Black Bat did not feel threatened.
He did not trust the members of the Avengers, either.
Without a word, he turned, ready to leave with Medusa.
That was the moment Tony Stark acted.
He could not allow Black Bat to walk away so easily.
Black Bat, already irritated by Stark's interference, let out a controlled, yet powerful, resonance to express his displeasure.
A low hum spread through the air.
Even restrained, the soundwave struck Tony Stark while affecting everything around it.
Steve Rogers did not hesitate and charged at Black Bat.
Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk, joining the fight without any warning.
Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye watched in disbelief.
The battle had started just like that?
Meanwhile, Nolan was consulting with Jonas Bennett about superhuman defense strategies.
Earlier skirmishes between the Inhumans and assassins had caught his attention, but they had not concerned him. Only a few people were injured, well within tolerable limits.
But then came the assassination attempt on Nolan, followed by Black Bat's overwhelming display of power, which leveled an entire city block and caused numerous casualties.
That was when Jonas Bennett truly understood the danger posed by uncontrolled superpowered individuals.
"Mr. Locke, I agree that the Imperial Titan defense plan should be activated, but there are still many points to discuss. At least, the main plan you mentioned earlier cannot be implemented."
Jonas rubbed his temples.
Now that he was president, he realized just how immense the pressures were. Money was required everywhere. Fully executing this plan would cost trillions, an expense the White House could never absorb without causing major gaps in the budget.
"No problem," Nolan said, nodding. Then he asked, "How much of this project will LockTech receive?"
Jonas Bennett smiled.
Nolan wanted profit, and as president, Jonas always understood how to hold leverage over Nolan. Unlike his predecessor, he respected personal freedom and knew that finding someone's leverage was enough to guide them without overstepping.
"Rest assured," Jonas said, "I trust LockTech completely. If it were not for regulations requiring at least three companies to share responsibility, I would gladly let LockTech manage the entire project. As it stands, LockTech will receive 70% of the allocation, with an initial budget of roughly $120 billion."
"Thank you for your trust," Nolan said with a smile.
This deal meant another fortune in the making.
Although the project was technically government-controlled, as its builder and with his superhuman abilities Nolan knew he could ensure the White House was essentially working for him.
It was a secret that could not be revealed. If it were, no nation on Earth would ever trust him again.
The two continued discussing finer details.
During the meeting, Jonas suddenly paused.
"Mr. Locke, please excuse me. I need to take a call."
"Of course, take your time."
A short while later, Jonas returned, his voice heavy with barely-contained anger. Nolan could sense it even over the line.
"Mr. Locke, though sudden, there's been a change. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Imperial Titan plan will be fully initiated. We will discuss specifics next time."
Jonas hung up.
Nolan raised an eyebrow. Something significant had clearly happened. He had never believed Imperial Titan could be built in such a short time.
Opening his news app, a headline immediately caught his eye:
"Unknown Individual Battles the Avengers, Three City Blocks Destroyed Investigation Ongoing."
The video confirmed his suspicions.
Tony Stark fired missiles at Black Bat, only for a sharp scream to send the missiles and Stark himself flying.
The Hulk charged, but Black Bat had already reacted, forcing him back.
Each strike had created a vacuum zone hundreds of meters wide. Judging by the surroundings, they were at Stark Tower.
Now, one of New York's most prominent landmarks had been reduced to rubble.
Nolan understood immediately.
If such destruction occurred in a prime location, the newly inaugurated president's position could have been at risk. No wonder Jonas had been furious.
Nolan did not know the reason for the Stark Tower conflict, though he felt a twinge of sympathy for Tony Stark. Nonetheless, Black Bat's reckless use of his powers demonstrated he did not value human life.
At S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury's face was ashen.
Black Bat's confrontation with the Avengers had nearly cooked him alive. Fury cursed under his breath, frustrated at Stark's recklessness. Black Bat was an immensely powerful combatant.
This battle showed the advantage of having him on the Avengers' side but the scale of destruction now made the idea impossible.
Previously, casualties had been low, but this time the damage and loss of life made it unthinkable to integrate Black Bat into the team.
Nolan had intended to profit from the Avengers' establishment, not create additional headaches.
Natasha stood nearby as Fury said, "List Black Bat and his companions as high-risk criminals."
Natasha nodded.
"Sir, given the casualties, should we focus our resources on capturing him?"
She knew S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protocols well, and that listing someone as high-risk was no guarantee of capture.
Fury rubbed his temples.
"Let it be for now. Alert all Avengers: given Black Bat's threat, they should attempt a capture. Apologize to them on our behalf this was my misjudgment."
Once Natasha departed, Fury slammed his fist onto the desk.
He needed the Avengers, not just for public image, but to deal with superpowered criminals.
At LockTech Tower, Nolan sat across from Tony Stark.
Stark was visibly irritated.
Nolan, with a faint smile, asked, "I hear you got an 8% share this time?"
"Stark Industries shut down its weapons division ages ago," Stark replied sharply.
Nolan smiled knowingly, leaving a subtle, meaningful look.
The plan was massive; energy alone accounted for 17% of the project. The weapons closure was a convenient excuse.
Five companies were involved in the Imperial Titan project, each with different shares but LockTech had secured 82%.
Stark had been ready for Nolan's comeback, yet Nolan only glanced at him, silent, leaving Stark seething.
Finally, representatives from the White House arrived, covering finance, military, and commerce.
A project worth trillions in military cooperation demanded utmost attention.
"The Earth Defense Plan, according to Mr. Locke, will be divided into three parts: the Extraterrestrial Alert Defense Ring, the Surface Defense Base, and most crucially the Imperial Titan project."
A White House official looked at Nolan.
"Mr. Locke, are you certain your proposed technologies are feasible? Many are far ahead of current capabilities."
"Absolutely," Nolan replied without hesitation.
"In fact, we have already overcome most of the technological barriers for Imperial Titan. The overall plan spans three years, during which I am confident the remaining challenges will be resolved. Imperial Titan will address nearly all present and future threats, and will be the most formidable armed unit on Earth's surface."
The official nodded. Coordination for project details would follow.
"The Defense Ring will be led jointly by LockTech and Stark Enterprises, with other companies assisting. Let's hope we never need to activate it."
The meeting lasted half a day, just to finalize the broad outline; detailed planning would require far more time.
Afterward, Stark lingered.
"You faced off against Black Bat?"
Nolan nodded.
"Yes. I also saw the news. I hope Stark Tower can be rebuilt quickly."
"What do you know about Black Bat?" Stark asked.
Nolan's expression grew serious.
"Extremely dangerous. Inhumans are a different species from humans, and slavery exists among them. You should understand what that implies."
Stark sighed.
"Sounds like we have a very dangerous adversary."
Nolan agreed. Humans and Inhumans would likely have minimal contact for the foreseeable future. Black Bat had stayed on Earth because of his brother Maximus now Nolan had dealt with him. If Black Bat had any sense left, he would take the remaining Inhumans and leave.
Earth's Defense Plan would eventually make further conflict unlikely.
LockTech entered full development mode. With funding and government clearance, civilian and military tech advanced rapidly.
Nolan relentlessly deployed successive generations of intelligent robots, capitalizing on the wealthy.
Imperial Titan, 238 meters tall and armed with devastating weaponry, could obliterate a city with ease. Even entire nations would struggle to resist its firepower.
According to Nolan's estimates, Imperial Titan was far stronger than Nitro. While still vulnerable to assassins like Nitro, its value as a mobile fortress and counter to planet-devouring threats was undeniable.
"Fury has no intention of capturing Black Bat. What about you?" Stark asked.
Nolan paused.
"How do you know?"
"If they intended to, it wouldn't be this quiet. S.H.I.E.L.D. would already have evidence of the Inhumans' whereabouts," Stark said disdainfully.
Nolan finally nodded.
"Fine, but I need three months. I am not yet strong enough to confront Black Bat directly."
Three months was enough to build even more formidable weapons.
Stark smirked, knowing he was in the same position.
"Perfect. Then let's deal with this problem three months from now."