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The sound of boots echoed!
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Klaue entered the lab, and his entire demeanour transformed. Gone was the lukewarm scepticism. In its place?
A broad, welcoming grin.
"My friend, Nolan," he beamed, opening his arms as if to embrace him. "You really are a genius."
He couldn't believe it was something that had stalled his entire research division for months… solved in less than an hour?
He'd always known geniuses existed in the world. He just didn't expect one to walk into his lab today.
Nolan smiled back, but his tone was cool.
"These two guys?" He gestured toward Loudsen and Modnar. "I don't like them. They've been calling me a 'Boy' and 'Bastard' this whole time."
He let that hang in the air for a moment.
"And when I'm unhappy… it messes with my productivity."
Bang. Bang.
Klaue didn't hesitate. Without even turning, he drew his pistol and fired two clean shots straight into their mouths.
The entire lab froze.
"Ha! Trash doesn't deserve to live in this world anyway," Klaue said, spinning the gun with a grin. "I judge people based on their value. Just like metal. Compared to Vibranium, everything else is dull."
"…Except Adamantium," Nolan murmured with a smirk.
Klaue's smile faltered for a second, but he recovered quickly.
"As long as you keep delivering, Nolan, I'll meet any request you have."
"I want a Vibranium shield."
Klaue nodded without hesitation.
"Done."
He turned to his assistant and whispered, "Bring out some Vibranium."
"You want me to forge a sonic arm for you?" Nolan added. "Shouldn't take long."
His eyes sparkled. With Vibranium in hand, he was one step closer to taking on the Wolverine. Partnering with Klaue was paying off.
Klaue was equally pleased. This young man didn't bend to pressure, had a vision, and, most importantly produced results.
A few minutes later, one of Klaue's men returned with a heavy metal case.
"This should be enough for your shield."
Nolan opened it. Inside was a hunk of gleaming metal.
He lifted it, placed it on a workbench, and brought down a lab hammer hard.
No sound. The impact disappeared into the Vibranium.
He nodded.
Perfect.
No, it wasn't enough to make him invincible but it'd be a hell of a start against Wolverine's claws. At least now, he wouldn't be shredded to ribbons in the first five seconds.
Still, he needed more than a shield. He needed preparation, tools, and leverage.
And Wolverine wasn't exactly the cooperative type.
"I'm claiming this lab," Nolan said, waving a hand. "Clear everyone out for the next few days."
Klaue grinned.
"All yours. Let me know if you need anything."
Once everyone had left, Nolan got to work.
He debated building a weapon alongside the shield but no. A classic circular design was still the best. Circular shields absorbed impact better, redirected force, and with the right edgework? Could even bounce.
Of course, it wasn't easy to master. Tossing a shield like Cap wasn't something every super soldier could do. That took skill. Practice.
But it was effective. There was a reason Howard Stark had designed it that way.
Thanks to Klaue's Vibranium research, the lab had all the specialized forging gear he needed. No searching. No scavenging. No DIY microwave setups.
Nolan crafted the curvature, thickness, and balance of the shield with precision. Every detail was optimized.
By the time the mould cooled, he was already sketching a new design for Klaue's prosthetic.
"Hey, Klaue," he said into the intercom. "Come in here. I'm ready to build your new arm. And get someone to bring food. I'm starving."
Klaue's voice rang through the lab.
"You've been in there two days! I thought you were trying to outdo Iron Man."
Nolan chuckled.
"I'm not that flashy playboy."
Klaue entered with a new data set in hand.
"Here's the info you asked for."
"Perfect," Nolan nodded. "You'll see results soon."
Just then, Klaue's assistant walked in tall, curvy, elegant. Right behind her came another woman, fit and striking.
Klaue threw his arm around the assistant and gave her a kiss.
"Nolan, you Eastern folks have that saying, right? Something about knowing when to loosen and when to tighten?"
He gestured at the second woman.
"Eat, rest, enjoy. This is Delina. She's yours. She'll stay with you for anything you need."
Nolan gave her a quick once-over.
A real head-turner. Hourglass figure. Smooth skin. Probably Eastern European.
Not bad.
He grinned. "Thanks. However, what I'd really like… is a proper martial arts coach. Shield's not much good if I don't know how to use it."
Klaue laughed.
"That can be arranged. Delina's yours. She'll stay with you. And don't worry we'll get you whatever you need. But in exchange… I may have more puzzles for you to solve."
"Fair enough."
Nolan accepted.
If he rejected the offer, Klaue would just get suspicious. The guy might've been beaten down by Ultron, but he was still a lifelong arms dealer paranoia was in his DNA.
Nolan wasn't bothered. Let the girl stay.
Besides, back on his old Earth, he'd never even tried something like this. There's no reason to play Monk now. This was a new world.
New rules.
Klaue left with his assistant, and Nolan sat down with a plate of food. The last few hours had drained him more than he'd realized.
Even a super soldier needed fuel.
As he chewed a piece of roast beef, Delina knelt beside him and slipped under the table with a sly look.
"This beef is really good," Nolan muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
He sank his teeth into another bite.
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100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter!