Nolan felt a pang of regret.
If only he had brought heavier weapons, like a rocket launcher. The fight would have been far simpler.
Across the battlefield, Tony Stark stared at the towering Terminator with mixed emotions. His heart pounded in shock, but his expression wore its usual mask of disdain.
After all, he was Tony Stark.
Of course, he already knew Nolan Locke had been dabbling with artificial intelligence. What he hadn't expected was to see it in action on such a grand scale.
And yet, instead of awe, Tony smirked and spoke with his trademark arrogance.
"Artificial intelligence has limits. My brain does not. If Obadiah Stane hadn't stolen my arc reactor, I would've taken him down already."
His voice carried both bravado and bitterness.
Nolan chuckled softly, the sound low and cutting.
"It seems the great Tony Stark has nothing left but his sharp tongue."
That remark cut deeper than Tony was willing to admit. His pride ignited, and his temper snapped.
"Damn you, I'll kill you!"
The day had been a string of humiliations, each one delivered courtesy of Nolan. For Tony, who prided himself on being the center of any room, the sting was unbearable.
But anger was no substitute for skill.
Nolan stepped back with calculated ease, never giving Tony the opportunity to close in.
Pepper Potts, watching from the side, could only sigh helplessly. Why couldn't these two geniuses both among the brightest minds on the planet find common ground? Why must every interaction between them be a contest of egos?
Then again, she reminded herself, Tony Stark was not exactly known for being easy to befriend. His personality alone drove most people away.
Nearby, Agent Phil Coulson's eyes gleamed with something else entirely. Excitement.
The Terminator T-800 had exceeded his every expectation. When the military purchased their initial batch, S.H.I.E.L.D. had not been involved. Now, seeing firsthand what these machines were capable of, he could hardly contain himself.
As the fight wound down, Coulson hurried over to Nolan.
"Mr. Locke, if S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to acquire a number of these T-800 units, how much would it cost?"
The agent had already called Director Nick Fury during the battle. Even Fury, usually unshakable, was intrigued.
Nolan's lips curved into a knowing smile. He could smell business in the air.
"Eight million dollars a unit. Fair price, no exceptions."
Coulson frowned.
"But I heard that earlier sales were set at seven million per unit. If you're willing to lower the price again, I can guarantee you a very large order."
Nolan remained unshaken, his expression unreadable.
"That was a limited-time promotional price. What you're seeing now is simply the original figure. If S.H.I.E.L.D. is truly interested, we can discuss details later."
Coulson exhaled slowly, his shoulders tightening with frustration. Eight million was far from cheap, and the agency had to weigh every expenditure carefully.
Soon after, Obadiah Stane once Tony's trusted mentor, now his betrayer was escorted away in restraints.
Nolan made no effort to linger. He knew this was Tony's time to lick his wounds in private.
Yet as he glanced back at the billionaire's figure, Nolan's thoughts turned cold and sharp. This was only the beginning.
For Tony, the road ahead would be both glorious and excruciating. For Nolan, it was an opportunity.
In the quiet aftermath of destruction, Tony surveyed the wreckage around him. Once-pristine corridors now lay in ruin, steel twisted and shattered. The Iron Monger's rampage had left scars not only on the building, but on Tony's heart.
He sighed heavily.
Obadiah was gone, but there was no satisfaction in victory.
Because Obadiah had been more than a rival he had been family. His godfather. A man he had once trusted above nearly all others. That betrayal left a wound far deeper than any shrapnel.
By the next morning, the world was ablaze with news of the battle.
Images and recordings flooded the media: the monstrous Iron Monger, the sleek and daring Iron Man, and the relentless Terminator that tipped the scales.
Of these three, only the Terminator's origin was clear. Every headline emphasized that it had come from Locke Technologies.
Almost overnight, the T-800 became the hottest commodity on the planet. People dreamed of owning one, though few could ever hope to afford it.
The second point of fascination was the mysterious armored figure who had flown through the skies with such boldness.
Iron Man.
Speculation spread like wildfire. Who was he?
Many pointed their fingers at Tony Stark. The logic was simple: the battle took place at Stark Industries, and Tony was one of the very few people alive with the genius to create such a suit.
When the pressure mounted, Tony made a choice.
"Pepper, schedule a press conference. Immediately."
Some truths could not be dodged forever.
James "Rhodey" Rhodes, his closest friend, confronted him beforehand.
"Tony, you can't reveal this. Not now."
He handed Tony a small slip of paper.
"We've prepared a full cover story. The lines you need to read are written here. Stick to the script, and everything will blow over."
Tony nodded absently, tucking the paper into his pocket as he headed for the stage.
The conference room was packed wall-to-wall with reporters, cameras flashing in an endless storm.
Nolan, leaning casually at the back of the room, watched with a faint smirk. He had come specifically to witness this moment.
Today was not just the birth of Iron Man. It was also another payday for him.
Tony stepped up to the microphone, paper in hand. His face betrayed a storm of conflict.
"Ladies and gentlemen, regarding last night's events, the truth is…"
He hesitated. His fingers tightened on the note.
And then, with a decisive motion, he tore it in half.
"The truth is… I am Iron Man."
The room erupted in chaos. Gasps, shouts, cheers, and frantic scribbling of pens all collided in a wave of disbelief.
Tony Stark had just outed himself as the world's first real superhero.
Unlike Nolan's robots, which were remarkable but still machines, Tony represented something unprecedented. A man who had turned himself into a weapon of hope and power.
In that instant, the line between comic book fantasy and reality blurred.
Nolan clapped, the sound sharp and deliberate.
A new era had begun.
Meanwhile, Stark Industries' stock skyrocketed before Nolan's very eyes. His investments blossomed, multiplying his wealth almost instantly.
Rhodey, however, was fuming.
All their careful preparation was undone in seconds. But anger couldn't change the fact: Tony had made his declaration, and the world would never forget it.
Soon, Rhodey calmed himself. If secrecy was gone, then the only logical step was to secure rights to the armor for military use.
But when he approached Tony, the answer was immediate and firm.
"No. Stark Industries is out of weapons manufacturing. Permanently."
Rhodey argued, but Tony stood unmoved. He had made his decision.
For other companies, this might have been a problem. But Tony's brilliance gave him other paths forward.
Watching Tony's flamboyant exit, Nolan stroked his chin, half amused, half irritated.
"Without Tony Stark, life in this industry feels lonely… like snow without winter."
In the arms race of military technology, Stark Industries had once been his only true rival. Without them, the competition lacked thrill.
But if no rival existed, Nolan reasoned, then he would simply compete with himself.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. negotiations would soon conclude, and when they did, it would be time to unveil his next trump card.
The T-800 series required no immediate upgrades its practicality made it invaluable. The ExoSuit, an advanced exoskeleton for soldiers, wasn't even on the market yet, but Nolan knew its success was inevitable.
Still, that wasn't enough.
If he was going to push the limits, he needed something bold. Something functional yet cost-efficient, a weapon that balanced firepower with affordability.
And then, inspiration struck.
His mind turned to a design pulled straight from fiction: the APU, the mechanized exoskeletons from The Matrix.
Each unit carried immense combat potential with a relatively simple structure. The firepower was brutal, the production cost manageable, and the value unmatched.
Perfect.
Nolan's lips curved upward. The next stage of his technological empire had already begun.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
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.