Seeing the way Carol Danvers gritted her teeth, Nick Fury knew his goal was within reach.
If they wanted to deal with Nolan Locke, Carol Danvers was absolutely essential.
No matter how powerful the Imperial Titan was, it could not hide the truth. It was a weapon meant for ultimate threats. Most of the time, it existed as a deterrent.
Fire it at Nolan Locke?
Even if Nolan stood still and let him take the shot, Fury was not sure he would dare pull the trigger.
Of course, as the head of intelligence, courage was the one thing he never lacked. If pushed far enough, he would not hesitate to fire.
But for now, that option would remain a last resort.
"Danvers, dealing with Nolan Locke won't be easy. Take a few days to rest. Once we have a concrete plan, I'll contact you."
Carol nodded.
Truthfully, she did need the rest. Her thoughts were still in chaos.
As the door closed behind her, Fury's lips curled slightly.
The Earth now possessed the Imperial Titan, a weapon of ultimate destruction, along with the Titan System, a global defense network capable of maintaining planetary stability.
He could already imagine how secure the future would be.
And in that future, Nolan Locke, uncontrollable and unpredictable, was the most dangerous threat in the world.
For that, Fury was willing to pay any price.
The next day, Fury arrived at a prison.
This was a special S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, built to contain individuals too dangerous for ordinary prisons. Many of its cells were custom-designed to suppress the inmates' unique abilities.
He walked to the deepest level and stopped before a transparent cell.
Inside sat a man with his head lowered.
Fury did not hesitate. He picked up the intercom.
"Do you want revenge?"
The man slowly raised his head.
Fury continued calmly.
"Nolan Locke is too dangerous. We need to eliminate him. Help me, and I'll arrange for your sentence to be served outside prison. I'll also reduce your term by half."
"Oh?"
The man's voice carried a hint of amusement.
He did not care about a reduced sentence.
But parole?
That interested him.
Once he walked out, no one would be able to control him anymore.
So he gave his answer.
"Of course. Tell me your plan."
A while later, Fury arrived at another cell.
Before he even reached it, thunderous banging echoed through the corridor.
Something inside was slamming against the reinforced door.
When Fury stepped closer, he looked at the massive figure within and spoke.
"Abomination, your chance has come. Help me kill Nolan Locke."
The pounding stopped.
A massive eye appeared at the observation slot.
"Why should I help you? Release me, and I'll kill him for you."
Fury's expression did not change.
"You were nearly beaten to death by Nolan Locke. I was the one who kept you alive."
His voice turned cold.
"I didn't save you so you could walk free. You will never leave this place. But if you agree, you can take your revenge with your own hands."
Silence lingered.
Then
"Fine. I accept."
A wide grin spread across Abomination's face, unseen by anyone outside.
Once he got out, things would no longer be under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control.
Of course, that was after he killed Nolan Locke.
"Damn you, Nolan Locke!"
He roared and slammed his heavy fist into the door again.
A dent appeared instantly, spreading outward.
The guard beside Fury sighed helplessly.
"That's the third door this month. The damage he causes is insane."
Fury did not care.
For S.H.I.E.L.D., this cost was insignificant.
"Don't worry. He'll be quiet for a while soon."
After all, the last time Abomination fought Nolan, he had been left half-dead. Even with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best medical support, it had taken months for him to recover.
This time, he would not be getting up anytime soon either.
Still, the creature's resilience was remarkable.
With that thought, Fury turned and left the prison.
Everything was in place.
Now all that remained was for Nolan Locke to take the bait.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, Carol Danvers barely left her room, which puzzled Fury.
But her cold, domineering demeanor remained unchanged.
Finally, she stepped out, dressed sharply in her uniform.
"I'm heading out."
Without another word, she took off into the sky.
The agents nearby wanted to ask questions, but none of them had the authority to stop her. They simply reported it to Fury.
He did not mind.
It was normal.
After their battle three days ago, Carol had likely suffered some setbacks.
Now that she had come out of isolation, it meant she had put it behind her.
That was a good thing.
If she had lost her nerve, he would not have dared move against Nolan.
Meanwhile, Carol flew straight to New York.
Inside Locke Technologies, Nolan took a sip of water.
He was working out of a temporary office. His previous top-floor office had been reduced to rubble by his own hands.
Fortunately, the building was structurally sound, so there was no risk of collapse.
After working for a while, he picked up his coffee and walked to the window, gazing out at the ruined city.
I'm leaving soon…
This world was so similar to his original universe. Now that he had to go, he felt an unexpected reluctance.
What would happen to Susan after he left?
Would she move on?
Damn it. Even if it was understandable, the thought still left a bitter taste.
He needed to return as soon as possible.
Otherwise, things might become complicated.
And then there was Carol Danvers.
Compared to Susan, she was the real headache.
Just as he was thinking, Nolan suddenly spat out his coffee.
In the night sky, a figure was rapidly approaching.
With his current eyesight, even darkness made little difference.
It was Carol.
"She's already here?"
Nolan felt his scalp tingle.
"I'm done for…"
"Red Queen, activate all defense systems."
At the same time, he opened a portal and began linking with the Prototype Unit through his right arm.
But before he could finish
Crash!
Bulletproof glass shattered.
Carol Danvers stepped inside, her posture proud and imposing.
"Did I scare you?"
She crossed her arms, her tone calm.
Nolan chuckled.
Even if he had been startled, he would never admit it.
Besides, she did not look like she came to kill him.
As long as she was not here to fight, he had nothing to fear.
Still, he did not disconnect from the Prototype Unit.
Better safe than sorry.
"Coward."
Carol sneered, though something more complicated flickered in her eyes.
She had her principles.
She did not kill the innocent.
Nolan was not entirely innocent, but she knew exactly how everything had unfolded.
And deep down, she knew he had not been wrong.
Her arrogance had simply made her unwilling to consider anyone else's perspective.
But once Nolan shattered that illusion, she could no longer ignore it.
What he had done did not deserve death.
Their clash, her defeat, and what followed…
For days, she had been torn between killing him and letting him live, unable to even sleep.
Now, she had made her decision.
She would spare him.
She had lost in battle, and she accepted that.
But nothing could break her pride.
If she killed him because of it, then she would truly lose.
She would let him live, to prove that she bowed to no one and feared no one.
At the same time, something about Fury's behavior unsettled her.
He hid it well, but she had seen enough schemes to recognize it.
Fury was not planning to let Nolan go.
Especially with the Imperial Titan in play.
Once that weapon was deployed, there would be no holding back.
So she came.
Nolan had no idea about her internal struggle.
Right now, his mind was a mess.
Looking at her calm expression, he took a deep breath.
"Carol, what are you doing here?"
He deliberately used a more familiar tone.
Whatever her purpose, as long as she did not attack, he could handle it.
After all, he did feel somewhat guilty.
Even with others in his life, everything had always been consensual.
Carol raised an eyebrow, swallowing the words she had initially intended to say.
Instead, she told him everything about Fury's plan.
Nolan's expression darkened.
"He wants to kill me."
His tone was absolute.
Carol scoffed.
"Kill you? He doesn't have a reason."
Nolan did not argue.
He understood Fury far better than she did.
But one thing was clear.
For now, Carol stood on his side.
Even if their relationship was… complicated.
"Thank you for telling me," Nolan said seriously. "Whether Fury intends to kill me or not, we'll find out soon enough. If I'm wrong, I won't do anything. But if he really tries…"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"I won't wait for him to make the first move."
Neither of them mentioned what had happened before.
Yet somehow, an unspoken alliance formed.
After she left, Nolan closed the portal and muttered to himself,
"She really didn't attack… what is she thinking?"
That night became nothing more than a passing moment.
But now that he knew Fury's intentions, Nolan saw New York differently.
The Titan System. The Imperial Titan.
Both were under the control of the Council.
Even the United States could only access part of it.
If Fury wanted to use them, it would not be through official channels.
Which meant he needed the Council's approval.
If that happened…
Just then, Susan walked in.
"What happened earlier?"
"Nothing. Carol Danvers stopped by."
Nolan wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Can you get me a cup of coffee?"
She nodded.
"You didn't fight?"
"Of course not," Nolan said with a smile.
As she turned away, his expression turned cold.
"I'm not going down without a fight…"
The Titan System might be controlled by the Council.
But Nolan had his own methods.
After all
He was its true master.
Let them push him if they dared.
War was no simple matter.
To fight the Council was to stand against the world itself.
But if forced, he would make sure they paid the price.
Two days later, Susan entered again.
"There's a worker riot at one of our factories outside New York. They need you there."
"A riot?"
Nolan frowned.
Locke Technologies had always treated its employees well. A full-scale uprising made no sense.
Then it clicked.
They wanted him out of New York.
So it was beginning.
A smile slowly formed on his lips.
"I see. Then I'll go take a look."
He stood.
"Red Queen, deploy the Thor Armor."
A suit materialized before him.
After equipping it, Nolan stepped to the window and launched into the sky.
"I'll be back tonight."
At the same time, Nick Fury received the report.
A sharp glint flashed in his eye.
"Prepare the G4 missiles."
The hunt had begun.