Tony Stark's behavior made Nolan recall the Stark from his home universe a few years ago.
Although the two shared only a name and had no physical resemblance, their arrogance and bad attitude were strikingly similar.
Nolan knew exactly how to deal with someone like this. If you can't control the interaction, the safest choice was to keep your distance. Otherwise, anyone could be driven mad.
Unfortunately, Nolan didn't have the luxury of avoiding him. To catch a free ride on Stark's resources, some interaction was inevitable.
After enduring several days of Tony Stark's petty remarks, Nolan finally completed the handover of their work and successfully convinced Stark to involve the gamma particle research in the upcoming space program.
With that, Nolan was eager to leave Stark Industries.
But Stark's eyes were sharp.
"Why do I get the feeling you're in a rush to leave?" Stark asked, his expression annoyed.
"Mr. Stark, I think you might be mistaken," Nolan said, smiling politely without warmth.
"Mistaken? I'm pretty sure I'm not. But whatever you think doesn't matter. The opportunity has been given. Don't waste it like a fool," Stark said, turning away.
"I've got too much to do to waste time with you," he added, clearly thinking of himself as the legendary Iron Man.
Nolan ignored him. Dealing with Stark's personality was easy; it was a skill he had long mastered. Nothing here would delay his plans.
Back at his company, Nolan's secretary approached.
"Boss, the Big White robot is ready for launch, but it seems our funding is a little tight," she said, handing over a stack of documents.
The secretary was striking: long blonde hair, tall legs, efficient, practically everything Nolan could want in an assistant. Sharon Carter was competent, too, but her spy background made her less ideal as a secretary.
"Oh?" Nolan took the papers but didn't open them immediately.
"I thought we had already set aside six million as the initial launch fund for Big White."
"It seems we underestimated public interest. The marketing team believes we need to invest more in advertising to maximize profits," she explained.
Nolan rubbed his temples. More money could mean more profit, but only if he spent more first.
"Understood," he said. Big White's technology wasn't overly complex, and he needed to capture as many customers as possible before competitors reacted.
The question was, where to get the money. Nolan sighed. With no contacts in this world, it seemed like a tough problem.
After a long day, Nolan left the office. He needed a break, despite the company's ongoing issues.
"Hey, watch it!"
A passerby bumped into him and ran off, leaving Nolan irritated. Poor manners, and he noticed the person's waist bulging. A gun, maybe. Not surprising. Nolan didn't pay much attention.
A few minutes later, a thunderous explosion ripped through a nearby bank.
The blast sent a violent shockwave outward. Even Nolan almost lost his balance. Flames engulfed the building; anyone inside was likely gone.
Seven or eight armed robbers burst from the bank and ran toward a waiting van without hesitation.
Nolan's eyes narrowed. Even if he wasn't planning to be a superhero in this world, he had his limits. Wanton killing was intolerable.
Just as he prepared to act, a figure descended from the sky, firing a small missile at the van.
Boom.
The missile obliterated the vehicle. The two robbers already inside were dead.
Tony Stark landed, fury etched across his face. He'd confirmed through J.A.R.V.I.S that no life remained inside the bank. There were likely dozens of civilians inside during the day, and Stark trembled with anger at such reckless murder.
The robbers' faces turned pale.
"Damn, we ran into Iron Man!"
"Unlucky."
"Jerrison, didn't you say it was foolproof?"
"Who knew Iron Man would show up? This wasn't supposed to happen!"
Stark's anger didn't waver.
"Don't move, or I won't be responsible for what happens!"
One robber sneered, "You think you've won?"
Before Stark could respond, Nolan felt something press against the back of his head.
"Don't move, or I'll blow your brains out," said the robber.
Sighing, Nolan raised his hands. He could fight back, but moving now would endanger the hostages. Better to wait for the right moment.
These weren't small-time crooks; ten-plus armed men meant they were closer to terrorists than ordinary robbers.
Stark saw this and frowned but didn't act rashly. He recognized Nolan and the tension in the robbers' ranks kept them from advancing.
"Listen, prepare thirty million and two unmarked cars. You have thirty minutes," the approaching police chief barked.
Thirty minutes? Where would he get that much money? The hostages complicated everything.
Nolan stayed calm with the captives, but suddenly his eyes lit up. Among the hostages was a familiar face.
"Hey, friend, how's the Sorcerer Supreme doing?"
Though he didn't know the man personally, Nolan had scoured the web for all possible heroes. The man before him was Stephen Strange, destined to become the future Sorcerer Supreme.
"Sorcerer Supreme? What's that? If you want to talk sales, I can help with that," Strange replied.
Sales? Not medicine? Nolan raised an eyebrow. In this world, Strange's destiny had clearly shifted.
"Quiet, both of you!" one robber snapped.
Nolan squinted. Even masked, he recognized the man who had bumped into him earlier. Fate, he thought, recalling Peter Parker's feelings during Ben Parker's death. The difference was he could intervene.
"Left one, right three… hmm, that one in the back's tricky. Without the Thor armor, even with his physique, he's powerless against firearms. Need a chance," Nolan assessed.
This was exactly why he needed strength.
Meanwhile, Stark boldly stood in front of the group.
"Hey, put down your weapons. You should know you won't win with me here," he shouted.
One robber demanded, "Take off your suit, or we'll collect your body later."
Stark froze but replied calmly, "Do I look stupid? If I remove the armor, you could kill me. Even if you killed all the hostages, I wouldn't. Stark Industries will deliver the thirty million, and I won't intervene."
His mind raced for a solution. The hostages were safe for now, but the robbers would realize the threat soon.
While Stark drew attention, Nolan moved. He approached a robber discreetly. Stark noticed but had no choice; he had to trust Nolan.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., lock onto all threats to the hostages," Stark commanded.
Nolan acted. In an instant, he grabbed one of the robbers, neutralizing him before the gun could fire.
Bang!
One robber fell, Nolan finishing him with an elbow. Three guns now aimed at him, but almost simultaneously, all three robbers dropped.
Stark had intervened, eliminating six threats in seconds.
With perfect timing, the problem was resolved.
Stark approached, lowering his helmet to reveal his smug grin.
"Hey, buddy, I just saved your life. Without me, you'd be a sieve right now."
Nolan stiffened, then remained expressionless.
"Ah, well, thanks for that," he replied flatly.
Stark's lips twitched. Unbelievable, not even a proper thanks. What a jerk.
"Just remember that. I don't need repayment. But for a regular guy, you performed better than I expected," Stark said. He owed his courage to the suit; without it, he wouldn't have stood there.
He ignored Nolan afterward, taking off without even acknowledging the police.
Nolan smiled to himself. Ordinary. There was nothing wrong with being an ordinary person. Far better than being a flashy superhero.
He looked forward to seeing Stark's expression when Nolan's intervention went unnoticed. Though Stark's face was different from his home universe version, the satisfaction was the same.
Nolan turned and merged into the crowd.
Back in the lab, he focused entirely on controlling gamma particles. Most had abandoned the topic, but Nolan eagerly anticipated results. If he could control gamma particles, the upcoming super-powered ship could grant him controllable abilities.
Weeks of experiments yielded initial results.
"Controlling gamma radiation is difficult, but it's possible," Nolan muttered, observing his simulations on a frog in his thought lab.
The frog's cell structure began to respond as he intended. First trials were always the hardest, but this success promised easier progress ahead.
Subsequent experiments remained painstaking. Even successful trials only marked the beginning. True mastery would take much longer.
Nolan conducted repeated experiments, even attempting human trials. Most subjects became severely mutated, but a few successes boosted his confidence.
Finally, the day of the launch arrived. Standing before the spaceship, Nolan's heart raced.
Stark glanced at him but paid no mind. He wouldn't go to space; this was Stark Industries' project. His true focus remained the suit, though he achieved remarkable results across multiple fields.
Nolan was filled with anticipation as he took his first flight into space.
Meanwhile, at Doom Technologies, Reed Richards arrived with Ben Grimm.
"Ben, trust me. Doom Technologies will invest in this project," Reed said confidently.
"Of course, Reed. I believe in you," Ben replied without hesitation.
Unfortunately, they were turned away at the door.
Reed Richards? Who's that?