Nolan's shot looked simple, almost unremarkable.
Was Ultron really finished?
As Ultron's robots fell from the sky like rain, everyone finally let out the breath they had been holding.
It certainly looked that way.
Those machines had placed immense pressure on all of them.
But now, at last, the crisis seemed to be over.
"Nolan, we really owe this one to you."
Tony Stark walked over, his voice still carrying lingering fear.
Nolan smiled.
"We were lucky. Ultron wanted to destroy humanity, but deep down, it was obsessed with becoming human."
"Exactly," Tony said with a wry smile.
From a purely rational standpoint, Ultron's desire to become human was foolish.
And yet, when you thought about it, it made perfect sense.
Ultron longed to be human.
"Still," Tony continued, glancing at Nolan, "even though the crisis is over, your troubles are probably just beginning."
"No," Nolan replied casually. "You've got it wrong. It's our troubles."
He was perfectly relaxed.
He knew what Tony was referring to. The robots.
But so what?
That was a problem for later.
This was not just his issue.
Ultron had been created jointly by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.
The crisis had been resolved, but compared to the consequences Nolan would face, the destruction caused by Ultron was the bigger headache.
Tony sighed and nodded helplessly.
Nolan was right. None of them were getting out of this cleanly.
Natasha Romanoff approached them.
"Gentlemen, Director Fury would like to speak with both of you."
Nolan let out a short laugh.
"Looks like you're representing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s interests now."
Natasha did not deny it.
Tony frowned slightly.
This was exactly what he disliked about the Avengers.
He knew he had made a catastrophic mistake, but the Avengers should not have informants within their own ranks.
No one liked knowing that one of their teammates was effectively reporting on them.
Nolan spoke first.
"Sorry. I need to go rest. This battle went on far too long, and Locke Tech has a lot to deal with."
Nick Fury?
Who was he, really?
If he wanted to talk, he could come in person.
The indifference in Nolan's eyes made Natasha visibly displeased.
In her view, Nolan Locke should have been panicking, scrambling to explain himself after being exposed for embedding such a dangerous backdoor system in his commercial robots.
But clearly, Nolan Locke had no such awareness.
Tony glanced at Nolan as well.
The answer had surprised him too.
Nolan looked at Tony meaningfully.
"Tony, don't you think you should prepare yourself as well?"
Tony paused, conflicted, then nodded.
"You're right. I should."
Ignoring Natasha entirely, Nolan began dealing with the aftermath of the battle.
The robots he had mobilized could not possibly be charged to their owners. That alone would cost a fortune, not to mention the fighting at Kamar-Taj.
In just a few days, Locke Tech had suffered enormous losses.
But financial damage was not the real problem.
Public opinion was.
That was the true storm he now faced.
Even if he had brushed Natasha aside, Nolan understood how serious the situation was.
For a businessman, public reputation was everything.
Locke Tech's public relations department went into full emergency mode.
Although the situation was troublesome, Nolan was not overly worried.
Public opinion was the easiest thing to steer.
He had indeed activated the Special Mobilization Order, but its very existence had been designed with public perception in mind.
His backdoors were far more than a single command.
If pushed hard enough, he could forcibly requisition every Locke Tech robot on the planet.
But once the owners' consent was involved, the nature of the action changed entirely.
As waves of condemnation and protests erupted around the world, Nolan remained unshaken.
Under Red Queen's control, carefully prepared public statements and media responses were released one after another.
The effect seemed slow on the surface, but the data proved that every day, public sentiment was shifting in his favor.
At the same time, the White House finally made its move.
Over several days, meetings were held one after another. Not just at the White House, but also at the Security Council.
They were not only discussing Locke Tech, but Tony Stark and other superpowered individuals as well.
The threat posed by superhumans was simply too great. A bill that had once been shelved was brought back onto the table.
"We need to place restrictions on superhumans," a council member said.
"The existence of these individuals already poses a serious threat to global security. Many of them operate without even revealing their identities. If they decide to act against us, how are we supposed to respond?"
"Exactly," another agreed. "Superhumans must be regulated. They cannot be allowed to use their powers without restraint. The Superhuman Regulation Act must be enacted this time."
At the mention of the bill, many faces showed clear interest.
"But what if they refuse to comply?" one member asked hesitantly.
"These people are incredibly powerful. Forcing compliance could lead to even greater chaos."
The member who had proposed the idea earlier frowned.
"Refuse? Then we fight.
Strip them of their status, freeze their assets, blacklist them, and restrict every aspect of their movement. No one gets to act without consequences."
Some hesitated. Others nodded decisively.
But no one openly opposed it.
Superpowers might belong to individuals, but how those powers were used, they argued, concerned all of humanity.
As more votes lined up in favor, the proposing council member's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
Nolan Locke.
No one could stop Hydra from ruling the world.
Years ago, he had personally ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to launch a nuclear strike, and that missile had achieved its intended result.
This time, no one would come to save Locke Tech.
A flash of fanaticism passed through his eyes before disappearing entirely.
Foolish Pierce.
At last, the chairperson spoke.
"With 93 percent approval, the proposal passes. We will now draft the Sokovia Accords."
Stark Industries
Tony Stark and Nolan sat together.
Bruce Banner and Hank Pym were with them.
This was an internal meeting of the Watchers.
"The damage caused by unchecked superhuman power is too great," Tony said.
This crisis had been born from Ultron, something he and Bruce had created themselves.
Hank Pym frowned.
"But humanity needs powerful tools. We still do not fully understand what caused this disaster. It cannot all be blamed on you. At the very least, power itself should not be condemned."
"Maybe," Bruce said suddenly, "power should be restricted."
Nolan looked at Bruce, then at Tony.
Were these two already drafting a superhuman regulation bill before the Sokovia Accords even officially existed?
He rubbed his temples.
There was no way he would ever agree to something so absurd.
Power belonged to the individual.
Guiding how power was used made sense, but restricting its use outright was madness.
Once such a law passed, every powered individual on the planet would be living under constant surveillance.
Having power but being forbidden to use it was no different from living in an open-air prison.
Still, the idea had clearly taken root in their minds.
Nolan tried to reason with them.
"Power itself is not a mistake. I understand why you feel this way, but there are many powered individuals we do not even know about.
Some of them might be using their abilities quietly to make life a little easier. Nothing illegal, just small conveniences.
If we impose restrictions, how do you think they will feel?
Wouldn't they see it as a violation of their rights?"
His words failed to persuade them.
Bruce fell silent.
Tony spoke instead.
"We don't have to forbid them from using their abilities, but every use of power should be known."
"You want to expose every powered individual?" Nolan sighed.
This was the Sokovia Accords in all but name.
A thought struck him.
"You've already talked to Nick Fury, haven't you?"
Even if they supported regulation, they would not have arrived at such detailed ideas on their own.
Tony met Nolan's gaze and nodded.
"Yes. We met with Fury. He proposed a superhuman regulation framework.
To be honest, we agree with him. Powers should not be abused.
All powered individuals should be registered. Their movements should be monitored. That way, disasters like Ultron can be prevented, and superhuman crime can be reduced."
Superhuman crime was nothing new.
Just like the Hydra test subjects Nolan had rescued before.
This world constantly produced people with powers, for countless reasons.
Peter Parker was a classic example.
So were Deadpool and Frank Castle, in their own ways.
Would Peter Parker ever agree to reveal his identity?
Obviously not.
As a street-level hero, he had made many enemies.
Exposing his identity would put his family in grave danger.
Recently, Peter had spoken to Nolan several times.
Even though they were not the same Peter Parker, Nolan knew they shared the same purity of heart.
"In Queens alone, there's a kid who calls himself Spider-Man," Nolan said quietly. "Heroes like him. If their identities are exposed, their families could be hurt."
Tony did not look away.
"If they refuse, then they won't be allowed to use their powers."
His voice was firm.
"If everyone is registered, the world will be safer. Even if we lose a few street heroes, that's an acceptable price."
Hank Pym shook his head.
"It seems the Watchers are divided for the first time.
I don't know what the future holds, but this proposal is bound to spark endless controversy."
They talked for a long time, but no one convinced anyone else.
In the end, they parted on uneasy terms.
Outside Stark Industries, Nolan walked alongside Hank Pym.
"What are you planning to do about the Locke Tech robots?" Hank asked.
Nolan raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing needs to be done. People will realize the benefits on their own. All I have to do is make those benefits clearer."
The public and the White House did not share the same interests.
Ordinary people did not care about political power struggles.
They wanted convenience and safety.
The Special Mobilization Order sounded dangerous, but to civilians, it was also a form of protection.
Only those in power worried about what Nolan might do with it.
Their concern was understandable.
But Nolan was already a beneficiary of the system.
Why would he ever give that up?
Hank smiled.
"Looks like you're ready."
Time really did fly.
Although he was still a Watcher, he already had a successor.
The title of Ant-Man now belonged to Scott.
"Of course," Nolan said.
A cold glint flickered in his eyes.
Nick Fury had moved quickly.
It seemed that his confrontation with S.H.I.E.L.D. was about to begin.
That clash was inevitable.
Unless he surrendered his interests, this outcome had always been unavoidable.
And surrender was never an option.
The Superhuman Regulation Act?
No one truly liked such a ridiculous proposal.
As divisions formed within the Watchers, Nick Fury spoke individually with every Avenger.
Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton agreed without hesitation.
But Steve Rogers surprised Fury by refusing outright.
Steve looked at Fury, his voice icy.
"This law strips citizens of their freedom."
Fury's expression darkened.
"Freedom is built on peace. Tell me, what has your freedom brought us?
Ultron?
Or Locke Tech installing backdoors into commercial robots?"
Steve fell silent.
Fury's examples were impossible to refute.
But one truth remained clear to him.
"No one has the right to take away freedom."
They parted on bad terms.
In the blink of an eye, the once-united Avengers began to fracture under the weight of the Superhuman Regulation Act.
Even Peter Parker heard the news and went to find Nolan.
"Superhuman regulation?" Peter asked nervously.
Nolan remained calm.
"Relax. This law will never pass."