Right now, deep in the safehouse workshop, Nathan was putting the final touches on his most ambitious engineering project yet—a compact but ultra-high-powered electric arc furnace.
The base and the furnace walls were already constructed using specialized acidic and alkaline refractory materials, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures without structural compromise.
The furnace lid, door, ladle, and main housing had also been carefully assembled.
Over the past several days, Nathan had incorporated a slew of advanced steel-melting technologies into his design:
High-pressure long arc operation
Water-cooled furnace walls and lid
Foamed slag processing for purification
External heat source integration for pre-melting
The only remaining component—the critical piece—was the graphite electrode.
In electric arc steelmaking, graphite electrodes are the conduits for high-voltage electricity, forming arcs that generate the searing heat needed to melt even the toughest metals. Without this, the furnace would be nothing more than an empty shell.
Fortunately, HYDRA's data vaults had yielded exactly what he needed.
Tucked away in their archives were prototypes and schematics—the very materials Howard Stark had used to forge Captain America's Vibranium shield decades ago.
Using those designs, Nathan painstakingly recreated the graphite electrode, aligning it perfectly within the furnace core.
Finally, he stood before it—a waist-high, fully functional arc furnace, specifically tailored to melt Vibranium.
He had done it.
Nathan's eyes sparkled with satisfaction as he inspected the completed machine. He moved quickly, connecting the external power source and placing a chunk of raw Vibranium into the charge chamber.
With a deep breath, he flipped the power switch.
A blinding arc of electricity surged into the graphite electrode, erupting in a searing stream of energy that cracked through the air like thunder.
The Vibranium began to glow—first red, then orange, and eventually a blinding yellow as it began to liquefy under the immense heat.
The impossible was happening.
The indestructible metal was turning into molten liquid.
With careful control, Nathan directed the flow of the glowing Vibranium into a custom-built mold positioned beside the furnace. The mold was reinforced to withstand the heat, and shaped precisely to his specifications.
Hisssss!
Steam erupted as the molten metal cooled.
BOOM! BOOM!
Hydraulic arms pounded the metal, compressing it layer by layer.
After several tense minutes, the system powered down. The loud hum of machinery faded into silence.
Creeeeak...
The mold cracked open.
And from the steam and smoke emerged a brilliant, silver-toned shield.
Its surface gleamed with a cold, polished luster. It radiated strength.
The inner grip was laced with super-tough synthetic fibers, allowing for both comfort and high-impact endurance. The curvature was perfect. The balance was flawless.
Nathan reached out and picked up the shield.
For a moment, he was speechless.
His very own Vibranium shield.
The sense of accomplishment hit him like a wave. He wasn't just copying a superhero—he was walking the same path, on his own terms.
To test its strength, Nathan turned to a stack of solid steel blocks nearby.
With a clean strike, the shield split the block in half like it was paper.
He muttered, "No wonder it's called the miracle metal... Vibranium's hardness and energy distribution are far beyond conventional alloys."
But he wasn't finished.
Next, he secured the shield onto a plastic mannequin and fired a bullet straight at it.
BANG!
The shot struck dead center—but the mannequin didn't even budge.
Nathan nodded in appreciation. "That explains why Captain America can leap from buildings with this thing and walk away without a scratch."
It wasn't that Cap's body could take a hundred-foot drop—it was that the Vibranium absorbed the kinetic impact, distributing it across the surface and minimizing trauma.
Nathan glanced at his own hands.
Physically, he was now on par with Captain America—thanks to months of rigorous training and an optimized body formula.
But even with that, a fall from ten stories would still kill him without the shield.
He gripped the Vibranium tightly. "Now at least I've got solid defense."
But defense was only one half of the battle.
It was time to finish his full loadout.
Beside him on the workbench were three electromagnetic pulse grenades and a compact electromagnetic pulse gun—all modeled after HYDRA's technology.
They weren't just flashy tools.
These devices were potent enough to disable electronics and scramble security systems, even temporarily shutting down enhanced prosthetics.
Next to them sat three pairs of strong magnetic handcuffs, designed to lock onto superhuman limbs.
HYDRA once used these to restrain Captain America in an elevator ambush.
Had Cap not managed to kick one of the handcuffs away, it might have worked.
With all three pairs in full use, even enhanced individuals would struggle to break free.
Beside the handcuffs was one final device: a neurotoxin button.
When triggered, this small adhesive patch would release a fast-acting paralytic agent through the skin, rendering the victim immobile in seconds.
All of these were created from HYDRA's recovered blueprints.
There was one more device Nathan wanted to build—a sonic disruptor.
This weapon, used by a bald villain in Iron Man, released ultrasonic pulses that interfered with the nervous system, causing people to collapse in pain or lose control over their bodies.
It was brilliant—and effective against groups.
Unfortunately, HYDRA didn't have the schematics.
And Nathan's knowledge of bioacoustics and neuro-wave interference wasn't strong enough yet to reverse-engineer it.
But the neurotoxin device was almost finished.
He loaded the substance into a test dish and activated the analytical software.
The computer whirred to life, scanning molecular chains and reaction profiles.
One by one, green checkmarks popped up on the screen.
When the final indicator blinked green, the system beeped.
"Neurotoxin meets the standard."
Nathan allowed himself a rare smile. "Perfect."
He injected the toxin into the button casing and sealed it shut.
With that, his final tool was ready.
Standing back, he surveyed the workbench.
Shield: finished.
EMP grenades and gun: finished.
Magnetic handcuffs: finished.
Neurotoxin device: complete.
"The preparations are done," he said softly. "Time to rest. Tomorrow... we move."
He packed up the workshop and turned off the lights.
As he stepped into the main living space of the safehouse, he saw Claude sitting on the couch, flipping through a children's book.
Elizabeth was curled up asleep on his lap, her tiny body rising and falling gently, with a trace of drool sparkling on the edge of her lips.
Claude carefully scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom, tucking her in with practiced affection.
When he returned, he looked at Nathan. "Is it done?"
Nathan nodded. "Yeah. Everything's ready."
A pause.
Then Nathan asked, "Do you have any updates on Wolverine—James Logan?"
It had been two weeks since Nathan first learned Logan's rough location. But with Logan's constant traveling, he wasn't sure if the mutant had moved on.
Claude sighed. "Honestly... no. I've lost contact with most of the outside world. We're still being hunted by HYDRA. If I try to reach out, they'll find us."
"I'm staying low until things cool down."
Nathan looked disappointed but nodded. "Makes sense."
That meant he'd have to go find Wolverine the old-fashioned way—by tracking him down personally.
Claude stepped closer, resting a hand on Nathan's shoulder.
"Stay safe, brother. I don't know exactly what you've been through—but I know you're not normal."
"You've got something. Something real."
"You're being hunted by one of the most powerful organizations on Earth—and you're still standing."
"If you ever need help—or funding—I've got your back. Just say the word."
Nathan nodded slowly.
And without saying anything else, he stepped into the night.
-
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