Rain poured from the sky as Nolan flew high above the clouds.
He knew exactly what this was. A hunt.
But this was not just Nick Fury's hunt. It was his as well.
The world needed rules. And if he was going to deal with Nick Fury, then he would do it within those rules.
Perhaps in Fury's eyes, Nolan was the prey, while he himself was the seasoned hunter who had laid down an inescapable trap.
But what Fury did not realize was that in this hunt, where both sides saw the other as prey, Nolan already held the initiative.
At Fury's command, a G4 missile had already been launched into the sky.
Watching its trajectory, Fury felt a rare sense of unease.
This was his first direct strike against Nolan Locke.
To make this decision, he had burned through countless plans and arguments, finally convincing the council members who had developed what could only be described as a fear of Nolan.
And that fear only reinforced his resolve.
Even the highest authorities were afraid of Nolan Locke. If Nolan ever chose to act freely in the future, who could possibly stop him?
That future alone was enough to terrify him.
The council's order had been simple: use force to pressure Nolan into compromise and make him sign agreements that would strip him of any threat.
But Fury had interpreted it differently.
Nolan Locke had to die.
"I'm sorry… Nolan Locke."
Fury said it silently to himself.
He acknowledged Nolan's contributions. But Nolan had made the wrong choice.
For the sake of Earth, there was no other option.
Fury's single eye hardened. In this moment, he saw himself as a soldier charging forward for humanity's future.
Whether others understood him did not matter.
As long as he knew the value of his own actions, that was enough.
Everyone else was just a piece on the board.
The board was set. The pieces were in position.
Now came the killing move.
"Is everyone in place?" Fury asked.
"Captain Marvel is in position. Abomination has reached the designated area. Doctor Doom will arrive shortly."
"Good."
A hesitant voice suddenly spoke up.
"Director… do we really have to do this?"
Fury's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Tell me your identity."
"A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."
"No."
Fury's voice exploded through the room.
Then he spoke slowly, each word sharp and deliberate.
"Your identity is the last line of defense for humanity. You are the soldier who prevents any possible threat from rising.
Do you think what you just said is for humanity's benefit?
Do you know that just days ago, Nolan Locke rejected a peace agreement that cost him nothing?
And Captain Marvel fought him… and lost.
Do you understand what that means?
It means a potential threat to Earth exists right now, one that no one can stop!"
His roar stunned everyone present.
And more importantly, his words made sense.
The only flaw was how he twisted the narrative just enough to control how people perceived it.
Because at the end of the day, people were selfish.
"I understand!"
The agent responded loudly, conviction returning to his voice.
Fury watched the shift in their expressions and smiled faintly.
He had long mastered the art of manipulating human nature.
And it still worked perfectly.
"G4 missile will reach the target in 15 seconds!"
Fury's attention snapped back.
"10 seconds!"
"5 seconds!"
"3 seconds!"
"Impact!"
Boom!
The explosion tore through the sky, so powerful that even the temporary base over ten kilometers away trembled.
"What's the situation?" Fury demanded immediately.
"Director, the target has hit the ground!"
A grin spread across Fury's face.
"He's finished."
"Begin first round bombardment!"
Missiles rained down from every direction, converging on Nolan's landing point.
Fury had only one goal. Make Nolan Locke experience true despair.
The G4 missile had been specifically designed to break the Warhammer armor.
Once the armor was destroyed, there was no way Nolan could survive the barrage.
"Monitor his vital signs. I want confirmation."
Smoke and fire filled the battlefield.
After the first wave ended, the report came in.
"Target's vital signs have disappeared."
Fury laughed.
"Looks like we need to prepare a statement for the public."
It had been too easy.
He had gathered Captain Marvel, released Abomination and Doctor Doom, and even prepared the Emperor Titan as a final measure.
Yet none of it was needed.
Nolan Locke had been blown apart before any of that could come into play.
Unexpected, yet somehow reasonable.
After all, without his armor, Nolan was still just human.
What Fury did not know was this:
The battlefield was empty not because Nolan was dead…
But because Carol Danvers had already pulled him out.
With her speed, combined with the chaos of the explosions, no surveillance had caught a thing.
"Did you see that?" Nolan said calmly.
Being carried in Carol's arms was uncomfortable, but his mood was far from bad.
Fury had just handed him the perfect excuse.
Missiles had been fired. No one could claim this was just a personal decision anymore.
He could make this very, very big.
Perhaps even pave the way for Locke Technologies to truly dominate the world.
Carol's expression was complicated.
"I didn't think he would actually go this far."
If it had only been a warning, she might have accepted it.
After all, she had no intention of letting Nolan walk away completely unscathed.
But this?
This was an execution attempt.
And that, she could not accept.
Nolan glanced at her and knew immediately.
She had chosen his side.
That made things much easier.
Still, he wanted to see what other cards Fury had left.
The Emperor Titan was certainly one of them.
Just then, a massive humanoid figure wandered through the forest nearby.
Abomination.
Despite the report that Nolan was dead, it did not believe it.
It needed to see the body with its own eyes.
As it stepped out of the trees, it saw them.
It did not recognize Carol.
But it immediately recognized the Warhammer armor on Nolan.
"Nolan Locke…"
Its voice trembled with excitement.
"You're not dead. But you don't look so good."
Nolan raised a brow.
"Abomination? You're still alive?"
His surprise was genuine.
He had killed this monster himself.
And yet here it stood.
Abomination grinned, its twisted mouth stretching wide.
"I did die. You killed me. But my hatred… my rage… brought me back."
Even it felt fear recalling that experience.
Death and rebirth were not something easily endured.
Nolan narrowed his eyes.
Coulson had died once too, and been brought back.
So Abomination must have undergone something similar.
Fury had truly gone too far.
Carol frowned.
"What is that thing?"
Nolan smirked.
"Abomination. Used to be human. Took Hulk's blood to gain power. Now he's a monster who's killed hundreds."
Her gaze instantly turned cold.
Before Nolan could move, she stepped forward.
Abomination sneered.
"Woman, are you trying to die?"
She said nothing. Just kept walking.
The moment she entered its range, it struck.
"Then die!"
Its massive hand came crashing down.
It could already imagine her being crushed into pulp.
But in the next instant
Boom!
Carol caught the attack with one hand.
Abomination's pupils shrank.
Too late.
Her fist slammed into its body with explosive force, sending it flying dozens of meters away.
It staggered up, disbelief written all over its face.
How could this woman be this strong?
In raw strength, it had feared no one.
It had once overpowered the Hulk.
And now…
A woman had stopped it effortlessly and sent it flying.
Rage exploded within it.
"No one!"
It roared.
"No one can do this to me!"
Like a living missile, it charged again.
It would never accept defeat.
Not even in death.
At the same time, inside the temporary base, an agent shouted:
"Director, we've detected two massive energy signatures!"
Fury's expression darkened.
"There's only one possibility… Nolan Locke is still alive."
"Find him. Immediately!"
If Nolan escaped, the consequences would be unimaginable.
With Nolan's capabilities, tracing this attack back to him would be effortless.
And when that happened, Fury had no doubt the politicians would hand him over without hesitation.
"Notify Abomination and Doctor Doom. It's time for them to act!"
Before the order was even carried out, Fury made a call.
But the voice on the other end made his expression change instantly.
"Director Fury… long time no see. Sounds like you've been thinking about me."
Fury froze.
"Nolan Locke? How do you have Danvers' phone?"
A faint smile appeared on Nolan's lips.
"Because… she's my woman."
His tone turned cold.
"Now, let's talk about the part where you tried to kill me."
Click.
Fury hung up immediately, his face turning grim.
He did not believe a word of it.
Carol Danvers had only just arrived on Earth. That kind of relationship was impossible.
Whatever the reason, it did not matter.
"Have Abomination and Doctor Doom responded?"
"Abomination is not answering. Doctor Doom has been notified."
Fury's mind raced.
If Abomination was already fighting Nolan, how did Nolan still have time to answer the phone?
No explanation made sense.
"Deploy the Titan Legion. Begin charging the Emperor Titan."
If he could not understand it, then he would crush it.
Fury's face turned cold.
This time, he had more than enough cards to play.
At his command, Titan mechs began advancing toward the battlefield.
Hundreds of APU exoskeleton units moved alongside them, forming a terrifying mechanical army.
At the same time, the gates of the Emperor Titan base opened once more.
Fury stood firm, his expression unshaken.
This battle would shake the entire world.
And no matter the cost…
He would crush Nolan Locke with absolute force.