Night slowly fell.
Under the dark sky, countless points of light rose from every direction, like scattered stars igniting across the horizon.
"What is that?"
People nearby stared upward in shock.
"Maybe… some kind of post-war light show organized by the government?"
No one realized that those lights were the most powerful military assets in the world today. Titan-class war machines.
On the ground, rows of APU exoskeleton units advanced in perfect formation.
"Forward! Keep moving!"
Commanders issued orders one after another.
They did not know the true target of this mission.
And it did not matter.
They were soldiers. A soldier's duty was to follow orders.
Thinking was not part of their role.
A silver tide of steel surged across the land.
"They're coming… what a grand display."
Nolan spoke softly.
Beside him, Carol Danvers frowned, her gaze fixed far into the distance as if she could see through the darkness itself.
"Roar!"
Abomination forced itself back to its feet, rage boiling over.
"Damn it! I am the strongest!"
Its furious roar carried across the battlefield, loud enough for every soldier within the mechanical army to hear.
Many of them stiffened.
What kind of monster was that?
Yet no one retreated.
Perhaps this was their enemy.
They would never know that the monster before them was actually their ally, while the two figures who had once saved the world were now the ones they had been ordered to eliminate.
Just as Abomination prepared to charge again, a cold voice cut through the air.
"Abomination… are you looking to die?"
The familiar tone caught Nolan's attention immediately.
"Victor?"
Victor von Doom stepped forward, a faint smile on his face.
"Long time no see, Nolan."
Nolan let out a quiet sigh.
"I should have guessed. If Nick Fury was willing to revive Abomination, then releasing you to deal with me is hardly surprising."
Victor shrugged.
"That prison could never hold me. I stayed there only to recover. And while I was there, I heard something… very interesting."
He smiled faintly.
"You've become quite terrifying, Nolan. We were almost friends once. But now, if you don't die, I may never achieve my ambitions."
His voice turned colder.
"So I'm sorry. I have to kill you."
"Kill me?"
Nolan laughed softly.
Victor glanced at Carol, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes. She looked familiar, but he could not place her.
Still, he dismissed it.
She was not important.
He turned to Abomination.
"You've been locked away too long. You don't understand how dangerous Nolan Locke is now. If you charge in blindly, you will die."
Abomination's face darkened, but it said nothing.
It would never admit that the woman earlier had frightened it.
Nolan observed the scene and quickly understood.
The three of them had never coordinated.
At the very least, Fury had not revealed Abomination or Victor's identities to Carol.
The reason was obvious.
For someone like Carol Danvers, who despised evil, telling her she would be working with monsters like them might have resulted in her tearing Fury apart instead.
Fury never cared about unity.
He only cared that someone killed Nolan.
And Carol had simply been a weapon, one he believed he could control.
It would have worked.
Except for one thing.
Fury never imagined that Carol would switch sides.
Abomination turned to Victor.
"What's your plan?"
Victor smiled.
"Simple. His armor needs energy, right? Then let's give him more than he can handle."
His plan was to overload Nolan's armor with raw power and destroy it from within.
Under normal circumstances, it would not work.
But after the G4 missile strike, he was confident.
As he spoke, arcs of electricity burst from his body, lighting up the night like a blazing beacon.
"Nolan Locke… are you ready to die?"
The moment he finished speaking, a torrent of energy surged toward Nolan.
But before it could reach him, the woman Victor had ignored stepped forward.
The energy struck her directly.
And did nothing.
Not even a flinch.
She only frowned slightly.
Victor froze.
What was this woman?
How could she withstand that?
"I knew something was off about you."
Carol's voice rang out.
Victor's heart skipped.
That voice…
Memory flashed.
That night.
"You!"
He shouted.
Now he remembered.
She was the one who had knocked him unconscious in an instant during his last battle with Nolan.
The last thing he had seen before blacking out.
Damn it!
Victor's mind raced.
Fury had told him everything. That woman was supposed to be their ally.
But now…
She stood with Nolan.
Only one conclusion made sense.
A trap.
Victor's expression darkened.
But he did not panic.
At worst, he would be captured again.
And he had not lost yet.
Because now, he could hear it.
Footsteps.
Countless footsteps.
Above them, hundreds of Titan units had arrived.
The ground trembled.
The Emperor Titan was moving.
This was no longer his battle alone.
With such overwhelming force, how could he lose?
"Abomination, ready?"
Victor's voice turned cold.
"Kill the woman first."
Abomination grinned viciously.
That was exactly what it wanted.
Victor quickly relayed the situation to Fury.
When Fury heard that Carol had turned, his pupils shrank.
Though he did not understand how, he immediately issued new orders.
"Coordinate with Doctor Doom. Ensure both targets are eliminated."
After hanging up, Fury's expression darkened.
Even with the Titan forces, he no longer felt confident.
Two beings capable of destroying the planet stood together.
So he placed his hopes on one final weapon.
The Emperor Titan.
Even a being like Galactus had been heavily damaged by its firepower.
Without the dimensional weapon, Nolan and Carol stood no chance.
Fury's lips curled upward.
He picked up the phone again.
"I need authorization to fire the Emperor Titan."
He explained the situation quickly.
"Captain Marvel has been compromised. Without the Emperor Titan, the Titan units may not be able to contain them. If they escape, retaliation is inevitable."
The voice on the other end erupted in fury.
"You said this would stay within safe limits! How did it escalate to this?"
Fury remained calm.
"Nolan refused peaceful negotiation. I intended to force compliance with Captain Marvel's help, but she is now on his side. For the future of the world, I request authorization."
A pause.
Then a cold reply.
"When this is over, you had better step down. Or you will regret it."
Step down?
Fury did not care.
He had already accepted the consequences.
Because this was for Earth's future.
Three minutes later, the approval came.
"You have one shot."
That was all.
Fury smiled.
"That's enough."
"Main cannon charging."
Far away, the Emperor Titan's cannon began to glow.
Back on the battlefield
Boom!
Abomination was slammed back once again, sent crashing into the ground.
Victor's expression worsened.
This woman was even stronger than he had imagined.
Before he could react
A blur appeared.
Nolan stood before him.
A psionic blade flashed downward.
Victor barely blocked it, avoiding being split in half.
Even so, a chill ran through him.
Nolan knocked him aside, then turned to Carol with a faint smile.
"Carol, let me handle this. This is my fight."
She did not argue. She simply crossed her arms and stepped back.
The surrounding Titan units and encircling APU forces meant nothing to her.
Seeing this, Victor and Abomination felt a surge of confidence.
Two against one.
And Nolan lacked his full equipment.
This time, they had the advantage.
They attacked simultaneously.
Nolan moved as well.
The psionic blade hummed with lethal power.
In the instant they clashed, his blade cut toward Abomination.
The monster reacted quickly, but still suffered a deep wound.
Instead of retreating, Abomination grew faster.
It knew that hesitation meant death.
"Die!"
Its massive fist crashed toward Nolan.
At the same time, Victor closed in from the other side.
Nolan remained calm.
Skill mattered when strength was equal.
But when the gap in power was overwhelming, skill became nothing more than a whisper of death.
He moved like a phantom.
Dodging effortlessly, he countered in a single motion.
The blade came down.
No resistance.
Abomination's arm fell to the ground.
Before it could even scream, Nolan stepped in again.
The blade rose, aimed at its neck.
Victor tried to stop him.
Too slow.
Even as Victor's punch struck Nolan, the blade fell.
Abomination's head hit the ground.
Dead.
Without pause, Nolan turned on Victor.
Victor's eyes widened in disbelief.
How could Nolan be this strong?
Then realization hit him.
Nolan had always been this strong.
Even before.
He had just never understood it.
A hand like iron clamped onto him.
Nolan lifted him effortlessly, thrusters igniting as he soared into the air, right into the center of the Titan encirclement.
Holding Victor in one hand, Nolan looked out at the army.
"You all know who I am."
His voice carried across the battlefield.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. wants me dead. They call me a threat to Earth."
He paused.
"Now… tell me your choice."
His words rippled through the ranks.
Some soldiers immediately contacted command, asking if what he said was true, and what they should do.
Fury's answer came without hesitation.
"Do I need to remind you?"
His voice was cold.
"This is war."
"Attack!"
"Use everything you have. Eliminate Nolan Locke."
"As for the hostage… he is a criminal."
The order was clear.
Even if Nolan was innocent, a soldier's duty was absolute.
One by one, the Titan units raised their weapons.
At the same time, the Emperor Titan's main cannon burned brighter.
Fury had run out of patience.
The Titan forces alone could not kill Nolan.
But it did not matter how many were lost.
As long as Nolan Locke died…
Everything would be worth it.