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Outside, Klaue rushed back the moment he received Nolan's email. This was getting ridiculous.
The so-called "secretary" he'd arranged for Nolan turned out to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the tea lounge, Nolan handed Klaue a piece of paper. "Say nothing aloud. There might be bugs in this room."
Klaue nodded, pretending to chat casually. "So, how've you been sleeping lately?" On his phone, he typed: What should we do? Fire her?
"Not bad. And your appetite?" Nolan's fingers replied: No. That'll tip her off.
The test subjects will arrive this afternoon.
Good.
…
Their conversation on the surface was mundane, but their fingers were busy exchanging critical messages under the table.
Nolan still found it insane how effective Black Widow was. Despite her fame as a hero in Avengers 1 and 2, her infiltration skills remained absurdly flawless.
Such was the power of S.H.I.E.L.D. able to rewrite a person's entire identity and background at will.
Suddenly, Nolan spoke aloud, "Oscorp lost military contracts after Norman's experimental failure. Their stock's plummeting. If you've got spare funds, buy-in."
"Uh… sure, sure," Klaue nodded, confused but compliant.
"Oscorp's a biotech company. I've seen their research it looks like Norman was developing a serum for enhanced human performance."
As Nolan kept going, Klaue quickly realized what he was doing: feeding S.H.I.E.L.D. false intel to divert their attention.
With their obsessive tendencies, S.H.I.E.L.D. would absolutely dig into it.
'Sorry, Green Goblin,' Nolan thought. I'm throwing you under the bus.
Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin, was Peter Parker's best friend's father and a major player. Sacrificing him was a tactical move.
The conversation drifted into Oscorp topics, with Nolan doing most of the talking and Klaue nodding along.
…
In another room, Natasha Romanoff listened through her earpiece. She immediately forwarded the Oscorp intelligence to HQ.
"Who is this guy?" she muttered. "Why does Klaue trust him so much?"
Though Natasha's original target was Klaue, given his dealings with vibranium and the fugitive Killmonger, Nolan's unusual standing and unexpected intel made her suspicious.
Her instincts as a veteran spy told her this man wasn't ordinary.
She wanted to investigate his lab but decided to wait a few days so as not to arouse suspicion.
Soon after, her earpiece buzzed to life. A deep male voice came through.
"Forget Nolan for now. Just a tech guy. The Oscorp lead is solid. Keep your eyes on Klaue. With the Avengers split over the Registration Act, we need intel."
"You want me to leave again?"
"Remember, a spy completes missions by any means necessary."
"…Understood."
…
After parting with Klaue, Nolan returned to the lab.
This space was still safe for now.
All non-essential personnel had been cleared out. From here on, Nolan had to conduct the experiments himself especially since they involved his own biological data.
Logan was sedated on the operating table, hooked to a nutrient drip. Nolan had administered a high dose of ether; the mutant was still unconscious… but barely.
"Let's begin by testing fluid compatibility…"
Nolan picked up a syringe to draw more of Logan's blood only for the man's eyes to snap open.
"You're awake. No worries, just drawing a few more samples today," Nolan said calmly. Mood affected hormone levels, and he needed clean data.
"You… bastard…! If you've got the guts, kill me!" Logan roared.
He'd sworn this would never happen again not after the hell of the Weapon X program.
But it was happening again.
Still, Nolan only offered brief words of reassurance and continued extracting fluids: blood, lymph, and other tissue samples.
Then he drew his own corresponding samples and got to work.
"Lymph's not viable…"
"…arterial blood either. Platelet activity's too aggressive treating my cells like foreign invaders."
Logan's despair deepened with each mumble. This monster wasn't just dissecting him he was talking to himself about it like it was a chemistry quiz.
"Maybe this…"
Using his stolen Hydra knowledge of bioengineering, Nolan began formulating compound solutions. He gradually increased his concentration, seeking a perfect balance.
Finally, one test succeeded Logan's venous blood fused with Nolan's arterial sample.
"There it is. Just need the test subjects now."
Logan's eyes widened. "What the hell are you even researching?!"
For the first time, real fear flickered behind his rage.
He wasn't afraid of pain but of endless captivity and being drained dry like a science experiment.
But his only answer was the hiss of syringes.
A line of needles delivered translucent liquid into Logan's bloodstream.
His limbs twitched. He tried to curse.
"You—!"
And then he passed out.
"If it weren't for the ether messing with the data, I'd let you sleep forever," Nolan muttered, checking the reinforced vibranium cuffs again.
Better safe than sorry.
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100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter!