What exactly happened?
The entire world was asking the same question.
Very few people initially recognized Carol Danvers, but as time passed, the truth slowly surfaced. Even with the global network nearly paralyzed, information still spread through every possible channel.
Captain Marvel and Mr. Locke had fought each other.
The same two people who had just saved Earth had suddenly turned on one another. What kind of conflict could drive them to that point?
Unfortunately, aside from a handful of insiders, the truth would remain buried.
Everyone was searching for their whereabouts.
Just moments ago, their battle had been visible through various means. And then, suddenly, they vanished.
With their speed, they could be anywhere on Earth by now.
No one knew that at this very moment, Carol Danvers was furiously cursing Nolan.
Gone was her untouchable, domineering presence. Now, she was completely restrained, her body locked tight by the Evangelion Unit-01. Though her strength was gradually returning, the restraints felt like a swamp dragging her down, leaving her power useless.
Nearby, Nolan tilted his head back and stared at the sky.
Damn it.
What have I done?
He felt a headache coming on.
He glanced at Carol. Without her uniform, her figure was… hard to ignore.
But that was not the problem.
This situation was.
He had every reason to believe that the moment she broke free, she would try to kill him without hesitation.
Keep her restrained forever?
Impossible.
With her strength, it was only a matter of time before she broke out.
Kill her to silence everything?
He paused.
Even he could not go that far.
No matter how arrogant or overbearing she was, Nolan had to admit one thing.
Carol Danvers was, in her own way, a real hero.
She had spent years in space putting out fires, rushing to every crisis. And when faced with an enemy like Galactus, she did not hesitate to fight.
No one could call her a villain.
After a moment of thought, Nolan spoke.
"If I let you go now, can you stay rational?"
Carol's response was immediate. She gritted her teeth and surged with power, trying to break free.
"Damn you, Nolan Locke. I promise I will kill you!"
Nolan shrugged.
Well, that answered that.
"How about this," he said casually, a hint of suspicion in his tone. "You seem oddly comfortable like this. Is there some hidden side of you I should know about?"
Instantly, Carol stopped struggling.
Her mind erupted in curses, but she forced herself to suppress the rage.
She never imagined things would end like this.
Seeing her calm down, Nolan finally relaxed a little. Still, he knew this was only the calm before the storm. There was no way she would just forget what happened.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
How old was Carol Danvers again?
He considered it.
She might not look it, but after gaining her powers and being manipulated by the Kree, she had spent years fighting across the galaxy. Later, she broke free and wandered the universe, turning justice into her life's purpose. Over time, she became distant, almost godlike in her attitude.
And that raised a question.
Did someone like her ever form real relationships?
Which led to a very bold conclusion.
"…Am I your first?"
Nolan asked, his expression oddly serious.
Carol exploded again, struggling violently.
But her reaction said everything.
Nolan's eyes lit up.
He guessed right.
He continued, voice smooth and persuasive.
"Think about it. In this universe, who could even qualify to stand beside you? With your personality, you would never settle for just anyone."
She snapped back immediately.
"You are only relying on that armor!"
"True," Nolan said with a grin. "But I built it."
He leaned in slightly, his tone turning softer, more deliberate.
"I am your first. I saved this world. And if you push me too far, we both know this could end badly for everyone."
As he spoke, a thin metallic sheet appeared in his hand.
A "two-dimensional foil."
A fake, of course. The real one was far beyond his reach. But Carol did not know that.
The moment she saw it, her pupils shrank.
So he still had one.
A wave of helplessness followed.
Nolan was guiding her, pressuring her, cornering her from every angle. He did not expect her to truly accept anything. He only needed her to hesitate.
And she did.
Gradually, Carol stopped struggling.
This time, not out of force, but choice.
Nolan let out a long breath.
For now, the crisis was over.
But he could not help looking up at the sky again.
What a mess.
…
That night, Nolan returned alone to Locke Technologies.
He said nothing about what had happened.
Security across the entire company was immediately tightened. Even if Carol seemed calm for now, Nolan preferred having safeguards in place.
Susan tried to probe him, carefully circling the topic.
Women were sharp when it came to things like this.
Nolan cut it off cleanly.
"I will be leaving in about half a month."
"So soon?" Susan was surprised. He had originally planned to stay at least a month.
"No choice," he said. "Something came up on the other side. Two weeks is enough for me to settle things here."
He could leave anytime.
But he had no intention of abandoning this universe.
There was too much to arrange. Locke Technologies, future developments, and most importantly, control over the Titan system.
He had one principle.
He might not use that control, but he had to have it.
Originally, he planned to take his time.
Now, Carol's presence forced him to speed things up.
If everything went smoothly, he would leave before she could react.
As for the next time he returned?
He did not believe he would still have to fear Captain Marvel by then.
…
Meanwhile, Carol returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., silent and tense.
Nick Fury arrived as soon as he heard.
"Danvers, how did it go?"
He studied her expression carefully.
Did she lose?
The thought made his heart tighten.
She was his trump card. If even she could not handle Nolan Locke, then Earth would have no way to keep him in check.
Carol spoke coldly.
"He is strong."
"Even you could not beat him?" Fury asked directly.
She glanced at him, irritation flashing across her face.
"Who do you think I am? I am Carol Danvers. If not for that damn armor…"
She paused, then corrected herself.
"Even with that armor, he cannot stay inside it forever."
Fury did not notice her hesitation.
He was already analyzing her words.
As long as Nolan had that armor, even Carol could not defeat him.
"That is a problem," Fury muttered.
But he did not give up.
He never did.
"No one is beyond control," he said slowly.
Carol looked at him.
Fury continued, voice steady.
"If he refuses cooperation, then we take stronger measures. We make him hand over the two-dimensional foil."
"He might still have one," Carol said.
Fury stiffened for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. Impossible. A weapon like that cannot be mass-produced. Not even for him."
Carol paused.
He was right.
Nolan had said the same thing before.
Fury's lips curled slightly.
"And besides… we are not relying on just you."
Carol already knew what he meant.
The Emperor Titan.
That single shot had left a deep impression, even on her.
Weapons of that level were rare, even across the universe.
If used as leverage…
It might work.
Fury continued, laying out his thoughts, but Carol hesitated.
Using the Emperor Titan against Nolan Locke…
Was that really the right choice?
After a moment, she made her decision.
"Tell me the plan."
No matter what it took, she would deal with him.
That much, she had already decided.