With a thunderous explosion, the upper floors of the Lock Technologies building were blown apart, visible across the entire block.
In the instant of the blast, countless robots emerged, obliterating every fragment of the shattered building.
Even though Nolan was furious, he had no habit of taking it out on ordinary bystanders.
The Lock Technologies building had effectively become the center of New York City. As debris scattered, pedestrians below finally realized the scale of the chaos above.
A fearsome, intimidating battle suit hovered in midair, facing off against a striking blonde woman.
Yet, for some reason, there was something inherently unsettling about her.
It clicked.
Though she was a woman, her very aura radiated dominance. Not just dominance for a female it was the kind of presence that few would dare oppose, even in a man.
Perhaps it could be called a Beauty and the Beast scenario? A few confused onlookers thought.
But their curiosity quickly turned into recognition.
"That's Mr. Lock's battle suit!"
Being right below Lock Technologies, almost everyone recognized the suit.
Besides, the combat robots orbiting around the blonde woman made it clear whose side this battle suit belonged to.
At the mention of Nolan Lock's name, the word "ugly" never crossed anyone's mind again.
That body, stripped of skin and seemingly composed only of muscle fibers, equipped with a massive, sleek mechanical arm how could that not look badass?
Even if it seemed a little odd at first glance, the appearance had a certain brutal appeal.
"What's going on?" a bystander asked.
"That woman must be some villain," another answered, setting off a ripple of speculation.
Indeed, Mr. Lock had just saved the world. For a woman to suddenly storm his building there was no other explanation but villainy.
Immediately, phones were out, calling every emergency number they could find.
Carol Danvers heard it all. She didn't care about their whispers or accusations. She wasn't saving people for their gratitude.
Nolan, of course, didn't expect her to care. If Carol Danvers had been concerned with others' opinions, she wouldn't have developed such a domineering personality.
Nolan's expression remained calm, though fury burned within him. His exterior, combined with the armor of the first unit, made him look utterly indifferent.
Boom!
They charged at each other almost simultaneously.
They had come to fight. Talking it out was long past.
The clash sent out a violent shockwave, whipping up a gale that made it hard for anyone to stand.
Witnessing this, the crowd froze in fear. Even those who supported Nolan Lock weren't risking their lives here.
Nolan frowned at the impact.
As expected, even with his AT field activated, he could gain no upper hand against Carol Danvers' strength.
Carol's expression darkened.
So powerful!
Only when colliding directly with Nolan did she realize his true capabilities.
There was no pause. This battle wouldn't end halfway.
For Carol, her resolve was absolute. She could not tolerate a ticking time bomb roaming the Earth unchecked.
For Nolan, it was simpler.
Damn it.
In the main universe, Carol Danvers had tried to push me around. Here, I thought there'd be camaraderie, but she came straight for trouble.
Though this Carol was not the same as the other universe, Nolan saw no difference.
Today, he would fully dominate this infuriating woman.
They streaked across the sky in blinding trails of light.
Susan and the others noticed but could do nothing. Their power levels were far below what was needed to intervene.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury received the news.
"They're fighting?"
He stared in disbelief at Coulson reporting.
Coulson nodded with a wry smile.
"If the network were still up, the whole world would probably be blown away by now."
He continued, helpless.
"Director, I know you wanted to resolve this while Captain Marvel was around, but our priority is to stop this fight. If we don't, New York will be completely destroyed."
Fury's single eye went wide. Stop them? That sounded easy.
He had sent Carol to pressure Nolan Lock but never imagined them actually clashing.
If Nolan lost control, and there really was a "Dyonic Bomb" involved, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Even imagining it made Fury's heart pound.
How could he possibly stop them?
Other heroes' battles could be managed. But these two? They were godlike.
"Maybe I should retire…" Fury thought. At least if the Earth exploded, he wouldn't be the top scapegoat.
Still, that was just a passing thought.
"Notify every superhero we can reach. This fight must stop immediately. New York cannot withstand this level of destruction."
Coulson looked troubled.
"Director, if possible, it's best if you contact Captain Marvel. Our intel came from Tony Stark, and apparently…"
Fury's jaw tightened. Tony Stark, one of the smartest people alive, and he can't stop a fight?
Fury seethed inside, but the heroes were unreliable. He had to find another way.
"Wait, Johnny?"
The Human Torch had incredible speed. Surely, if reason remained, they could be stopped.
"Human Torch is already down," Coulson reported. He explained that before Johnny could even approach, a piece of debris from their fight knocked him unconscious. Were it not for Invisible Woman, he might already be hospitalized.
True fire had been unleashed.
This fight involved Susan's brother and Nolan, her close companion. Carol's return to Earth had inevitably caused this chaos.
Fury's expression darkened. He didn't even have Carol's direct contact. After the battle, he'd been swamped, leaving only minutes for any communication.
"Any ideas?" Fury asked Coulson.
Coulson's eyes said it all: "Boss, if I had a solution, would I be bothering you?"
Fury muttered under his breath: "Useless."
The White House was like a nest of ants on a hot pan. Two recently world-saving heroes had gone completely berserk.
They tried drones, hoping to get close enough to intervene.
But not a single one could breach their fifty-meter radius.
It was clear to everyone: this was a divine battle.
Anyone trying to intervene was irrelevant.
One was Captain Marvel, seen as a god across the universe, with unstoppable dominance. The other was Nolan, proud and experienced, repeatedly tested by Carol in different universes.
This fight was destined to be cataclysmic.
Though in battle, both maintained their rationality, keeping the fight moving beyond New York.
Susan and the others wanted to intervene but it was impossible. Their speed and power were insufficient.
As the pair disappeared, they could only exchange worried glances.
"This is bad," Bruce Banner muttered.
Indeed, it was.
Only Susan furrowed her brows and said, "Nolan will know his limits."
Tony Stark scowled.
"It's not about Nolan stopping, it's whether Carol will!"
They remembered her domineering arrival during the previous clash. Even if Nolan wished to stop, Carol would not.
On the battlefield, the two glared fiercely.
Carol's uniform was torn, and she was breathing heavily.
The battle suit encasing Nolan seemed impenetrable, like a cocoon. Even if she could break it, the muscle fibers would quickly reassemble.
Normally, that wouldn't matter. But Nolan, being human, couldn't simply restore himself.
So she attacked relentlessly, aiming to destroy the suit and strike Nolan directly.
To her shock, after breaking the suit, Nolan was nowhere inside.
"Nolan Lock!" she screamed, feeling tricked.
She expected silence, yet Nolan's voice rang from the suit.
"My dear Captain Marvel, still think I'm easy to bully?"
His calm, teasing tone belied the terror he now embodied.
"Damn it!"
Carol felt her mind unravel. If he were truly in the suit, why was she unable to hit him?
Nolan smirked. He wouldn't reveal his secret he converted to a data form when in danger. Unless she destroyed the entire first unit AI system, he was effectively immortal.
Destroying it? Impossible.
Teeth gritted, Carol's energy surged.
Even Nolan felt a flicker of fear at her overwhelming power.
But he quickly regained composure. Carol was nearing her limit.
Sure enough, she launched a full-on assault, energy erupting in every strike.
Even Nolan's reinforced AT field began to crack under her furious attacks.
The cracks widened, yet Carol's expression remained steady. She had shattered this barrier many times before.
Then, with a thunderous crash, the AT field collapsed.
Carol's eyes lit up, refusing to concede. She charged Nolan immediately.
But in the next instant, Nolan's face appeared.
Smiling.
"Want to come at me? Then come…"
Shock crossed Carol's face. Retreat was no longer an option.
Countless mechanical arms shot out, restraining her, muscle fibers wrapping her inwards.
Soon, only a strange, imposing battle suit remained floating in the air.