Tony Stark could see it clearly in Nick Fury's single eye the shock, the moment of realization.
That look alone confirmed everything.
Nolan Lock's earlier warning had been right. Natasha Romanoff wasn't an ordinary assistant. She had to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Otherwise, how else could Fury possibly know that the arc reactor in Tony's chest was poisoning him?
Not even Pepper knew. He had hidden it from her precisely to keep her from worrying.
Yet Fury someone who claimed to be his father's old friend had kept silent, watching him deteriorate, and now had the audacity to use that very fact as leverage.
Disgust.
Tony Stark had never despised someone so much. Not even Obadiah Stane's betrayal had felt like this.
Nick Fury had managed to become the man Tony Stark loathed most in the world.
Tony stood up abruptly, his expression cold, his gaze like sharpened steel.
"Get out of this room. Now. And one more thing Natasha Romanoff is fired."
He didn't even wait to see Fury's reaction. He turned on his heel and stormed out, his voice echoing down the hall.
"Damn S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Even out of Fury's sight, Tony's fury burned uncontrollably. His fists clenched, and the bitter taste of betrayal lingered like poison in his mouth.
Back inside the office, Nick Fury's face had darkened. Once again, he had failed.
Why?
He had considered every angle, calculated every move, and yet both Nolan and Stark had slipped through his fingers. He wanted to analyze it, to dissect his misstep but the reasons no longer mattered.
The truth was simple: the Avengers Initiative had stumbled at the starting line.
Fury wasn't blind to the world's reality. There were plenty of enhanced individuals out there. But his reasons for targeting Stark and Nolan went beyond their power. It was their brilliance, their innovation, their unmatched intellect and yes, their vast resources.
Those men had the kind of wealth and influence no government could buy. Combined with their scientific genius, they could change the world. That was why Fury needed them.
But now? Now he was forced to consider new strategies.
Giving up was not in his nature. But forcing the matter further, for the time being, was pointless.
With a long exhale, he left Stark's office, his boots striking the floor in sharp, controlled steps. He wouldn't humiliate himself by lingering in hopes of another chance.
Meanwhile, Nolan Lock received a call from Tony not long after.
When Nolan heard how Stark had thrown Fury out and fired Natasha on the spot, his laughter rang through the room.
For him, Nick Fury's failure was cause for celebration.
But even in the midst of his amusement, Nolan had to admit: Fury hadn't been wrong about everything. The world truly was becoming more chaotic. Threats were multiplying, crises escalating.
As much as Nolan prioritized profit, he was still human. If Earth itself was destroyed, what use would all his wealth and power be?
What frustrated him most was the imbalance of it all. This world was too messy, too unpredictable.
Headache-inducing.
What he lacked, ultimately, was strength.
If he had the raw power of Odin or the Ancient One, many of these so-called crises would vanish like smoke. But the gap between himself and that level of supremacy was still vast.
Which meant he had to keep moving forward, piece by piece.
The first step remained the same: acquire Vibranium.
Unfortunately, Ulysses Klaue remained a slippery phantom. Finding him would take more than effort it would take luck.
While Nolan plotted in silence, elsewhere, another man was pursuing his own dark ambitions.
Hammer Industries.
Inside a sterile lab lined with half-finished machines, Justin Hammer stood across from Ivan Vanko, irritation written all over his face.
"Dr. Vanko, after all this time, you still haven't solved the drone problem?"
Ivan Vanko's expression soured.
"The issue with the drones isn't something that can be patched overnight. It takes testing, refinement. And on top of that, you demanded higher performance. You've only made the problem worse."
Frustration burned in his voice.
Hammer might call himself a doctor, but his expertise was business, not engineering. When he had recruited Vanko into Hammer Industries, he had promised freedom, authority, and the resources to innovate.
But those promises had evaporated. Now Hammer pressed him relentlessly, his patience thinning by the day.
"Damn businessman," Vanko cursed inwardly.
He had warned him before: the drones weren't ready. They weren't stable enough for production, let alone mass deployment.
But Hammer hadn't listened.
And now, because of the faulty programming, the entire combat drone project had collapsed. Orders had been canceled, buyers demanded refunds, and Hammer Industries' reputation had taken a devastating hit.
The military especially had begun to lose faith. If that trust vanished, the damage would ripple across every sector of Hammer's empire.
In Hammer's eyes, the man responsible for this disaster was Ivan Vanko.
But Vanko no longer cared.
His father was dead.
That single fact had hollowed him out in ways Hammer could never understand. He had never imagined his father would die so soon, so suddenly.
He would never forget the bitterness in his father's eyes, nor the words spoken with his final breath.
Tony Stark.
The cursed Stark family.
While working on the drones, Vanko had been pouring himself into another, secret project.
An exoskeleton suit.
Not a drone. Not a prototype for Hammer. But his own personal machine, forged with his hatred as fuel.
And when it was finished, he would use it to kill Tony Stark with his own two hands.
At last, word reached him.
Tony Stark had registered for a prestigious racing competition.
The moment the news reached his ears, Vanko's eyes lit up with murderous intent.
Finally.
The opportunity had come.
One week later, Nolan and Tony stood together at the race venue, tension sparking between them like live wires.
To outsiders, it might have looked like rivalry. But to those who knew them, this was simply how they were two geniuses whose egos clashed at every turn.
Behind Nolan stood Sharon Carter, her expression a mix of calm professionalism and quiet frustration.
Not long ago, she had been face-to-face with Captain America himself. The meeting had thrilled her, stirred something almost fanatical inside her. Yet despite her excitement, her assignment had not changed.
Director Fury had made that clear.
Getting close to Nolan Lock was no easy task. Lock Technologies had some of the strictest background checks in the world. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. had struggled to slip agents into its ranks unnoticed. The few who did manage to infiltrate only reached low-level positions, far from any sensitive information.
But Sharon Carter, though exposed as an agent, had been repeatedly brought into Hive Base's research zones by Nolan himself.
Each time, she had gathered valuable intelligence intel Nolan had intentionally allowed her to see.
Because the true secrets of Hive were hidden deeper still.
The real mystery was the Inner Hive the Hive Chamber.
Everything else Nolan revealed was smoke and mirrors.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark stood alone, arms crossed, a familiar smirk on his lips.
"You sure you're not racing?" he asked, his tone mocking.
Nolan's smile was calm, almost gentle. "If I get on the track, you won't stand a chance."
Tony scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Arrogant as ever."
Nolan offered no explanation.
The truth was simple: racing was, at its core, a human endeavor. But Nolan was no longer entirely human. Even though his super-soldier serum enhancement was incomplete, it had already elevated him far beyond ordinary men.
His reflexes, his stamina, his perception all sharper, faster, better. Against Tony Stark, who still relied solely on human limits, the outcome would be obvious.
Crushing him would bring no satisfaction.
And besides… Nolan had a feeling.
Today, the track would welcome someone very interesting indeed.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Caught in the currents of this adventure? Tell us what hooked you—your thoughts and reviews keep the story blazing! Every 300 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter, propelling the journey even further!
Nolan's path is just getting started, and the story of justice is only unfolding. Keep riding the waves with Unbound Evolution and sail beyond the horizon!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.