"A perfect day under a clear sky."
Nolan lay stretched out on a Hawaiian beach.
Around him were beautiful women of every type, but the most striking were the three closest to him.
Not far away sat Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.
Tony glanced at Nolan while Pepper pursed her lips.
"Figures," she said. "You two really are birds of a feather."
Tony immediately protested.
"Hey, Pepper, get it straight. Right now, I only have you."
If he had known this trip would turn out like this, he never would have invited Nolan Locke along.
A quiet vacation with Pepper would have been perfect.
"I must be out of my mind," he complained inwardly.
Nolan was not in a great mood either.
Although three women were beside him, anyone with eyes could tell how complicated their relationship was.
He had originally planned to bring only Jessica Jones. After all, she was his only official girlfriend.
But Sharon Carter, his secretary, overheard his phone call with Tony Stark and passed the news on to Daisy Johnson.
Daisy showed up uninvited. Then, just as the group was about to depart, Sharon Carter appeared at the airport as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
From that moment on, Nolan knew this Hawaiian vacation was going to be a nightmare.
As for why he agreed to Tony's invitation in the first place, the reason was simple.
Carol Danvers was in New York.
Was he supposed to stay there and wait for trouble to find him?
That would be insanity.
Nolan was certain Tony felt the same way. Otherwise, why would Tony drag him on a trip just days after leaving the hospital?
When the four women went into the water to play, Nolan and Tony sat together on the sand.
"Running away like this isn't a real solution," Tony said.
Nolan clasped his hands behind his head, completely relaxed.
"What do you suggest?"
He could do research in his system lab from anywhere. He had money, his company ran smoothly under Simon Philip, and he lacked nothing.
He could stay here for a year if necessary.
He refused to believe Carol Danvers would stay on Earth that long.
After all, she earned the title Captain Marvel far beyond this planet.
She was busy.
A woman like that was dangerous. If he could not deal with her, avoiding her was still an option.
Nolan chuckled quietly.
A head-on confrontation?
If he were not someone who knew how this world worked, he might have tried it.
But now?
No thanks.
He preferred strategy.
Tony leaned closer, lowering his voice as if tempting him.
"Don't you want to hit her back? Get some payback? I've got an idea. It's not fully formed, but maybe we could try it."
Nolan looked at him with a strange expression and immediately shook his head.
"If it's not fully formed, then don't bother saying it. Even my Titan Armor got torn apart by her. Unless you have something better, I'd rather stay right here."
Tony's face darkened as he sat upright.
"Nolan Locke, are you even a man? You're scared of fighting a woman?"
Nolan laughed softly.
"Scared? Being afraid because you cannot win is cowardice. This is called a tactical retreat."
"You say that like you could beat her," Tony scoffed.
That was debatable, Nolan thought.
In the end, he just smiled and looked out at the ocean.
This really was a perfect place to relax.
Tony lay back down with a sigh.
Fine. He had only been talking.
Taking on Carol Danvers?
He did not have much confidence either.
Still, he shot Nolan a look full of disdain.
Coward. Absolute trash.
Clearly, Tony Stark was not afraid of losing.
It was just that his teammate lacked backbone.
With that thought, a rare smile appeared on Tony's face.
"Tony, your face still looks pretty beaten up. Won't that affect how the girls see you?"
Tony's smile vanished instantly.
Damn it. Nolan Locke, you bastard.
…
While they were talking, a man wrapped head to toe in a tight suit, his head covered by a mask, stood in the distance holding a monocular and watching them.
After a few looks, he tossed the scope aside and laughed to himself.
"The women here are top quality."
"Creep."
A woman in a bikini passed by, cursed at him, and walked away in another direction.
The man did not mind. He adjusted his pants and picked up the two blades beside him, weighing them in his hands.
"Feels great," he muttered.
As he spoke, he tried to slide the blades back into their sheaths.
The next second
"Fuck!"
A scream rang out.
Both blades were lodged squarely in his shoulders.
The cry drew Nolan and Tony's attention.
Tony's eyes widened.
"Is that guy an idiot?"
Nolan paused for a moment, then smiled.
Noticing their gaze, the man waved at them.
Tony shouted, "Hey, man! I don't know if you're doing a stunt or something, but you need a hospital right now!"
To Tony's shock, the man calmly pulled both blades out of his shoulders.
Even watching it made Tony wince.
"That guy is insane," Tony muttered.
Nolan rolled his eyes.
"Tony, you should know something. That lunatic is here to kill us."
"What?"
Tony was genuinely stunned.
That idiot-looking madman was an assassin?
Soon, the man walked over. Somehow, his shoulders, which should have been badly injured, were already healed.
Aside from two holes in his torn suit, it was as if nothing had happened.
"Mr. Stark, Mr. Locke, hello. It's an honor to meet you. Mind if I shake your hands?"
He nervously rubbed his palms together. The knives were already lying on the ground.
Tony's expression grew increasingly strange.
He shot Nolan a questioning look.
This was the assassin?
Nolan shrugged.
As unbelievable as it seemed, he was certain.
This man was a famous antihero.
Deadpool.
Watching Deadpool's exaggerated behavior, Nolan was already on guard.
Deadpool was technically a normal human. He had no super strength.
His only ability was immortality.
A very exaggerated kind of immortality.
And that alone was enough to make him a nightmare.
Nolan did not believe he had come here to make friends. There was only one possibility.
Someone had put a bounty on him.
And they hired Deadpool.
Before Tony could react further, Deadpool stopped rubbing his hands, looking disappointed.
"What a shame. Guess you don't want to shake hands. You probably don't know this, but this is my first time seeing celebrities up close. If you count as celebrities."
"Celebrities?" Tony replied. "I prefer to be called a scientist."
"Oh, you're right. My mistake, Mr. Stark," Deadpool nodded, then turned to Nolan with a wide grin.
"Mr. Locke, someone posted a bounty on you on the black market. So, sorry about this. I'm here to kill you."
Tony felt his hair stand on end.
So he really was here to kill someone.
At least it had nothing to do with Tony.
But he reacted fast.
He threw a punch at Deadpool.
"Ah!"
Deadpool screamed as Tony followed up with several more punches.
He even managed to grab one of Deadpool's knives.
Against an assassin, Tony held nothing back.
"Whoever you are, you're dead!"
Without turning around, Tony shouted, "Nolan, get up! Are you frozen in fear?"
Nolan sighed.
Deadpool looked at Tony with a serious expression.
"You think grabbing my knife means you can kill me? I was not even trying earlier. Once I get serious, you're the one who's dead."
Tony's tension spiked instantly.
Nobody talked like that without confidence.
He needed the initiative.
Without hesitation, Tony slashed at Deadpool.
Deadpool dodged gracefully.
Left, right, steady footwork, smooth movements. Like a seasoned fighter.
Yet looking at the wounds on Deadpool's body, Tony was baffled.
What was wrong with this guy?
He looked impressive, but that was it?
And he dared take on an assassination job?
Was this a joke?
As Deadpool continued his over-the-top performance, Nolan stepped beside Tony, amusement in his eyes.
"I don't know who hired you, but I know exactly what you can do, Deadpool."
Deadpool froze for a second, then exploded into exaggerated panic.
"Oh no! My secret is out! What do I do? I'm finished! Oh God!"
He looked nothing like someone who had just suffered serious injuries.
Nolan took the knife from Tony's hand, a faint smile on his lips.
"You gave me this blade."
An immortal target.
That was a first for him.
The next moment, Nolan's expression turned cold. Sand burst beneath his feet as he appeared in front of Deadpool in an instant.
The blade flashed.
Deadpool's arm was severed cleanly.
But it did not end there.
Deadpool tried to react, tried to escape.
It was already too late.
Against Nolan's speed and strength, escape was impossible.
In the blink of an eye, all four of Deadpool's limbs were cut off.
As Deadpool's body began to regenerate, Nolan crouched in front of him.
"Hey," Nolan said lightly, "does it feel good?"