Dealing with JARVIS was no easy task.
Though Nolan trusted Red Queen's capabilities and had been upgrading her core code nonstop surpassing JARVIS was still a monumental challenge. After all, Tony Stark was constantly refining his AI as well.
Fortunately, Nolan's target wasn't the whole system just a simple doorbell.
Cracking an auxiliary subsystem to stir up a bit of chaos for Tony Stark was, for him, a walk in the park.
A few minutes later, just as Tony was enjoying himself, the sound rang out
Ding-dong!
The doorbell chimed sharply, loud enough to make Tony freeze mid-motion.
"F !"
He swore furiously, veins throbbing at his temple. Whoever was behind this was a dead man walking.
Beside him, the woman in his arms stretched lazily, glancing down at him with a teasing glimmer in her eyes.
Tony's face darkened. Before he could even recover, the doorbell rang again. And again.
Over and over, until Tony felt like he might lose his mind.
Cursing under his breath, he grabbed his shirt and started dressing.
"Babe, we'll continue this later."
The woman smiled knowingly, still sprawled on the bed, her eyes full of mischief.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Nolan was calmly counting the seconds.
"Three… two… one "
With a hiss, the mansion's front doors slid open.
"F ! Nolan Lock! You son of a !"
Even before he saw him, Tony already knew who it was. He didn't need JARVIS to confirm it. Only one man in the world had both the skill and the audacity to mess with him like this Nolan Lock.
Nolan greeted him with that same infuriatingly calm smile.
"Nice night, Tony. You look… tense. Everything all right?"
Tony glared. "You show up at this hour, ring my bell like a madman, and have the nerve to ask if I'm all right? What the hell do you want, Nolan?"
"Relax," Nolan said smoothly. "You did say you had something to show me. I just finished some work and came right over. You should be grateful I'm this dedicated."
Tony snorted, crossing his arms. "Dedicated? You're lucky I don't have you thrown out."
From the second floor, a tall, curvy woman in a silk robe descended the stairs. She was definitely not Pepper Potts.
When she saw Nolan, her eyes brightened, and she blew him a kiss.
Ah, open societies… how convenient.
Nolan smirked and returned the gesture, just to spite Tony.
Tony saw it too. He just sighed, clearly unfazed. "She's just for fun. Don't flatter yourself."
"So," Tony continued, "what's so important that you had to ruin my night?"
"I told you I'm here to see that little toy you wanted to brag about."
That got Tony's attention. His irritation faded, replaced with smug anticipation.
"Well, you're in luck. Because what I've built makes your suits look like junkyard scrap."
"Oh?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
Tony's grin widened, but he didn't answer immediately. "You'll see. But first did you catch the ones who attacked you?"
"One's dead. The other jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge."
Tony frowned. "Damn lunatics. I've been getting threats too. So far, no one's acted on them but it's getting serious. A group calling themselves the Ten Rings has already carried out several terror attacks."
Nolan's eyes narrowed. The Ten Rings… So that was it. The same group that had once kidnapped Tony Stark.
Tony sighed heavily. "Maybe Fury's right. Maybe the world really does need something like the Avengers."
Nolan tilted his head, intrigued. "You thinking of joining?"
Tony hesitated. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has been reaching out. I'm not sure yet. We need an organization that can protect the world but I'm worried about what they'll turn into."
"I get it," Nolan said. "So why not make one ourselves?"
Tony blinked, then his eyes widened as the idea sank in.
"An organization that answers to no government," Nolan continued, his tone calm and deliberate. "One that unites the brightest and strongest when a real crisis hits. We need independence and vision."
Tony nodded slowly, excitement replacing doubt.
"You're right. If the Avengers can exist, why can't we? A separate network one that steps in when the world's official heroes fail."
Nolan smiled faintly. "Exactly. And we'll call it... The Watchers. Guardians of last resort. The final line of defense."
Tony's grin returned. "Perfect. I like it."
With that, the Watchers were born just two men, a vision, and the arrogance to reshape the world.
Nolan knew it wouldn't stay small for long. Someday, The Watchers would become the most formidable organization on Earth.
Tony leaned back. "Well, in that case, I won't join the Avengers. Let Fury deal with that mess."
"No," Nolan said suddenly. "You should join."
Tony frowned. "Why?"
"Because we'll need eyes inside. An official badge has its perks. Access. Intelligence. Protection."
Tony smirked. "You want me to be a spy?"
"Think of it as… networking." Nolan's grin was devilish.
If Nick Fury ever found out, he'd probably blow a gasket.
The two stayed up until dawn, refining the details of their newborn organization. Plans, roles, protocols it was endless.
Finally, Nolan yawned and stood. "It's morning. As much as I love world domination talk, I still need sleep."
Tony groaned. "We were building history here!"
Nolan rolled his eyes. "You were bragging. There's a difference. Get some rest, genius."
He started upstairs.
"Hey, that's my bedroom!" Tony shouted after him.
"Too late," Nolan called back lazily. "I called dibs."
Tony just stood there, fuming. "Unbelievable."
When Nolan woke up again, it was afternoon. His stomach growled loud enough to wake the dead.
"JARVIS, tell me there's food in this place."
"Of course, Mr. Lock. Seven varieties of burgers are available."
"Of course," Nolan muttered. "Figures."
After eating, he headed to the lab. Rows of Iron Man suits gleamed under the lights each more advanced than the last.
"So," Nolan asked, "which one's the masterpiece you wanted to show off?"
Tony's eyes lit up. "Not these. You remember the Hulk?"
"Bruce Banner? Sure. We're friends."
Tony blinked. "You're friends with him?" He shook his head. "Anyway after you killed Abomination, Banner disappeared. Rumor says he's resurfaced. So I made this."
He tapped a control pad. The wall panels slid apart, revealing a massive armored suit the Hulkbuster.
Tony grinned with pride. "This beauty can flatten the Hulk himself. My latest invention!"
Nolan studied it quietly.
"This big toy of yours looks… decent."
Tony scowled. "Big toy? Watch your mouth. This thing could crush your Thunderhammer suit into scrap."
Nolan chuckled. "Is that so?"
Then he raised his hand.
"Red Queen," he said calmly. "Show Tony our trump card."
A holographic projection flickered to life a towering mech, twice the size of the Hulkbuster.
"This," Nolan said, "is Titan. Twenty-four meters tall, thirteen wide. Armed with plasma weaponry, multi-layered shielding, and kinetic dampeners."
On the display, Titan faced off against the Hulk. The simulation began.
The mech moved with terrifying speed, its massive hand slamming down. The Hulk was sent flying in seconds.
A devastating display of raw power.
Within a minute, the Hulk lay defeated.
Tony's jaw twitched. "That's… a simulation."
Nolan smiled. "Of course. But you understand what that means, don't you?"
The implication was clear.
This wasn't just a machine.
It was a statement.
Nolan Lock wasn't playing catch-up with Tony Stark anymore.
He was leaving him behind.
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