----
When Nolan arrived at Alias Investigations, he found Jessica waiting for him on the sidewalk, looking effortlessly striking. For someone who could punch a hole through a car, she still managed to maintain a long, graceful frame without bulky muscle mass.
Wearing a flowing dress, her figure was accentuated just enough not flashy, but captivating. With her sharp, sculpted features, she fits neatly into Nolan's idea of beauty.
Shame. Women only slow down my research.
Nolan pulled up beside her. Jessica spotted him, her face lighting up with a smile as she climbed into the passenger seat.
He handed her the bouquet with a casual grin. "So… where do you want to eat?"
"I know a great little spot. Let's try that."
"Whatever you like."
---
A short while later, Nolan stared in disbelief at the bowl in front of him.
Rice noodles. Just plain rice noodles.
The restaurant was owned by two Chinese immigrants, and when they saw Nolan, they insisted his meal was on the house.
Jessica, meanwhile, was happily digging in.
Nolan tried not to look too disappointed. "How's Matt doing?"
Jessica looked up, startled. "Matt? Oh, we're not really close. We've only worked together a few times," she added quickly, as if afraid Nolan might misunderstand.
"Got it. You've got blood on your collar, by the way."
Jessica glanced down. Nolan casually waved it off. "Before I came here, I was working in the lab. Dissecting a rabbit. Nicked an artery. Got a bit messy."
"You do lab work?"
"I'm a biotech grad. Didn't I mention it?"
"Nope. What kind of research?"
"Projects focused on advancing human health."
Their conversation deepened from there. Jessica was surprisingly engaged, hanging on his every word. Nolan couldn't help but smirk as her admiration grew.
"If you're ever interested," he said smoothly, "I'd be happy to give you a tour of the lab. Let you see the beauty of science up close."
"I'd love that," she replied.
Then, suddenly, Nolan's attention snapped to something across the street.
Under the flickering glow of broken streetlights, two figures were locked in a brutal clash slamming each other through storefronts, sending debris flying in every direction. Screams rang out as people scattered, trying to escape the chaos.
Jessica turned, frowning. Nothing ruined a date faster than a super-powered brawl.
"That's Spider-Man!"
Someone nearby had recognized the red-and-blue blur.
Jessica's eyes locked onto the other figure easily over seven feet tall, built like a truck, with thick green scales rippling across its massive frame. Its claws looked like they could rend steel, and its head…
A reptilian snout. Slitted eyes. A hulking upright lizard.
"That's… the Lizard," she muttered.
The two super-powered figures crashed into another car, rapidly approaching their side of the street.
So Connors has already mutated? Nolan narrowed his eyes.
That meant he'd officially cut ties with Oscorp. Nolan's plan to extract data through him had just fallen apart.
He remembered the timeline Dr. Curt Connors only transformed into the Lizard after being fired from Oscorp. As the Lizard, he no longer saw himself as human, but as the ruler of a new reptilian world order.
Ambitious. Intelligent. Dangerous.
And when he returned to human form, the guilt of his actions usually crushed him.
'Time to adjust the plan' Nolan thought. There was no panic only recalibration. That was the nature of science. Variables shifted. Strategies evolved.
Jessica didn't bother getting involved. She simply grabbed Nolan's wrist.
"We're leaving. Now."
"Agreed."
As the two continued down the block, Nolan couldn't help but smile. Talk about a lucky break. Not only was Connors in the wild again, but Spider-Man was doing cleanup duty as usual.
The kid was everywhere lately: fighting Green Goblin one day, the Lizard the next, all while still keeping up in school.
No wonder Stark took an interest in him.
Jessica remained alert, shielding Nolan instinctively from any flying debris.
But once they'd put enough distance between themselves and the fight, Nolan glanced back.
"…My car's still parked near the impact zone."
Jessica froze. "Wait. You drove that car?"
It wasn't cheap, and judging by the chaos unfolding… it was probably totaled.
"I'll file an insurance claim," Nolan said with a smirk. "Worst case, I'll ask Spider-Man to foot the bill."
Jessica chuckled. "Well, at least the food was good."
"How about we walk home?"
"I'd like that."
---
After walking Jessica home, Nolan didn't stay the night.
Jessica was still just a tool a variable in his long-term plan. The last thing he needed was emotional entanglements with test subjects.
He returned to the estate under heavy guard.
First stop: the lab holding Wolverine.
Logan looked like hell.
Even with his healing factor, the constant extraction of his regenerative tissue had taken its toll. His once-feral energy was now barely flickering.
When he saw Nolan enter, Logan gritted his teeth. "You're gonna die for this. As soon as the Professor's back up, he'll come for me."
Nolan just smiled. "You seem lively to me."
An assistant was cataloging the biomaterial they'd harvested from Logan's body, prepping it for serum production.
"If you tell me where Colossus is… or the others," Nolan offered, "maybe I'll consider letting you go."
"Go to hell."
"I figured you'd say that," Nolan replied, eyes glinting. "I just came to check on you. You're still my golden goose, after all."
He hadn't expected Logan to give up anything not yet. But that wasn't disappointing. Just… predictable.
Still, Nolan thought, if Logan's here, that means the Japan storyline is on hold.
That was HYDRA turf—specifically the domain of Madame Viper.
He remembered the intel: Viper was one of HYDRA's core figures, stationed in that region.
And Logan… had a history with HYDRA.
A connection worth exploiting.
HYDRA hadn't forgotten about Nolan. Especially not Baron Zemo. The man was obsessed with global domination and likely saw Nolan as the next "Captain America" to eliminate.
And with Captain Rogers out of the picture, the pressure was building.
But first…
"I need to finish what I started with Matt."
----
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