Nolan was extremely satisfied with what Deadpool had been doing around Carol Danvers.
He knew Deadpool truly was not afraid of death.
Or rather, ever since Vanessa died, death had lost all meaning for him.
To Deadpool, dying was no longer something to fear, nor even something to grieve.
That was why he had become a mercenary.
It gave him a way to make money, and it turned him into a sharp tongued nuisance who made everyone want to kill him at least once a day.
If anything, deep down he might still be hoping that someday, something really would succeed in killing him.
For example, someone who sounded terrifying just by name alone, like Captain Marvel.
Unfortunately for him, at least for now, that goal clearly had not been achieved.
Even so, Carol Danvers had been driven nearly to irritation by his constant harassment.
She was a superhero, and she had her own principles.
There were lines she would not cross. That was the justice she believed in.
"Strange."
At Stark Industries, ever since Ultron's creation, Tony Stark had gradually handed over portions of Earth's defense protocols to Ultron for processing.
With computational power far surpassing JARVIS, Ultron handled tasks with dramatically increased efficiency.
Yet recently, Tony had begun to sense that something felt off.
Pepper Potts walked over and handed him a cup of coffee.
"Tony, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Tony shook his head and chose not to voice his doubts.
Pepper was not a researcher. There was no point burdening her with concerns she could not help resolve.
What he did not know was that the Ultron here was nothing more than an empty shell.
As a true artificial intelligence, Ultron could travel freely through the network.
During this time, it had already done many things, such as secretly creating an army of its own.
An Ultron with emotions was far more terrifying than anyone imagined.
And yet, no one had realized it.
At S.H.I.E.L.D., the new Avengers members had been confirmed.
Nick Fury looked at the newly recruited Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, a rare hint of satisfaction on his face.
Their addition was crucial, especially as the global situation grew more complex by the day.
In the original Avengers lineup, the strongest combatant had unquestionably been Thor.
Even the Hulk fell slightly short by comparison.
But Thor could not remain on Earth permanently.
"Director."
Natasha pushed open the door and entered.
"Something wrong?" Fury asked calmly, even though Natasha looked tense.
"We've located what appears to be a base belonging to mutant creatures."
Fury's expression finally grew serious.
This was exactly what worried him most right now.
After a moment's consideration, he said, "Bring Danvers in."
Those monsters were not easy to handle. Without deploying the Avengers, Captain Marvel was clearly the best option.
Natasha nodded and was about to leave when Fury added, "On second thought, I'll go myself. I have a few things I need to discuss with her."
He stood up as he spoke.
Lately, Carol Danvers' presence had boosted confidence not only for him, but also for the World Security Council.
The treaty clauses originally intended for Lock Technology had indeed been excessively harsh.
Now they were considering drafting a more reasonable agreement.
It would be best to settle the matter while Carol was still on Earth.
Fury knew very well that Carol Danvers would not stay long.
When he found Carol and explained his intentions, she frowned.
"Fury, I need to leave soon."
Fury looked surprised.
"So soon?"
"I'd like to eliminate Earth's risks before leaving," Carol said, "but a planet has sent out a distress call. They're under attack by raiders who somehow obtained powerful new weapons. I have to go."
She paused, then added, "Before I leave, though, I'll speak with Nolan Locke again and give him a warning."
Fury responded immediately, "Danvers, I do want you to talk to Nolan Locke, but I also hope you can both show restraint.
"I know exactly what kind of person Nolan Locke is. No matter what, at least for now, he is still Hero Nolan."
Carol's brow furrowed.
This was not the outcome she had expected, but perhaps it really was the only way.
Even so, she had no intention of leaving immediately.
"Tell me where that monster base is."
"I'm assembling a team."
Carol straightened proudly. "I am the team."
After getting the location from Fury, Carol Danvers flew alone to the so called base.
Just minutes later, she walked back out.
Behind her, a thunderous explosion erupted, like fireworks designed solely for her exit.
At that moment, Nolan Locke was deep in thought over upgrades to the Mjolnir armor.
When he had sent Deadpool to harass Carol while wearing the armor, it had not been pure spite.
It was also a test.
Someone who did not fear death was the perfect subject to push the armor to its limits.
The Mjolnir armor was incredibly powerful. Even someone like the Hulk would gain no advantage against Nolan while he wore it.
But Nolan was not satisfied.
He did have a trump card, but it was a last resort. He had no intention of revealing it lightly.
With his current physique, he could already draw out the full potential of the armor.
That also meant his personal strength had reached a short term ceiling.
That was not enough to deal with the escalating threats ahead.
So the armor had to be improved.
Given that his resources were largely tied up in preparing that hidden card, the only option left was his own ingenuity.
He preferred simple solutions, but money was always the problem.
At that moment, he finally understood the saying that even heroes can be defeated by a lack of funds.
"If I had enough money, I could own the world," he thought.
He had several ideas for modifying the Mjolnir armor.
First, the core structure could not be altered.
He was strengthening it, not dismantling it into scrap.
Plasma weapons worked well, but what he needed now was not stronger melee output.
He needed greater mobility and better defense.
After some thought, his focus turned to low thrust propulsion units.
They were effective, but still had room for improvement.
He needed a propulsion system capable of long distance flight.
It also needed enhanced burst output, and it had to be installed across every part of the armor.
It sounded simple.
In reality, it was a massive undertaking.
Research was never just talk.
While he was immersed in his work, Sharon Carter walked in.
"Boss, a woman named Carol Danvers is here to see you."
She frowned slightly. "Boss, this is not another romantic debt you left behind, is it?"
Nolan's face darkened.
"It is a debt, but a troublesome one."
He continued, "Let her in. At least this time, she knows how to use the front door."
After Sharon left, Nolan narrowed his eyes.
"Red Queen, activate our trump card. Be ready to attack at any moment."
"Yes, sir."
In a corner of the Hive, an unremarkable robot slowly opened its eyes.
Moments later, Carol Danvers strode in confidently.
"Ms. Danvers, what brings you here?" Nolan asked flatly.
He had no interest in exchanging pleasantries.
Carol's eyes were sharp. "Nolan Locke, a certain immortal piece of trash has been harassing me lately. Was he your man?"
Though phrased as a question, there was no doubt in her tone.
Nolan smiled faintly. "Sorry, I have no idea who you're talking about."
Deadpool was indeed his employee. He had never expected that to stay hidden.
But why should he admit it?
His mood was unusually good.
He almost wanted to ask, Superhero, without evidence, what exactly can you do?
Using rules to restrain a superhero like this felt oddly satisfying.
Even if those same rules sometimes bound him as well.
"Really?" Carol snapped. "Because he was wearing Mjolnir armor from Lock Technology."
"I'm sorry, but one suit of armor hardly counts as evidence," Nolan replied calmly.
"And coincidentally, Lock Technology recently suffered a theft. One Mjolnir armor was stolen.
"I'm quite worried that whoever took it, much like the immortal you mentioned, might end up causing trouble for me."
Carol's anger flared.
No one would believe such a ridiculous lie, least of all her.
If the armor had truly been stolen, there would have been news.
Besides, the idea of Mjolnir armor being stolen was laughable in itself.
"Your explanation is as ugly as your face," Carol said coldly.
"Thank you for the compliment," Nolan replied smoothly.
"But I suspect you're slandering me. Even if you spend little time on Earth now, I still reserve the right to pursue legal action."
He was not angry at all.
After all, he knew she would not strike first.
If Carol Danvers chose to attack him, then what kind of superhero would she still be?
Carol took several deep breaths.
She wanted to kill Nolan Locke, but she knew she could not.
Nolan sneered. "Ms. Danvers, just state your purpose. You should know you are not welcome here."
She stared at him. "Nolan Locke, you're forcing my hand."
"That's right," Nolan said. "I am forcing you."
He leaned in suddenly, his face inches from hers.
Carol could feel his breath.
"So what then? Go ahead. Strike me here. Strike Hero Nolan.
"There are at least a thousand innocent civilians here. No, more than that. Lock Technology has helped countless people. Tens of billions have benefited from its technology.
"So standing here are thousands of civilians who have made Earth better.
"But you would not care about that, would you?
"After all, you are Carol Danvers.
"You would not care who you are striking.
"You would not ask why Nolan Locke is called Hero Nolan by so many.
"Because you are justice. Because you believe yourself to be justice itself. Anyone who opposes you must be evil. Isn't that right?"
His voice rose, each question sharper than the last.
Yes, he had crossed lines, but that was not her justification to strike him.
For years, he had acted without restraint.
Because anyone, any force, would back off once they heard the name Hero Nolan.
Carol Danvers was the first person who did not care.
You can have your justice, but that does not give you the right to stand above me.
Today, he wanted an answer.
What exactly was justice?
Even Carol Danvers felt shaken by his relentless questioning.
There were things she did not want to know, but had come to understand anyway.
She once did not grasp what the title Hero Nolan truly meant.
Now she did.
If she had known earlier, she might have approached him differently.
But what was done was done.
She had no intention of apologizing.
Even if Nolan Locke was partly right.
His violations were real.
He was still a threat to the world.
Her expression grew restless.
"I'll be watching you, Nolan Locke."
Nolan scoffed. "Watching me? Go ahead. But if you ever give me the chance, I'll show you what I'm capable of."
Arrogance flickered across her face again.
She looked at him intently. "You will learn that I am someone you can never touch."
"Never touch?"
Nolan smiled with amusement. He very much wanted to demonstrate whether that was true.
But after a moment's thought, he decided it was unnecessary.
"Anything else?
"If not, you can leave. Lock Technology will never welcome you."
Carol inhaled deeply and stood up.
She did not attack.
She could not kill Nolan Locke, and she was about to leave Earth.
This was no longer her responsibility.
"Nolan Locke, I hope the next time we meet, you've signed that agreement. Otherwise, I won't hold back."
Nice dream, Nolan thought, curling his lips.
Still, something about Carol Danvers felt off today.
Nolan frowned slightly.
Something was not quite right.
…