Chapter 244 — The Covenant.
Tony let out a small sigh before answering. Not frustrated, just aware that there was no simple way to explain any of this.
Before he could continue, something changed.
The armor on his body began to move.
A soft metallic shift echoed faintly as the nanotechnology responded. The surface of the suit flowed backward across his body like liquid metal returning toward a central point at his chest, where the arc reactor glowed steadily beneath.
Within seconds, the armor collapsed inward completely, vanishing as if it had never been there. Tony now stood in simple clothing, far less intimidating than moments before.
The reaction inside the hangar was immediate.
A wave of shock spread through the marines and station personnel.
Even the soldiers who had kept their composure earlier couldn't hide their surprise.
But it was the technical staff behind them who reacted most strongly.
One of them stepped forward slightly, eyes fixed on Tony.
"Nano technology?" he blurted out, disbelief clear in his voice.
Another worker stared openly, unable to hide his reaction.
The station personnel understood enough technology to recognize how impossible what they had just seen truly was.
Humanity already had nanotechnology.
But it was limited in scope and control.
Fuel system regulation.
Medical applications.
Armor reinforcement fibers.
Industrial fabrication.
Nothing even close to what they had just witnessed.
Tony's armor hadn't just been advanced. It had behaved like a controlled liquid system with perfect coordination, forming and dissolving instantly while still functioning as full combat-grade protection.
It wasn't just equipment.
It looked almost alive in how it moved.
Marcus himself had basic military-level knowledge of nanotech systems. Enough to understand performance limits, deployment methods, and failure risks.
And that was exactly why his conclusion came quickly.
That armor should not exist.
At least not within any known UNSC capability.
Not even close.
Marcus's eyes stayed locked on Tony now, studying him more carefully than before.
Not as a threat.
But as something he was trying to understand without any reference point for comparison.
Tony extended one hand casually.
"I'm Tony Stark."
Then he gestured slightly toward the others behind him.
"And these are my friends."
Marcus did not shake the hand.
But he also did not step backward.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Where are you from?"
That question mattered.
Because if these people truly possessed technology capable of opening portals directly into secured military stations,
Humanity should already know about them.
Tony looked at Marcus for a moment.
The man clearly seemed to be trying to place them into a familiar category—an unknown human faction, maybe a hidden colony, or some classified military program operating outside normal oversight.
Honestly, that interpretation was far easier to accept than the truth.
Tony gave a brief glance toward Gaius.
The massive armored figure remained silent.
Still.
Observing.
Measuring everything in the room without interruption.
So Tony chose his words carefully.
"It's complicated," he said.
Marcus did not look amused.
"That's not an answer."
Tony rubbed the side of his head slightly.
Fair enough.
"It's not exactly easy to explain either," he admitted.
Behind Marcus, several station workers quietly whispered among themselves.
The giant armored figure still drew most of their attention.
Especially the halo-like construct floating behind Gaius' head.
Combined with the golden armor and enormous size, he looked less like a soldier and more like some mythological being standing inside the hangar.
Naruto noticed the civilians staring nervously.
Especially some of the younger workers farther back.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Uh… we're really not here to hurt anybody."
Marcus glanced toward Naruto briefly.
Unlike the others, the blond teenager looked strangely normal.
At least compared to the giant golden armored warrior.
Still dangerous probably.
But less terrifying.
Diana spoke again calmly.
"We understand why you're cautious."
Her voice remained steady.
"You detected something entering your station unexpectedly. Any military force would react the same way."
Marcus did not deny it.
Because she was right.
If unknown entities breached a secured station, protocol demanded immediate response without hesitation.
Especially during wartime.
Tony studied Marcus for a moment, then decided to test the waters carefully.
"You guys at war or something?"
The question made the room subtly quieter.
Even the soldiers seemed to wait for Marcus's answer.
Marcus held their gaze for a long moment.
"Yes."
Simple.
Direct.
No hesitation.
Tony nodded slowly.
That alone explained a lot.
The tension in the air.
The constant alertness.
The exhaustion written into the posture of the soldiers and station personnel.
The constant military presence.
Even the station design itself.
Everything looked built around survival first.
Comfort second.
Gaius finally spoke again.
"Against who?"
His voice was steady, but direct. There was no confusion in the question, only focus.
In his mind, it was still simple. This was humanity. Different world, different government, different technology, but still human. So the real question wasn't what they were fighting, but who they were fighting.
Marcus hesitated slightly this time.
As if unsure how much information should be shared.
Then one of the marines behind him answered quietly.
"The Covenant."
Naruto blinked.
"The what?"
Marcus didn't respond immediately.
For a moment, even he looked genuinely caught off guard, not just confused, but disbelieving that the question even needed to be asked.
Around him, several marines shifted slightly, their attention sharpening. They had been listening closely the entire time, and now the tension changed direction.
Not toward hostility.
Toward confusion.
Because to them, the Covenant was not some obscure detail.
It was the enemy. The enemy. The one every human colony, every station, every soldier knew about.
One of the marines finally spoke up, unable to hold it back.
"The Covenant?"
He repeated it like he was making sure he heard the question correctly.
"You don't know the Covenant?"
His grip on his rifle loosened slightly, not in relaxation, but in disbelief.
Then his voice hardened with curiosity and suspicion.
"Where are you from?"
Naruto hesitated immediately.
"Uh… uh…"
He glanced around quickly, clearly caught off guard by the question. His eyes flicked toward Tony, then Gaius, looking for guidance.
He had spoken without thinking, and now he realized he might have said something that could expose too much about them. After all, they weren't from here, and he didn't know what they wanted revealed.
Tony glanced at Naruto and gave a small cough, then shifted his eyes toward Gaius.
Gaius understood immediately and gave a slight nod.
Seeing that, Tony turned back to Marcus.
"If we want to talk," he said casually, "shouldn't it be in a more comfortable place? Or do you want to continue this here?"
Marcus paused.
His gaze moved briefly across the hangar, the armed marines, the workers, the emergency lighting, the tense atmosphere hanging over everyone, and the unknown group standing at the center of it all.
They weren't confirmed as allies.
But they also weren't confirmed as enemies.
Not yet.
After a moment, he made his decision.
"Then let's talk somewhere more appropriate."
~~~
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