The president's face went deathly pale.
He wanted to argue back.
If he had succeeded, everyone would have benefited.
Including those who were now loudly calling him a criminal of the state.
But no one cared about that anymore.
The process did not matter.
Only the result did.
And the result was undeniable.
He had ignited a war.
He had forcibly pushed Locke Technologies, a company that could have become a pillar of the nation, straight out of the system. Worse still, his actions had directly led to armed conflict.
No matter what consequences Nolan Locke might face, this responsibility could never be shifted away from him.
Among the conservatives, faint, barely noticeable smiles appeared.
They had won.
After a long silence, one of the leading officials from the progressive faction finally spoke.
"Step down, Mr. President."
The president snapped his head toward him.
The official's gaze was calm.
This round was already lost for the progressives.
Even though the man sitting at the center was the president, trading one presidency for national security and an end to the crisis was, for them, the least costly option.
If things continued, the consequences were no longer imaginable.
The president looked desperately at the others.
Some of the progressive members avoided his eyes.
Others met his gaze calmly.
But all of them conveyed the same message.
Only then did the president truly understand.
He had become a disposable piece.
If he agreed to step down, news of the war would be buried. His resignation would be framed as taking responsibility for some unrelated issue.
With luck, his name would fade from public memory.
If he refused…
He would be remembered in infamy.
"I will resign in two weeks."
He agreed without hesitation.
"But what about Nolan Locke?" he asked coldly.
"At least for now, I am still the president."
He was unwilling to accept this.
Even if he was stepping down, he wanted to see Nolan Locke suffer.
The congressman who had previously spoken with Nolan opened his mouth.
"Mr. Locke?
He will, of course, continue cooperating with us."
"But he launched a rebellion!"
The president roared.
"Jonas Bennett, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Jonas Bennett's expression did not change.
"A rebellion?
You mean the rebellion that occurred because of your actions, Mr. President?"
An innocent look appeared on Jonas Bennett's face.
The president's breathing stalled.
That was right.
If Nolan Locke were labeled a traitor, the stain would fall on him as well.
Damn it.
This time, he had lost everything.
Who could have imagined that he, the president of the nation, would be forced out by someone who had risen to power only a year ago?
"In that case, so be it."
The president spoke flatly, then turned and left without acknowledging the meeting any further.
He was already stepping down. What was left to fear?
Two weeks later.
Nolan watched the live broadcast as the president announced his resignation and formally handed over the office to Jonas Bennett.
It was over.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Nolan's mouth.
In order to secure the presidency, Jonas Bennett had offered him considerable benefits, along with a collection of leverage.
With those in hand, as long as Nolan did not openly rebel, political pressure would no longer be a concern.
But his ambitions did not stop there.
After the broadcast ended, Nolan called Jonas Bennett.
"Mr. President, congratulations on your successful election," Nolan said with a smile.
Jonas Bennett, newly sworn in, was in an excellent mood.
"Thank you for your congratulations, Mr. Locke. Rest assured, during my term, Locke Technologies will be our most important partner."
His words were carefully chosen.
They expressed support while also hinting that Nolan's continued backing was expected.
Jonas understood this clearly.
With a mind like Nolan Locke's and methods to match, Locke Technologies would inevitably surpass Stark Industries and become the most influential corporate force in the country.
A president needed more than prestige.
He needed support, including financial support.
Nolan responded immediately.
"Mr. President, considering that there are still many people in need across our country, I am willing to donate three hundred million dollars over the next three years to support public welfare initiatives."
Three hundred million dollars was an enormous sum.
Especially now, after a war and prolonged suppression, Nolan did not even have that much liquid capital on hand.
But that was not a problem.
With the promise of becoming the government's primary partner, making money would only be a matter of time.
Both men had gained what they wanted, and both were smiling.
Just as Jonas Bennett thought the call was about to end, Nolan spoke again.
"Mr. President, have you ever heard of Area 91? Or rather, do you understand what S.H.I.E.L.D. truly represents, and the existence of extraterrestrials?"
In an instant, Jonas Bennett's heart skipped a beat.
Area 91 was widely known, but only as rumor and legend.
In truth, very few people within the White House understood it clearly.
The former president knew.
General Ross, who had established the Hulkbuster facility, knew.
But before becoming president, Jonas did not.
Now, he did.
"What are you trying to say?"
Jonas asked in a low voice.
Nolan spoke without hesitation.
"I am not entirely clear on Area 91 itself, but I do know that within S.H.I.E.L.D., there is more than one extraterrestrial species.
Their technological levels differ, but they all share one thing in common.
They can reach Earth."
Nolan paused.
Jonas Bennett immediately grasped the implication.
If they could reach Earth, it meant their technology far exceeded humanity's.
"At present, Earth has not even discovered another intelligent civilization, much less matched such technology," Jonas said gravely.
"Mr. Locke, if you have an idea, say it plainly. I do know some of this. And honestly, it is deeply concerning."
Nolan nodded.
"I am a businessman. I want profit. But as a human, I am also worried about a potential alien invasion.
So I propose cooperation with the military to launch a planetary defense initiative."
"A planetary defense initiative?"
Jonas Bennett frowned.
He understood the purpose.
He also understood the scale of funding it would require.
"This would need to be discussed and approved by the council," he said carefully.
He neither rejected nor accepted it outright.
Nolan had expected nothing else.
To push Jonas Bennett into fully committing, he would need a compelling reason.
An actual alien invasion, for example.
In a few years, if the Chitauri invasion still occurred, pushing such a plan would be far easier.
But Nolan could not wait.
He did not know how long he would remain in this world. Nor could he be certain that Asgard or Thanos even existed here.
So far, there had been no sign of Thor.
More importantly, the first large-scale extraterrestrial contact in this world might very well be Galactus.
Trusting the Fantastic Four was out of the question.
Reed Richards was already dead, and the original solution had never been reliable.
Compared to that, Nolan trusted only himself.
What he needed was an opportunity.
An opportunity for humanity to recognize that threats existed beyond Earth.
For example…
The Inhumans.
A sharp glint flashed in Nolan's eyes.
They were powerful, mysterious, and undeniably real.
If conflict broke out, he would have the justification to advance his plan.
For now, he needed to finish what he was saying.
"In fact, a planetary defense initiative should involve multiple parties. Stark Industries, Oscorp, and others could all participate.
We need early detection systems and countermeasures.
And if absolute security is the goal, I have an even more effective proposal."
"Oh?"
Jonas Bennett's interest was piqued.
"Project Emperor Titan," Nolan said solemnly.
This would be his ultimate weapon against Galactus.
"The concept is simple. Using vast resources, we construct a mobile terrestrial war fortress designed to confront unknown threats.
It will be equipped with every cutting-edge weapon I possess.
This mobile fortress will be the largest weapon ever built on Earth. If my calculations are correct, it will be capable of tearing through all currently known extraterrestrial technology."
In an instant, Jonas Bennett was tempted.
A colossal fortress capable of crushing any enemy.
If he could control it, its value would extend far beyond defending against aliens. It would elevate his political authority and influence to unprecedented heights.
At the same time, doubt crept in.
Nolan Locke sounded too confident.
Too absolute.
And more than anything, Jonas could easily imagine the astronomical cost.
He did not change his stance.
Even if this proposal reached the council, it would never pass.
What he did not know was that Nolan had already begun preparing for it.
This would become the largest collaboration between him and the White House. Some exposure of secrets would be inevitable.
But that was not a serious concern.
His core secrets would remain intact. This was not his original universe. And with his ability to digitize his consciousness, he could ensure absolute control over this terrifying weapon, no matter who funded it.
Using the resources of the entire world to forge a weapon solely for himself was an opportunity too rare to ignore.
All that remained was making Project Emperor Titan a reality.
A few days later.
Nolan arrived on the East Coast.
The scenery was breathtaking.
The vast ocean carried a beauty entirely different from the cosmos.
"Hey, buddy, watch it!"
A man sprinted past, bumping into a pedestrian and drawing angry shouts.
He did not stop.
With a quick turn, he accelerated and vanished from Nolan's sight in the blink of an eye.
Beside Nolan, Susan wore a sun hat and sunglasses.
"This place is much nicer than I expected," she said.
When Nolan suggested a vacation, her first choice had been Hawaii.
He had refused.
"Exactly why we didn't go there," Nolan replied with a grin.
Susan rolled her eyes.
"Even so, Hawaii is still worth experiencing.
So why didn't you want to go?"
She stared at him, as if trying to dig out a secret.
Nolan remained calm.
He had been to Hawaii countless times.
With Jessica Jones. With Sharon Carter. With Daisy Johnson.
In this new world, he simply wanted something different during his rare downtime.
"Susan, in this world, you're my only girlfriend. You know that," he said earnestly.
"Who knows," she replied skeptically.
She was not easily fooled. From the moment she met Nolan Locke, she had found him dangerously charming.
Back then, past relationships did not matter.
Now, however…
She felt he was hiding something.
Nolan coughed lightly.
A woman's intuition was terrifying.
Still, it did not matter. Two different worlds meant no overlap.
"I swear to God," Nolan said seriously.
In this world, he truly had only one girlfriend.
"Forget it," Susan said, shaking her head.
They spent the rest of the time sunbathing on the beach. Susan's figure drew countless gazes, while Nolan's lean, well-defined physique attracted just as many admiring looks from passing women.
Not far away.
The man who had been running earlier finally stopped.
"I found Maximus," he said breathlessly to a small group.
Before him, a man sat on a bench. He lifted his head but did not speak, instead glancing sideways.
"If you found him, why didn't you bring him back?" a woman asked.
"Karnak, you know we don't have much time."
Black Bolt could not speak freely. His voice was the most terrifying weapon in the world.
So Medusa spoke for him.
"He doesn't want to come back," Karnak replied helplessly.
"Maximus says he's tired of running.
He believes we shouldn't leave Earth. He wants to stay."
Black Bolt frowned.
This disrupted their plan.
"Wait three more days," Medusa said after exchanging a look with Black Bolt.
"If he still doesn't return, we leave without him."
Three days was already a significant risk.
Because they were not safe.
As they spoke, a group of people quietly approached, their waists subtly bulging beneath their clothes.
Behind them stood a figure wearing a metal skull mask and armored suit.
Beneath the mask, his eyes burned with undisguised killing intent.
Snap. Snap…