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Nolan smiled faintly as he addressed Shuri. "Good luck. I look forward to seeing you try to kill me."
One step away from genius, one step away from madness.
It was an honor to be seen as such.
He walked a few paces before halting. "You can take T'Challa's body. I'll even give you the possibility of resurrecting him."
After speaking, he turned and walked away. The war was over, but there was still much to be done.
As he approached the Wakandan palace, Klaw appeared, or rather, he had been waiting for Nolan all along. He chuckled. "Didn't think I'd be strolling around here like this. Back in the day, I almost didn't make it out alive."
"Do you remember what you said when I first met you?" Nolan asked, casually walking through the streets of Wakanda, where everything was built with vibranium-alloyed roads.
"I remember. You told me you'd bring me to Wakanda. At the time, I thought, 'Who is this madman, and does he even know what Wakanda is?' But here we are. I'm actually standing in it," Klaw remarked, both amused and amazed at how quickly things had turned in Nolan's favor.
Nolan nodded. "When I say something, I do it whether it's in the past or present."
He had always been good to those he considered his own.
"Even though Wakanda is ours now, there's still plenty to do. First thing's first we need to mine as much vibranium as possible and find a place to cultivate the heart-shaped herb. It'll be useful," Nolan added.
"Got it," Klaw agreed.
"Let's go. The Avengers and Ross are probably still waiting for me."
---
In a room that was once used for meetings by the King of Wakanda, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers sat on one side, while Ross and his assistant sat on the other.
Tony sighed. He couldn't believe how things had escalated. T'Challa had been a huge asset his kingdom could have provided unlimited vibranium, and Wakanda's advanced technology would have been invaluable in protecting the Earth.
But now it was all gone.
When he first decided to help T'Challa, it was because of what Wakanda could offer.
But now, there was a different reality.
Nolan's magical organization, Kamar-Taj, was responsible for protecting Earth. And now it seemed Nolan himself was about to take charge of Kamar-Taj.
Tony thought back to when Nolan didn't outright reject joining the Avengers. Nolan had said he would "talk" about it but the situation with the mutants, the Sentinel program, and everything else had pushed their relationship to a standstill.
Now, Nolan had taken control of Wakanda. With Oscorp at his side, the world now revolved around him.
The "God of Earth."
A being who could take down gods.
If Nolan had been this strong back in the day, the Chitauri and Ultron would have been no match.
"Let's hope it works out," Tony muttered, glancing at Steve. He knew Nick Fury had probably ordered Steve to forge a better relationship with Nolan, especially to secure vibranium resources.
No one would turn down vibranium, not when it could upgrade their tech.
Meanwhile, Ross rubbed his brow. He had received a message from New York. They were pushing hard for a deal on vibranium, even suggesting using the fallen soldiers as leverage to trade with Nolan.
Did they think Nolan wouldn't kill? He was a man who could kill gods.
Ross couldn't understand their mindset. These people were asking for too much trying to barter with a being capable of reshaping the world.
They were truly out of touch.
As the room fell into silence, a familiar sound approached. Nolan and Klaw walked in, Nolan taking the seat once held by the King of Wakanda, while Klaw sat beside him.
"You're here for vibranium, I assume," Nolan said nonchalantly.
Tony sighed. He knew Nolan wasn't hiding the obvious. Vibranium was indeed essential for upgrading his armor, as well as Peter's, and for weapon development.
"I'll agree to a trade, but I'm a man who loves a good deal," Nolan said with a grin.
"Bring me something interesting, like cold fusion tech, or maybe the blood of the Inhumans. Or how about some of the Mind Stone derivatives? I'd also be interested in asking Nick if he wants to sell me the Flerken. Or better yet, some of Carol's genetic samples. S.H.I.E.L.D. must have a wealth of interesting materials."
Ross blinked. He could tell Nolan knew exactly what they had.
Tony took a deep breath. "If I bring you cold fusion tech, how much vibranium would that get me?"
"That depends on how impressive the tech is. But don't worry, I'll give you a discount for being smart," Nolan said with a smirk.
Tony glanced at Steve. He knew the situation was dire, and Nick Fury had made it clear: secure vibranium at any cost.
"There's also one more thing you can sell me your brain. Help me develop more technology, and I'll calculate vibranium for your services," Nolan said, his tone almost playful.
Steve froze, his mind whirring. Nick was behind him. How did Nolan know so much? The Flerken, the genetic samples, the Mind Stone derivatives… it was like Nolan had access to everything.
Ross exhaled sharply. "But… we've lost so many soldiers. Can't we…"
Nolan interrupted with a smile, eyes narrowing. "General Ross. Why waste time with excuses? If your men are truly interested in doing business, they should focus on gathering items that interest me. I'm not interested in your sob stories."
Nolan reclined in his seat, confident.
"There are many secrets in this world, hidden in the annals of history. But human desire is limitless. And I intend to use vibranium to unlock these secrets. I'll make you work for it."
He snapped his fingers. In an instant, a portal opened, swallowing them all up, disappearing into the void.
---
"I can't wait to dissect a god," Nolan muttered as he stepped through the portal.
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