When Nolan said he wanted a vacation, he wasn't joking.
After months of endless work, his body and mind screamed for rest. The first destination that came to mind was Hawaii the perfect place to disappear for a while.
Despite living two lives and being reborn as a wealthy heir, the truth was, Nolan had barely taken time to enjoy any of it. His original self had spent nearly every waking moment buried in research, and after crossing into this world, the chaos of survival and rapid growth had left him with no space to breathe.
Now, with Locke Technologies thriving and the company's name spreading across the world, he could finally afford to relax.
The T-1000 project had already secured him an unshakable position in global military industries. Even the most powerful defense contractors now had to acknowledge Nolan Locke as a force to be reckoned with.
And with Baymax entering the consumer market, the company's influence had spread even further. The profit per unit wasn't enormous, but the staggering sales volume had already begun to reshape the corporate landscape.
Locke Technologies was becoming a titan.
And for once, Nolan had no immediate crises to handle.
Tony Stark had gone off racing again, living out his midlife adrenaline phase. Nolan, in contrast, decided to travel.
Traveling wasn't just leisure it was opportunity. In this world, networking was an art, and few things built connections faster than shared pleasure and adventure.
Naturally, Nolan invited Tony to join him.
They argued often, but at their core, they were still friends two geniuses who understood each other's language of invention. Traveling alone might be peaceful, but traveling with someone like Tony promised chaos, laughter, and the kind of moments worth remembering.
Of course, it also meant enduring Tony's notorious sarcasm.
Thankfully, Nolan had long since developed immunity. His mental armor against Tony's jabs was practically indestructible.
Sarcasm? Please. Nolan Locke gave as good as he got.
So off they went Nolan, Jessica Jones, and his assistant agent-secretary, while Tony arrived fashionably late with a few beautiful women Nolan didn't recognize.
Pepper Potts was nowhere to be seen.
After all, when Tony's health began deteriorating from palladium poisoning, he had passed the CEO position of Stark Industries to Pepper. While Tony raced and drank his worries away, Pepper carried the full weight of his empire.
Nolan couldn't help smirking at the irony. While Tony enjoyed the ocean breeze, Pepper was probably buried in board meetings.
"Classic Tony," Nolan muttered, sipping his cocktail as the Hawaiian sunset painted the sea gold.
Meanwhile, his own personal life was far less straightforward.
Ever since Sharon Carter's identity as an agent had been revealed, things between them had taken an odd turn. Nick Fury hadn't withdrawn her from her post.
To Nolan, that was the same as selling her off to him in exchange for information.
Not that Nolan minded. If anything, it was a win-win situation.
After several days of leisure, they finally returned to New York. For the first time in weeks, Nolan had the peace of mind to focus on unfinished business.
Chief among them was Ivan Vanko.
He had been serious about recruiting the man into Locke Technologies. But to make it work, Ivan first needed to experience true despair the kind that stripped a man bare before rebuilding him.
That was why Nolan had deliberately left him to rot in custody.
Now, he decided it was time.
He arrived at the precinct, confident as ever. Ivan hadn't been formally charged yet, so he should have still been in holding.
But when Nolan requested a visit, the officer at the desk frowned.
"Sorry, Mr. Locke. You can't see him."
Nolan's brows furrowed. "And why is that?"
The officer hesitated. "Because… Ivan Vanko escaped."
For a moment, Nolan just stared, stunned into silence.
His prized bird had flown the coop.
"What?" he finally said flatly. "You're telling me someone broke him out?"
He turned away before the officer could respond, jaw tightening. Someone had moved ahead of him and that someone clearly knew what they were doing.
At that same moment, inside Hammer Industries, Ivan Vanko sat across from Justin Hammer himself.
Hammer wore a smug, overly polished smile the kind that never reached his eyes. "Dr. Vanko, it's an honor. I hope you don't hold any grudges against Hammer Industries."
Ivan's face darkened. "What do you want?"
He knew better than to believe in free favors. Hammer hadn't risked breaking him out of police custody out of kindness.
"What I want," Hammer said lightly, "is for you to build me an Iron Man suit. That's all."
He had once dismissed Vanko as a failure someone incapable of creating a functioning combat exosuit. But after what he'd seen of Ivan's performance at the Stark Expo, Hammer had changed his tune.
Ivan might be unpredictable, but his genius was undeniable.
"I don't care what grudge you've got with Tony Stark," Hammer continued smoothly. "You can chase your revenge all you like after you finish building what I need. Create the suit I want, and you're free to do whatever you please."
Ivan's expression shifted. Nolan Locke's words still echoed faintly in his mind There are better ways to destroy a man than killing him.
But right now, as a fugitive with nowhere to hide, choice was a luxury he didn't have.
Fine, then. He would kill Tony Stark first.
The two men exchanged a glance and a handshake.
A deal was made.
When word of Ivan's disappearance reached Nolan, he didn't waste time. After warning Tony to stay alert, he turned back to his projects. There was no point chasing a ghost.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
It wasn't just Ivan's exosuit blueprints that interested him it was the man's miniature arc reactor. The technology was brilliant, compact, and efficient. It could easily fill the one gap Nolan's arsenal still lacked: a stable, high-density energy source.
He could always purchase something similar through his system store, but if he could acquire it for free?
All the better.
"Sir," the Red Queen's voice suddenly echoed through his commlink, calm and precise. "Target located. Possible match: Ulysses Klaue."
Nolan straightened immediately. "You found him?"
"Confirmed. Visual and biometric similarity: 95.78 percent."
That was high enough to be certain.
"Where is he?"
"New York."
Nolan blinked, momentarily thrown.
"New York? What the hell is Klaue doing here?"
Then he smirked. "Never mind. I'll find out myself."
He made his way to a seedy underground casino Klaue's last known location. The air reeked of alcohol and smoke, laughter and curses mixing in the heavy haze.
Nolan shook his head. "Some things never change."
Catching Ulysses Klaue wouldn't be hard. The real problem was how messy it might get.
Two T-1000 units flanked him silently, disguised as ordinary men. Their liquid-metal composition made them indistinguishable from humans at a glance.
Inside a private gambling room, Klaue sat surrounded by loud onlookers cheering over their bets.
When Nolan entered, the noise died instantly.
"I'm here for Ulysses Klaue," he said evenly. "If you're not him, leave now."
His voice was calm, almost polite.
But not everyone listened.
A tattooed thug sneered, drawing his gun.
He never fired.
A T-1000 blurred forward, twisting his arm and snapping his neck in one smooth motion.
Panic erupted. Klaue tried to bolt, but another T-1000 seized him by the throat before he could move.
"I I haven't done anything to you!" Klaue stammered, face pale.
"Of course not," Nolan replied with a faint smile. "I'm here to talk business."
"Business?" Klaue hesitated, eyes flicking toward the door as the room cleared. "You mean… vibranium?"
Nolan nodded once.
Klaue straightened, regaining a hint of his usual arrogance.
"Then you shouldn't have made such an entrance," he said, adjusting his jacket with forced dignity. "Vibranium's exclusive. Only I have access to it. One gram, ten thousand dollars."
Nolan's expression didn't change. "I have a better offer."
Klaue smirked. "Let's hear it."
Nolan leaned forward slightly, voice calm but edged with quiet authority.
"One gram one dollar."
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