Jonas Bennett, newly sworn in as President, had barely settled into his seat when the Black Bat King incident erupted.
For a man who had ascended to power through political maneuvering, this was nothing short of a disaster.
It threatened to undo him, perhaps even forcing an early resignation and leaving him to the fate of his predecessor either immortalized in history for the wrong reasons or remembered infamously.
He admitted it openly: one major reason he had agreed to Nolan's Earth Defense Initiative was to have someone else bear the brunt if things went wrong.
Even if it turned into a scandal, at least he wouldn't be the main target.
But the result?
The alien faction that had been giving countless people headaches and even the military had been effortlessly crushed by the Titan mechs.
A small victory, yes… except the Black Bat King had been killed by Nolan Locke himself. That detail spoiled the perfection of the outcome.
Still, the President watched the battle unfold with clarity, seeing Nolan employ methods no one else had witnessed.
Jonas Bennett wasn't like his predecessor. As long as Nolan's actions didn't harm their interests, he had no reason to question his methods.
His focus was on the Titans their overwhelming battlefield dominance and the APU combat exoskeletons, designed for mass production, which displayed terrifying lethality.
After this battle, his position was unshakable.
He even began to look forward to seeing just how powerful the true Emperor Titan could be.
Perhaps… he could finally make his mark in history, leaving a legacy that would endure for centuries.
The EVA Unit-01.
The world had already trembled at the mere existence of the Titans. But to him, that was now old news.
No matter how powerful the Titans were, they were no longer his trump card.
He had traveled through time, developing countless weapons of immense power from the Thunderstrike Hammer to the Titan weaponry, G5 robots, and even the supremely dominant Nitro units.
All the pinnacle tech from countless worlds was now in his hands.
Even in this world, his Emperor Titan project was slowly becoming reality a colossal mobile fortress, the largest mech deployable on Earth's surface.
But even the Emperor Titan, in his eyes, fell short of EVA.
The difference was fundamental.
Even with the Emperor Titan's destructive power, it remained a conventional weapon.
EVA's absolute defensive field, however, granted him true invulnerability against any human-made weapon.
Unlike other weapons, EVA was unique it was almost a living being, a special form of life in its own right.
In his lab, Nolan carefully manipulated a petri dish. Inside were flesh samples taken from Unit-01, the next key to his research.
The Angels were not alive, at least not carbon-based life. Nolan was certain of that.
No matter how lifelike they seemed, the tissue in his hands proved otherwise.
While his system was formidable, it couldn't process biological matter for conversion though it did recognize silicon-based life, like Transformers.
This only underscored the system's immense potential.
Unit-01 was far too expensive. Even after years of development and the Emperor Titan funding, Nolan still couldn't convert a full EVA. Only this single arm had been replicated.
He wanted to see if this arm alone could serve as a meaningful substitute for study.
"The AT field… it's essentially energy. The energy is inherent to the Unit itself, just activated through some method," he muttered, focusing on the research.
After some time, Nolan began to grasp the concept.
"What a terrifying weapon."
He exhaled slowly. If the Unit's energy were released in one instant, the entire continent could be obliterated.
Thankfully, unleashing that energy wasn't easy. At least for now, there was no method beyond the so-called "mental power."
While he immersed himself in research, the world outside continued to shift drastically.
It seemed Nolan had only killed the Black Bat King.
Yet he had underestimated the King's influence among the aliens and overestimated their intelligence.
Half a month after the King's death, a mysterious group attacked Stark Industries, only to be repelled by Tony Stark.
They then assaulted numerous key facilities, disrupting transportation and communication across the globe.
Locke Technologies itself was attacked, though Nolan's forces left no room for the attackers to operate.
From initial detection to the end of the battle, it took less than three minutes, and every assailant was neutralized.
"They're declaring war on us!"
In the White House, Jonas Bennett spoke angrily. He had studied the alien hierarchy, believing that eliminating the Black Bat King would prevent further trouble. But these aliens were clearly unhinged.
Others around him wore grim expressions.
"Mr. President, we need to teach these sewer rats a lesson," said an Army General.
Another immediately challenged, "We all know that. The question is, how do we locate them? If we can't, all this talk is useless."
Jonas Bennett looked over the bickering officials and said, "For this operation, I've invited someone. Nick Fury, please enter."
The doors opened. Nick Fury walked in, calm and composed, facing the skeptical stares of everyone present.
"The challenge is locating the aliens. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been running a plan designed to algorithmically identify every threat to humanity and neutralize it via satellite," he announced.
Shock rippled through the room.
"You've got to be kidding! I had no idea S.H.I.E.L.D. was secretly running something like this. That's terrifying!"
"Mr. President, we should report this to the World Security Council and disband S.H.I.E.L.D. entirely. This violates human rights it's far worse than the actions against Nolan Locke!"
Many quickly agreed.
They had just fought for human rights, and now S.H.I.E.L.D. was carrying out a plan that blatantly violated them.
Nick Fury blinked. He hadn't even explained yet. How could they react so rashly?
A group of fools, he thought. True strategists wouldn't panic like this.
Human rights? They were hardly the reason for his actions. Without S.H.I.E.L.D. without him Earth might already be doomed.
He continued, "Every President has been aware of this program. That is why I am here. We only activate it when absolutely necessary, such as now."
All eyes turned to Jonas Bennett, awaiting his decision.
He said, "Yes, the Insight Initiative has been running for four years. I've been aware of its risks, but now, we can put it to use."
"Proceed, Director Fury," he nodded.
Fury's single eye regained its calm.
"After years of refinement, the algorithm is ready. The orbital carrier can deploy in one week. The Insight satellites haven't launched yet, but with sufficient Titan bases nearby, we can compensate for the lack of offensive capability."
Though some still voiced minor objections, they ultimately acquiesced. The alien threat was too great.
Even with each official equipped with more than one T-800, they still could not feel secure.
Fury allowed himself a small smile. S.H.I.E.L.D., once again in the spotlight due to the Black Bat King incident, now had White House support. His orbital carrier could launch ahead of schedule.
Everything was under his control.
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D., Grant Ward and Crossbones Brock Rumlow sat together, both smiling.
"Our Director is executing every plan perfectly," Rumlow said.
Ward hesitated, then added, "But we don't have enough firepower. Even if the Insight carrier launches successfully…"
Rumlow shook his head. "Ward, that's not our concern."
Ward blinked, then understood.
"Yes," he said.
They exchanged a glance.
"Hail Hydra!"
S.H.I.E.L.D.? No longer. This was Hydra shielded as S.H.I.E.L.D. Most operatives were Hydra loyalists.
The carrier launch was authorized personally by Pierce, prompting Fury to act. They didn't know all the details but understood that once airborne, most of their plan would succeed.
Fury remained oblivious to internal Hydra manipulation. In his eyes, S.H.I.E.L.D. belonged solely to him.
The mission had been his idea, inspired by Pierce.
Returning to S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury instructed Brock Rumlow, "The White House approved the previous plan. Lead the team and ensure the carrier launches successfully."
Rumlow nodded decisively.
"Director, rest assured. I will complete this mission."
"Good. I trust you. Additionally, coordinate with Nolan Locke on the carrier-Titan collaboration. That's also under your responsibility."
As one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s few Level Eight agents, Rumlow had Fury's full confidence.
He turned, a faint smile playing at his lips. It was perfect.
Locke Technologies soon received notice from the White House, but Nolan remained engrossed in his EVA research, leaving Susan to handle the matter.
He trusted her completely. Her performance had proven her capable serving as Victor's secretary had been a waste of talent.
A month passed. Nolan finally emerged from the lab.
"You're finally out," Susan remarked, noting it was afternoon, not the usual midnight departure. The research must have reached a temporary pause.
Nolan smiled. "Genius carries extra burdens."
Susan rolled her eyes but brewed him a cup of coffee nonetheless. She admired talent and didn't mind his obsessive dedication.
"Anything happening at the company?" she asked.
"All smooth," Nolan replied.
She continued, "Three projects launched recently, and several others are progressing well. As for the Titans…"
She paused thoughtfully, then explained, "The White House has coordinated S.H.I.E.L.D. to collaborate with us on the orbital carrier and Titan program to address the remaining alien threats."
"Orbital carrier?" Nolan frowned. He knew what this was a reckless move by Nick Fury, something Nolan didn't think existed here.
Apparently, the Insight Initiative was still active, even launched early.
He narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe the already-leaky S.H.I.E.L.D. was acting on Fury's own accord.
It seemed Hydra had grown restless.
Nolan paused briefly, then said, "Bring me a copy of the collaboration plan. I want to see it."
He stood, eyes tracing the faintly visible moon outside the window.
"These aliens still won't settle down. Looks like they've gone mad."
He knew the remaining aliens were likely hiding there. The Black Bat King was dead, but the others still caused trouble. Perhaps a trip to the moon was in order.
A faint, playful smile appeared on Nolan's face.