room remained confused.
They couldn't see the mission.
They couldn't hear the Multiversal Chat System.
But they understood enough.
Gaius had barely returned to his own universe.
Now something serious had happened.
Something bad enough that only two people could answer the call.
Mindy suddenly raised a hand.
"Oh!"
Everyone looked toward her.
"When you get there, tell Gaius to start a live broadcast immediately."
She pointed toward the mission window.
"So we can see what's happening."
Naruto nodded.
"That's actually a good idea."
Tony chuckled.
"I'll mention it."
He then turned toward the others in the room.
"I think this meeting is going to end a little earlier than planned."
He gestured toward JARVIS.
"JARVIS will forward all of the intelligence we've gathered."
The holographic AI immediately responded.
"Already prepared, sir."
Tony nodded.
"You have enough information to start making plans."
He glanced toward Halsey and Osman.
"Between the captured Covenant technology, their ships, and the data we recovered, humanity's technological development is about to accelerate dramatically."
Halsey's eyes narrowed slightly.
Tony continued.
"Reverse-engineering even part of what we captured will be a massive advantage."
"It won't close the gap overnight."
"But it'll help."
Osman slowly stood.
"Then on behalf of humanity..."
She looked toward Tony and the members of the Group Chat.
"Thank you."
Her gaze shifted toward the mission notification she couldn't see.
"And whatever has happened to Gaius, we won't take any more of your time."
"It sounds like he needs help."
Tony nodded.
"I think he does."
Parangosky inclined her head.
Even Halsey offered a small nod of agreement and left.
One by one, the officers departed.
Osman left the room.
Parangosky's transmission vanished.
Soon, only Tony and the members of the Multiversal Chat Group remained.
The room suddenly felt much quieter.
Tony looked back toward the mission.
Then he accepted.
The notification immediately changed.
Mission Available
Mission: Help Gaius Maximor Thassor
Objective 1: Protect Varrak Prime
Objective 2: Repel the Khorne forces on Varrak Prime
Participants: 2 / 2 Accepted
The mission requirements had been fulfilled.
A moment later, golden light began gathering around Tony and Diana.
Tony looked toward the others.
"Remember."
"If Gaius starts broadcasting, keep an eye on the feed."
Mindy nodded.
"We will."
Naruto folded his arms.
"Good luck."
Tony glanced at him and nodded.
The golden light intensified.
Then—
They disappeared.
Varrak Prime
The battlefield had become a wasteland.
Cratered earth stretched across the horizon.
Fortifications had been shattered.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
Bloodletters and cultists continued fighting against the Ultramarines and Guardsmen across the defensive lines.
But the center of the battlefield had become something entirely different.
Gaius and the Bloodthirsters were no longer merely fighting.
They were tearing apart the battlefield itself.
A Bloodthirster's axe crashed into the ground.
The impact created a shockwave that ripped through hundreds of meters of earth, throwing Bloodletters, cultists, and even World Eaters from their feet.
Gaius answered with a strike from one of his power fists.
The Greater Daemon was launched across the battlefield, crashing through ruined fortifications before finally coming to a halt.
The collision alone destroyed everything caught between them.
The fight had become so destructive that much of the battlefield had instinctively pulled back.
Even the daemons.
Even the World Eaters.
They watched.
Thousands of them.
Bloodletters screeched and roared from the distance, while World Eaters stood atop ruined trenches, chainaxes growling as they watched the duel unfold.
Even the other Bloodthirsters had stopped to observe, their attention fixed upon the clash between Gaius and their fellow Greater Daemon.
Among the followers of Khorne, strength was respected above all else.
A clash between mighty warriors was not something to interrupt lightly.
The strong were meant to prove themselves through blood.
So they watched.
They roared.
They demanded blood.
The surviving defenders could only stare in awe.
No one dared enter the space around the combatants.
The clash between Gaius and the Bloodthirsters had become its own battlefield.
Every collision shook the earth.
Every strike carved new scars across Varrak Prime.
And the battle was only becoming more violent.
Gaius stepped forward.
His power fist tightened.
Armament Haki reinforced the weapon, invisible to the surrounding warriors but concentrated around his strike.
He drove his fist into the Bloodthirster's torso.
The impact detonated.
A massive shockwave erupted from the point of contact.
The Bloodthirster's enormous body was hurled backward, tearing through the air before crashing into the ground with enough force to gouge a deep crater into the battlefield.
Dust and broken earth erupted around it.
For a moment, it remained motionless.
Then the daemon moved.
It pushed itself out of the crater.
Its massive frame was battered, portions of its unnatural flesh torn open by the impact. Dark Warp energy writhed through the wounds before beginning to close them.
The Bloodthirster looked down at the damage.
Then back at Gaius.
It laughed.
Not from pain.
From exhilaration.
A mortal had struck it hard enough to wound it.
That was worthy of its attention.
The Bloodthirster raised its hand.
The axe lying on the ground suddenly trembled before tearing free from the earth, hurtling back through the air and into its waiting grasp.
The Bloodthirster tightened his grip around the weapon.
"Yes."
Its voice thundered across the battlefield.
"That is strength."
It took a step forward.
"You are worthy, Gaius Maximor Thassor."
The daemon's eyes burned with murderous anticipation.
"I am Kharvok the Blood-Forged."
It tightened its grip around its axe.
"Remember my name."
Its grin widened.
"Then come."
"Give me your skull."
Kharvok suddenly surged forward.
Despite his enormous frame, towering even over Gaius, the Bloodthirster moved with startling speed.
Its massive wings drove through the air as it closed the distance in an instant.
The daemon raised its axe.
Then
BANG!
The axe slammed into Gaius.
He crossed both arms in front of his body, Armament Haki reinforcing his armor and limbs as the weapon struck.
The impact sent him skidding backward.
The ground ruptured beneath his boots as he was forced several meters across the battlefield.
Gaius dug his feet into the earth and stopped himself.
Kharvok was already coming again.
The Bloodthirster roared, raising its axe for another strike.
Gaius lowered his arms.
His power fists tightened.
He stepped forward to meet it.
~~~
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