What happened when energy overflowed?
Nolan did not wait to find out the hard way.
"Red Queen, analyze dimensional energy purity."
The response came quickly.
"Energy level at 99.8%. Signs of instability detected. Energy volume is extremely high. Immediate action is strongly recommended."
Below the warning, a dense stream of data scrolled past Nolan's eyes.
He studied it in silence.
Multiversal energy was far more difficult to control than he had expected.
This was unfamiliar territory. Even though he had been researching the multiverse ever since returning from the Spider-Man universe, progress had long since stalled.
The field was simply too complex, and his samples far too limited. His original ambitions were no longer realistic.
Time was running out.
Nolan weighed his options.
Once the energy fully saturated, he had only two choices. Either release it manually, or seek out the Ancient One and let her deal with it.
The second option barely lasted a second in his mind before he dismissed it.
He was already wary of the Ancient One.
Other universes lay beyond her control. If Nolan had any leverage against her, it lay in power obtained outside this universe.
If he went to her now, he might be exposing his hand.
That left him with only one path.
He had to initiate a second multiversal jump, and quickly.
Multiversal travel was dangerous. Among countless universes, some were unimaginably lethal.
The good news was that this would not be his first time. At the very least, he would not be going in blind again.
After some thought, Nolan called Sharon Carter to his office.
"Sharon, I'll be leaving for a while," he said calmly. "I need you to keep this confidential. Can you do that?"
He watched her closely.
As his personal secretary, Sharon was not someone he could hide things from. Even disguises using TX Terminators would not fool someone who had worked beside him for so long.
What Nolan needed to know was where she stood now. With him, or still playing both sides.
Sharon hesitated.
She understood exactly what he was asking, and that made the decision even harder.
Years of training told her she should refuse.
But something else spoke up inside her.
After a long moment, she nodded.
"Of course."
Then she asked quietly,
"Will you be gone long?"
"I'm not sure," Nolan replied. "But it probably won't be short."
The duration would depend on how time flowed between universes, he added silently.
After briefing Sharon, Nolan began arranging matters for his absence.
Locke Technology was already under intense scrutiny. Rival defense contractors, civilian tech giants, and even the Council were watching his every move.
He could not afford to disappear carelessly.
That night, Nolan donned the Mjolnir Armor and flew toward Stark Tower.
Despite their clash over the Superhuman Registration Act, Tony Stark was still someone Nolan trusted.
Inside Stark Tower, Tony was testing a brand-new suit.
During the confrontation over the Act, Tony, Thor, and the Hulk had attacked Nolan together.
The result was humiliating.
Even three against one, they had barely slowed him down. It had felt like trying to stop a tidal wave with bare hands.
Tony was not okay with that.
He was Tony Stark, the greatest genius on Earth.
So he had spent every waking hour since then designing armor capable of standing against the Mjolnir Armor.
J.A.R.V.I.S. broke the silence.
"Sir, Mr. Locke has arrived."
Tony's lips curled into a grin.
"Perfect timing. Send him straight to the lab. I want him to see that the Mjolnir Armor is already obsolete."
Moments later, Nolan walked in.
"Hey, Tony. Ever think about taking a break? Pepper might start missing you."
Tony snorted.
"Shouldn't you be worrying about your own mess? I'm just tinkering. You, on the other hand, seem very serious. All those women, how do you plan to handle that?"
"Cough. Tony, let's change the subject. We're still friends."
Nolan looked genuinely uncomfortable.
Once upon a time, he believed adults did not make choices, they took everything.
Now he was keenly aware of how dangerous that mindset was.
For now, an unstable balance existed among the women in his life, and all he could do was pray it held.
Tony laughed loudly, the tension in his eyes fading.
He enjoyed watching Nolan struggle.
"So," Tony said, pouring coffee, "what brings you here tonight?"
"I'm going to be gone for a while," Nolan replied.
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Like the Dark Elf incident?"
"Yeah. There are more crises coming, and we need to get stronger before they arrive. And I don't trust the Ancient One anymore."
Tony's expression darkened.
"Someone who can see the future is always dangerous."
Tony had never trusted her either. After learning that Ultron's birth was tied to her influence, his suspicion had turned into outright hostility.
He had even begun researching anti-magic armor, though progress was slow. Magic was not exactly his area of expertise.
"I'll keep an eye on Locke Technology while you're gone," Tony said finally. "As long as nothing like last time happens."
"It won't," Nolan replied confidently. "Once was enough. If it happens again, someone is actively provoking me. Politicians aren't that stupid."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Fine. But don't forget, you still owe me a meal."
Then he paused.
"Actually, you came at the perfect time. I just finished something special."
"Oh?" Nolan glanced at him, skeptical.
Tony was brimming with confidence.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., bring out the new armor. I want Nolan Locke to witness a true masterpiece."
"Sir, the armor has not completed testing. Deployment is not recommended."
"We'll test it in real combat. Enough warnings."
A silver suit emerged.
It stood nearly three meters tall, massive yet sleek, its design streamlined for speed rather than bulk.
Nolan frowned.
He searched his memory of Stark's armors.
This one did not exist in any version he remembered.
"Let me guess," Nolan said. "An anti-Nolan armor?"
Tony showed no embarrassment at being called out.
"This is my ultimate creation. I broke through multiple technological barriers. Compared to this, the Hulkbuster doesn't even come close."
His gaze burned with obsession. He even referred to the armor as "she."
Nolan straightened.
If Tony Stark said something like that, it deserved to be taken seriously.
"Then let's try it," Nolan said.
"Veronica system, initiate Anti-Nolan Armor deployment."
The armor locked onto Tony.
Its eyes lit up as his confident voice echoed.
"Let's take this outside."
Nolan smiled.
The Mjolnir Armor activated instantly.
At just over two meters tall, it looked almost small next to the Anti-Nolan Armor.
Boom.
Energy erupted as Nolan blasted through Stark Tower's reinforced glass, rocketing toward the empty outskirts of the city.
Tony stared at the wrecked room.
After a long pause, he cursed.
"Damn it!"
He knew exactly why Nolan had done that. It was a protest.
Petty, childish, and infuriating.
"Nolan Locke, you bastard!"
Thrusters ignited as Tony launched after him.
Nolan glanced back mid-flight.
The new armor was fast. Shockingly fast.
He sighed.
The Mjolnir Armor was not designed for mobility. It was meant to be deployed via carriers, not used for sustained flight.
Even with upgrades, that limitation remained.
When Tony finally caught up, he flipped Nolan off and shot ahead.
"Damn it," Nolan muttered, then laughed.
That was fine.
It meant the Registration Act had not truly damaged their friendship.
They landed.
Tony's voice rang out immediately.
"Looks like your armor is just a bulky hunk of metal."
Nolan raised his plasma blade.
"You might want to revise that opinion."
The air tightened.
They charged.
"Veronica, activate close combat protocols!"
Tony trusted the AI more than himself in hand-to-hand combat.
That trust was his foundation.
Two steel giants collided.
Plasma met reinforced alloy.
Tony's weapon lacked a plasma edge, but its hardness was unparalleled. Strength was his advantage.
Or so he thought.
The moment they clashed, the Anti-Nolan Armor was pushed back.
Tony's eyes widened.
"How is that thing so strong?"
But Veronica adapted instantly, cycling through combat data from countless sources.
Nolan grinned.
This was exhilarating.
Three minutes.
Dozens of impacts.
Tony checked his energy levels.
Three arc reactors powered the armor, and already he was down to sixty-one percent.
Absurd.
But then Nolan's excited voice rang out.
"Warm-up's over. Let's start the real fight."
…