Before Wanda and Pietro could make a move, a series of sharp sonic booms cut through the air.
Moments later, the rest of the Avengers arrived.
Steve Rogers led the group, with the others close behind.
Facing Nolan, no one dared to be careless.
Even if they believed things might not escalate into a fight, the mere possibility was enough to bring everyone here.
Nolan glanced at the crowd gathering before him, his expression turning slightly odd.
"So, what's this supposed to be?" he said lightly. "Did I break the law? Are you all here to arrest me?"
"Of course not!"
Peter Parker, who had arrived a bit later, shook his head quickly.
He was now officially a member of the Avengers, thanks largely to the suit Nolan had given him. Despite his young age, his abilities combined with that armor had already placed him among the stronger members of the team.
Steve stepped forward.
"Sorry. We heard that Thor and Loki showed up here, and that there was a conflict. We came to mediate."
He paused, then added,
"You understand how sensitive this is. Anything involving them can easily turn into a diplomatic issue."
Nolan smiled faintly.
Of course he knew why they were here.
"But if you came for Thor and Loki," he said, "then you picked the right place."
Tony Stark, standing nearby, wore a strange expression.
"They've already been locked up by him."
"What?"
Steve's face changed instantly, his expression turning grave.
"Nolan… do you understand what you've done?"
Nolan shrugged.
"Perfectly. They caused a mess in my building. You've seen the damage. Since they couldn't offer compensation I'm satisfied with, I detained them. Seems reasonable."
Steve pressed a hand to his forehead.
This was turning into a nightmare.
Judging by Nolan's attitude, he had no intention of releasing them.
After a moment of silence, Steve spoke again.
"Tell us what you want as compensation. We'll figure something out. But Thor and Loki have to be released. If not, this could escalate into something much worse. Possibly even a war between Earth and Asgard."
"I don't think you want that either."
"Relax," Nolan said, shaking his head. "We can wait until Asgard sends someone."
Steve's jaw tightened.
That was exactly what they were trying to avoid.
After a long pause, he made his decision.
"If you won't agree, then we'll have to retrieve them ourselves. Any damages will be compensated to Locke Industries afterward. I'm sure Thor and Loki will settle it properly."
Even now, he avoided pushing things too far.
A fight was one thing.
Losing control was another.
Without giving Nolan time to respond, Steve gave the order.
"Move in. Enter the building and find them. Do not harm any employees."
Ant-Man grinned.
"Finally."
He shrank instantly and zipped forward on the back of a wasp, heading straight inside.
This was his moment to shine.
In a head-on fight, he might not stand out. But infiltration? That was his specialty.
As Ant-Man moved, the rest followed.
Bruce Banner gave an awkward shrug.
"Well… boss, I'm going to have to step in."
Nolan smiled.
"Of course. You've got your position."
Just as Wanda and Pietro were about to speak, Nolan suddenly turned his head to the side.
Ant-Man froze mid-flight.
A chill ran down his spine.
Too late.
Nolan's hand swung casually through the air.
The speed wasn't overwhelming, but the precision was terrifying.
Ant-Man had no chance to dodge.
He triggered the Pym Particles, expanding rapidly.
Still, the blow landed.
Boom!
He was sent flying straight into the wall.
He sucked in a sharp breath, pain flaring through his body.
Pretty sure something broke.
Wasn't Nolan supposed to be just a tech genius? How was he this strong without his armor?
The others stared in shock.
Ant-Man had been taken out just like that.
But there was no turning back now.
Steve moved first, charging forward with his shield raised. Seeing Ant-Man go down made it clear that Nolan was no longer an ordinary opponent.
The shield flew toward Nolan.
Nolan met it with a punch.
The vibranium absorbed much of the impact, but not all of it.
Steve was still thrown backward.
Because that punch carried more than just force. It carried momentum.
The shield could absorb energy, but it required certain conditions. A sudden burst like that bypassed its full effect.
Another body slammed into the wall.
Natasha Romanoff swallowed.
Their intel was clearly outdated.
Then Nolan appeared in front of her.
He smiled.
His hand did not slow.
Bang!
She was sent flying.
Holding back out of courtesy?
Not his style.
Bruce Banner saw Nolan's gaze shift toward him and gave another uneasy smile.
"Boss…"
Honestly, he had thought this mission would just be for show.
Now things were different.
Nolan chuckled.
"Come on."
In the next instant, his genetic engine activated.
The full power of a second-generation super soldier erupted.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he appeared in front of Bruce.
Bruce's pupils shrank.
He raised his arm instinctively.
Then—
Boom!
The impact nearly knocked him out of the building.
Nolan didn't pursue.
But Bruce felt the force.
Even now, his arm throbbed faintly.
That strength…
It was absurd.
In his mind, no one on Earth could surpass him in raw power.
Yet now he wasn't so sure.
How was Nolan doing this?
Wasn't he just a normal man not long ago?
Nolan offered no explanation.
He rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers.
"Warm-up's over."
"I knew you could take that hit."
Then he glanced at Wanda, Pietro, and Peter.
"Why don't you all come at me together? I've been wanting to try taking on the entire Avengers roster."
The last line carried a hint of teasing, but his confidence was unmistakable.
Wanda took a deep breath.
"Mr. Locke… then we're coming."
She understood now.
With that level of strength and his advanced technology, neither she nor Pietro could face him alone.
But she still wanted to test herself.
To show how far they had come.
Peter nodded, no longer hesitating.
"Gianna, activate Spider Mode!"
Six mechanical limbs unfolded from his back.
With their support, he lunged forward.
Bruce followed, raising a massive fist.
Even after merging with the Hulk, he was still more than capable of fighting.
But someone moved faster than all of them.
Pietro.
In an instant, he vanished.
To everyone else, he had disappeared.
But in truth, he was simply too fast for the eye to track.
Step by step, he approached Nolan.
Calm. Controlled.
He raised his fist, even adjusting how much strength to use.
After all, Nolan had saved him once.
He didn't want to hurt him.
Then—
Nolan's eyes shifted.
Pietro froze.
Before he could react—
Bang!
A punch.
He was sent flying.
"How is that possible?!"
Pietro was stunned.
No one had ever reacted to his speed before.
To counter him, opponents relied on durability or wide-area abilities.
But Nolan?
Nolan smiled faintly.
"Maybe you should take this seriously."
Pietro looked embarrassed.
He hadn't expected to be stopped at all.
He stood, brushing dust off his clothes.
"Again."
He vanished once more.
This time, he held nothing back.
At full speed, he believed no one could stop him.
And for a moment, he seemed right.
When he reappeared, Nolan's eyes hadn't even moved.
Yet something felt wrong.
A warning.
If he attacked, something bad would happen.
Instinct forced him to retreat, appearing beside Wanda again.
She frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Pietro hesitated.
Sweat had formed on his forehead.
Fear?
Impossible.
"Nothing. Just getting ready."
Then he vanished again.
This time, he ignored the feeling.
It had to be his imagination.
He attacked.
And in that instant—
Nolan moved.
Bang!
Pietro was sent flying again, this time with real pain.
Nolan remained calm.
Pietro's speed was impressive.
But the genetic engine had pushed Nolan to human limits.
More importantly, it granted him something else.
Instinctive reaction.
Against an opponent with such obvious weaknesses, instinct alone was enough.
At last, Wanda acted.
Chaos energy surged in her hands, swelling into a powerful tide that rushed toward Nolan.
Peter supported from the side.
Facing such overwhelming force, Nolan didn't even flinch.
He walked forward.
Straight into it.
Wanda's expression changed.
She remembered their first meeting.
Back then, Nolan had done the same.
But he had been wearing armor.
And she had been far weaker.
Now she was stronger.
Far stronger.
Yet he still looked just as relaxed.
She poured more power into the attack.
Her focus sharpened.
She glanced at Peter.
He understood immediately.
Now was his chance.
If Nolan could track Pietro, Peter stood no chance alone.
But with Wanda's pressure—
He rushed in.
Yet as he approached, Nolan's fist came toward him.
Slow.
Almost casual.
And yet—
He couldn't avoid it.
Bang!
Peter followed the others, crashing down.
Wanda's shock deepened.
Her power kept rising.
But Nolan's calm never wavered.
Step by step, he reached her.
"You've improved a lot," he said. "Both of you."
But to Wanda, it sounded almost ironic.
Improved?
This didn't feel like improvement at all.
Then Nolan flicked her forehead lightly.
Tony Stark, watching from the side, clicked his tongue.
So much for them being fellow tech geniuses.
When did Nolan turn into this monster?
Ridiculous.
In an instant, Tony gave up any thought of competing.
Compete with Nolan?
He'd rather go fight Dormammu again.
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