----
After Connors successfully lured Spider-Man away, Nolan let out a quiet sigh. 'Time to move again.'
With Peter Parker's curiosity piqued and the Green Goblin having vanished here it was only a matter of time before Spider-Man came back sniffing around. Even if Connors kept leading him away, repeat visits like this would eventually put the place on Tony Stark's radar.
And Stark wanted Peter on his side.
Fortunately, Nolan had already stabilized things at Oscorp. Norman Osborn was in custody, and the company was halfway his.
It was time to take full control.
The shares Norman held were as good as his now. He just needed to formalize it.
He messaged Klaue to initiate the final stage of relocation. In truth, the transition had already begun days ago only a few experiments had needed to wait for results.
Now, as he walked back into the lab, he glanced at Norman strapped to the table again.
It looked like the Goblin had surfaced once more.
"You made up your mind yet?"
Nolan tapped the edge of the desk, glancing over the Oscorp-enhancement serum files. The so-called Goblin Serum.
In his eyes, the underlying problem was simple: a genetic illness. The most straightforward solution? Gene editing.
Of course, in most human cases, gene editing was unstable and unpredictable. Alter a chain, and you risk unraveling a whole sequence. The consequences could be catastrophic.
But Nolan wasn't like most people.
Norman's face twitched. One side contorted in pain; the other twisted into that signature maniacal grin.
"Make up my mind? Bastard, I'll kill you!"
"Alright. Guess we're not doing this the easy way."
The Goblin was unmanageable. Every word he uttered was destruction, rage, or paranoia.
Nolan didn't care.
He didn't need Norman for his powers he needed his mind. His business acumen. His scientific talent.
Let him rage.
Nolan's focus was elsewhere.
He was still in the middle of acquiring several tech startups on the brink of collapse, not for profit but for access. Equipment, materials, and lab resources to build out his scientific empire.
Money was a means to an end.
He couldn't waste time managing boardrooms. That's what Norman was for like Pepper Potts to Tony Stark.
If not for the Goblin persona corrupting him, Norman probably would've turned Oscorp into a true rival to Stark Industries.
It was still possible.
Biotech is the future of the 21st century.
Nolan let out a small chuckle, thinking about an old joke from his past life. Then, ignoring the growling madman strapped to the table, he left.
Tonight, he had a date.
Jessica was almost his.
---
Outside Alias Investigations...
Jessica stood on the sidewalk, scanning the street with barely concealed anticipation.
She looked... elegant.
For the first time in ages, she wore a dress. A real one. Flowing fabric, soft lines, femininity, not the typical tough-as-nails leather or jeans she wore in the field.
Ever since gaining her powers, she'd sworn off skirts. They were too revealing when she moved fast, punched hard, or leaped into the sky.
But tonight was different.
A flashy gold-and-black sports car purred to a stop next to her.
"Evening, miss," said a cocky voice from the driver's seat. "You got plans tonight?"
Jessica turned and raised an eyebrow.
The man had a perfectly groomed goatee, aviator sunglasses despite the dusk, and enough hair gel to survive a wind tunnel.
Classic Tony Stark.
"I do," she replied flatly.
"Come on. Tell whoever he is that Tony Stark just invited you out. Say you've got a date with Iron Man."
Tony smirked, removing his shades with a flourish.
Jessica didn't even blink. "Good evening."
Then she went right back to scanning the road.
Tony stared at her.
"Well," he muttered to himself. "That's a new one."
A moment later, a modest-looking sedan rolled up to the curb.
Jessica's eyes lit up.
She stepped away from Tony's car and walked up to Nolan's. "Sorry I'm late," he said with a smile. "Got held up with some new lab materials."
"I just got here too," she smiled back.
"Here these are for you." Nolan handed her a bouquet of roses from the back seat.
"Thanks."
"I brought in a guest chef tonight," Nolan added. "You're in for something special."
He squinted at the luxury car still parked in front of them.
"Why hasn't this guy moved?" he muttered. "Doesn't he know street parking is enforced here?"
"He said he's Iron Man," Jessica said nonchalantly. "Asked if I had plans."
Nolan glanced at her. "The flashy guy?"
"Mm-hmm."
Nolan raised an eyebrow. So Stark had arrived.
Jessica noticed his expression and smirked. 'Was he jealous?'
At that moment, someone knocked twice on Nolan's window.
Nolan had already heard him approach his super hearing made sure of that so he rolled the window down without flinching.
"Hey buddy," Tony said, grinning. "You give me the girl, and the car's yours."
Behind the smile, Tony was scanning him.
Jessica Jones. Former superhero. Codename: Jewel. S.H.I.E.L.D. had a full profile on her. She'd dropped off the map after a traumatic incident, but Stark had been considering recruiting her again especially with the Registration Act looming.
But it was clear she wasn't interested in a pitch.
So he'd tried the charm angle instead.
Didn't expect it to fail.
Nolan gave him a passing glance, rolled the window back up, clicked on the turn signal, and drove around Stark's car like it was an annoying pothole.
Tony blinked.
"Did he just ignore me?"
"FRIDAY," he barked.
"Yes, Mr. Stark?"
"Run facial recog. Who was that guy?"
"Already done. Info on your HUD."
A transparent screen popped up in Tony's glasses. Lines of data scrolled down.
[Subject: Nolan
Affiliations: Oscorp Technologies (Shareholder – 51%)
Alias: "The Vibranium Dealer"
Intelligence Level: Classified
Clearance Notes: Involved in multiple biotech acquisitions. Under S.H.I.E.L.D. watch. Possible Wakandan connections.]
Tony raised his brows. "Well, well…"
"Oscorp's been tanking since Norman lost it. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s collapse just made it worse. If this guy's been scooping up shares…"
He reclined in the driver's seat, lips curling into a grin.
"Nolan. You've got my attention."
"FRIDAY keep tabs on Oscorp and this Nolan guy. And flag any ties to Wakanda or Stark Tech."
"Understood."
"But first," Tony muttered as the HUD switched modes, "let's finish dealing with the kid."
The engine of his sports car revved, and with a thunderous ROAR, he vanished down the street in a blur of gold.
----
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