Nolan's rise to wealth was swift, but so too was the speed at which he burned through it.
The Red Queen, the artificial intelligence he had set his sights on, required seventeen billion tech points to unlock. That alone was enough to make his temples throb every time he thought about it. And that was just within the system.
In the real world, the demand for money was a bottomless pit.
The Hive Base, his grand underground fortress, was not something that could be completed overnight. He had already invested more than fifty million into its construction, yet the outer framework alone would require at least another two hundred million before it was complete. That wasn't even counting the interior.
To transform the Hive into a perfect base, he would need cutting-edge equipment, modular defense systems, and state-of-the-art labs. That was where the real spending began. Even twenty billion might not be enough to fully outfit it.
For now, he was forced to make do with outdated prototypes and substandard components scraps that most advanced labs were already phasing out.
And the costs didn't end there. Factories had to be built, assembly lines maintained, workers paid, engineers recruited, and logistics coordinated. Even if his current products didn't demand much research expenditure, the practical expenses piled up like a mountain.
The financial hole was massive, and it was only getting deeper.
But Nolan's obsession with the Red Queen was like an unquenchable fire. No matter the cost, he would gather the seventeen billion needed. And beyond that, there were the T-800's remaining core technologies he still had to secure.
Headache.
The thought alone made him groan internally. Making money was hard painfully hard.
For a brief stretch, life seemed deceptively calm. Buyers had already delivered their down payments. It wasn't enough to purchase the Red Queen outright, but it was sufficient to acquire several other essential technologies for the T-800 line.
Soon, production lines in the outskirts of the city began churning out both T-800 units and SAR-1 combat robots in bulk.
One afternoon, Nolan walked beside Simon Phillips outside the Rock Technologies compound.
"We need top-tier researchers," Nolan muttered, rubbing at his temples as if to massage away the fatigue. "The next phase of our work is critical. We can't afford delays."
For days, he had been consumed with recruitment. The system gave him blueprints, but much of the research still demanded his direct involvement. If he had more brilliant minds at his side, he could accelerate progress exponentially.
"Boss," Simon replied carefully, "you don't need to worry about that yourself. I can handle recruitment."
Nolan gave a small smile and shook his head.
"No, you don't understand. It's not about finding researchers it's about finding the right ones. Bringing them into Rock Technologies is a two-way choice. They need to fit my vision."
His mind drifted to names that carried weight across the world of science.
Bruce Banner one of the most brilliant physicists alive.
Helen Cho an authority in the field of nanotechnology.
Ivan Vanko the man who had single-handedly reverse-engineered the Arc Reactor and forged the infamous whiplash harness.
Any one of them could change the future of Rock Technologies. But Banner was a ghost, always vanishing from one place to the next. Vanko was rotting in a prison cell. That left only Helen Cho, someone Nolan might realistically reach.
Today's goal was to secure a meeting with her.
He knew, however, that convincing someone of her caliber to join a company like Rock Technologies wouldn't be easy.
The car door closed behind him with a muted thud. As soon as the engine roared to life, a sharp alarm blared from the dashboard.
Nolan's pupils contracted.
"Out of the car!" he shouted.
Without hesitation, he threw himself from the vehicle. Simon reacted instantly, following his lead.
The very next second
Boom!
The car exploded in a violent fireball, flames licking skyward as shrapnel tore through the air. The shockwave rattled the windows of nearby buildings.
Both men staggered to their feet, staring at the inferno where their car had once been. Their hearts pounded in their chests. If they had hesitated for even a second, they would be corpses now.
"Damn it!" Nolan growled, face twisting with fury. He didn't need to guess who was behind this.
Kingpin.
Over the years, Nolan had accumulated many enemies, but most were already dead. Only one remained powerful enough, vengeful enough, and ruthless enough to strike back in this way.
Kingpin.
For a time, Nolan thought the crime lord had grown timid, hiding in the shadows. He had almost allowed himself to believe that. Almost.
Thankfully, he had never let down his guard.
"Boss… do we still go?" Simon asked cautiously, already pulling out his phone to call the police.
Nolan shook his head.
"Not today. Change the appointment with Dr. Cho. Until this threat is dealt with, we don't take chances."
He walked back into Rock Technologies with grim purpose.
Once before, he had assassinated Wilson Fisk using a car bomb. Now Kingpin had answered in kind, sending a message written in fire and twisted steel.
The police response was swift. Even the commissioner himself George Stacy arrived at the scene. Nolan recognized the man; he knew Stacy's daughter would one day be tied to Spider-Man's fate. But Nolan had no time for such thoughts.
When the police left, Nolan's face was calm, expressionless. Yet the air around him felt charged, heavy with the violence he barely contained. None of his employees dared approach him.
Night fell, draping the city in shadow. One by one, workers left the building until only Nolan remained in his office.
His eyes glinted coldly.
It was time.
He strapped on the Delta-6 exosuit, the powered armor gleaming faintly under the dim light. With a powerful leap, he vaulted from the sixth floor of the building, landing silently on the streets below.
From within Rock Technologies, a squad of Killers surged out to follow him.
These were Nolan's own creations modified from the original Killers, blended with SAR-1 technology. They lacked the raw power of the originals, but they were efficient, brutal, and obedient. Perfect for tonight's work.
In a city like New York, gunfire meant trouble. But these silent predators, these dark assassins, would sow chaos without a sound.
And tonight, Nolan had unlocked every feature of the Delta-6 suit.
He had avoided the darkness long enough. Now, he would embrace it.
Beyond the compound, shadows shifted. Unseen figures watched, hidden in the night. They belonged to different factions, but none of them would live to report what they saw.
The moment Nolan moved, tranquilizer darts shot through the air, piercing flesh before they even realized they had been targeted.
Nolan's true prey was elsewhere.
Kingpin.
The crime lord was cautious, almost paranoid. Nolan's investigations had so far yielded nothing concrete. But no empire, no matter how well-hidden, was without cracks. Kill enough men, burn enough safehouses, and the trail would reveal itself.
He would carve his way to Fisk through blood and fire.
In Hell's Kitchen, a decrepit factory sat abandoned, its walls tagged with graffiti, its broken windows letting the wind whistle through. Around a firepit, a gang of tattooed thugs drank and laughed, their voices echoing against the rusting walls.
The laughter died as one man frowned, peering into the shadows.
Something was moving.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
"Who's there?" the man barked, hand reaching instinctively for his weapon.
Then his eyes widened in terror. Behind the figure, dozens of glowing red eyes blinked to life eyes that did not belong to humans.
"Tell me…" Nolan's voice was cold, unyielding. "Where is Kingpin?"
The Killers fanned out behind him, mechanical predators lit by crimson optics.
The gangsters trembled, their bravado draining away.
"W-we don't know!" one stammered, shaking. "We're just small-time. We don't know where the big man is."
"Wrong answer."
A blade pierced through the man's chest before he even realized Nolan had moved.
"Where. Is. Kingpin?"
Silence. Only the sound of panicked breathing filled the factory.
"Kill him!" one thug screamed, pulling a gun. Bullets erupted into the air.
It didn't matter.
Nolan's face remained expressionless as the Killers descended.
Screams echoed through Hell's Kitchen that night.
Nolan never sought bloodshed. He considered himself a legitimate businessman, and murder drew unwanted attention. But tonight was different. Tonight demanded a message written in blood.
This war would not end until one of them was gone.
Kingpin had struck first.
Nolan would strike back harder.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Caught in the currents of this adventure? Tell us what hooked you—your thoughts and reviews keep the story blazing! Every 300 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter, propelling the journey even further!
Nolan's path is just getting started, and the story of justice is only unfolding. Keep riding the waves with Unbound Evolution and sail beyond the horizon!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.