Ophelia Sarkissian stared at Nolan for a full three seconds before finally pulling her gaze away. She was confident, dangerous, and always calculating, yet this time she did not dare push her luck. Nolan had spoken the truth. They were inside the Hive, his private fortress, and he had clearly known her identity long before this confrontation. It would be foolish to assume he had no countermeasures prepared.
Seeing the infamous Viper hesitate, Nolan allowed a faint smile to curl at the corner of his lips. She might have lost the desire to make a move, but since everything was out in the open, he had no intention of letting the most terrifying woman in Hydra simply walk away.
He believed perhaps thirty percent of her explanation.
The Winter Soldier was not under her command. Although both Hydra divisions undoubtedly maintained connections, Viper had no need to rely on the Winter Soldier if she wished to act. Her own loyal operatives were more than sufficient. There were too many coincidences surrounding the attack, and the only way it made sense was if she had been directly involved.
Damn this bizarre twist of luck, Nolan muttered to himself.
Outwardly, however, his expression remained calm and composed.
"This is my Hive," he said, voice steady. "Do you really think you can still walk out of here?"
Ophelia's lips curved in an alluring smile, her serpentine grace making every subtle motion seem like a carefully crafted seduction. Yet the moment Nolan learned her true identity, any lingering attraction evaporated. Women like her were walking catastrophes, venom behind beauty. He wanted nothing to do with her.
Despite the situation, Ophelia's face showed no panic. If anything, she looked as though she had expected this outcome.
"Why don't you try stopping me?" she replied softly.
Nolan had no idea where her confidence came from, but it hardly mattered. He lifted his chin.
"Red Queen."
The moment he spoke, the wall behind him shifted. A mechanical panel rotated outward, revealing two fully armed Terminators. Without hesitation, the robots charged at Ophelia.
Against them, Nolan was certain Viper stood no chance.
But before they could reach her, an explosion thundered somewhere deep within the facility. The blast was so powerful the shockwave shattered the reinforced glass of the office. One of the Terminators immediately stepped in front of Nolan, shielding him from the flying debris.
Ophelia seized the opening. Her eyes flashed with a predatory brilliance, and she sprinted straight toward the window. Before Nolan could react, she leaped out, vanishing into the smoke and chaos below.
Nolan's expression darkened.
"Red Queen, deploy Terminators. Hunt her down."
He didn't even spare a moment to investigate the blast. Viper's unnatural luck was absurd. Even in a kill zone, she managed to escape. No wonder she had risen to become one of Hydra's leaders despite being a lone woman in a nest of ruthless wolves.
The woman was terrifying.
Red Queen's tracking capabilities were exceptional, yet Nolan already sensed failure. Viper would disappear like mist.
When he stepped outside, the extent of the damage became clear. Nearly a quarter of the Hive's upper layer had been ravaged.
"What happened?" Nolan demanded.
Frank rushed over. "The company was hit by a terror attack. Surveillance is being restored now. Witnesses said the attacker suddenly burst into flames and detonated."
He hesitated.
"Sir… we lost seven employees."
Nolan's breath caught. His face hardened, colder than it had been in years. People bursting into flames, then exploding… there was only one thing that behaved like that.
Extremis soldiers.
Aldrich Killian had acted far sooner than expected. They had met only recently, and conflict had barely begun before Killian retaliated with lethal force.
Elsewhere, Aldrich Killian watched smoke rising in the distance, a triumphant smile playing at his lips.
"Nolan Locke… this is only the first gift."
He knew he was under immense pressure. In merely a few days, public opinion had turned against him, fueled by several key statements and revelations from Nolan. If things continued this way, FutureTech's board of directors would likely remove him before the scandal destroyed the company.
Killian's eyes narrowed. He would not allow that.
If the game was rigged against him, then he would change the rules.
And the first step was to eliminate the man who had triggered the crisis.
By the time the fires were extinguished, more than thirty employees were injured and eight were confirmed dead. The losses were devastating. Nolan knew in that moment that public opinion would no longer suffice. One could reason with ambition, but not with madness.
He had misjudged Aldrich Killian.
The man wasn't merely ambitious.
He was deranged.
Nolan left immediately to find Maya Hansen. Her choice to prioritize potential collaboration with Locke Technologies had kept her away from Tony Stark today and spared her from danger.
"Dr. Hansen, we were attacked," Nolan said without greeting.
"I saw the reports," she answered quietly.
"They're incomplete," he replied. "The attacker wasn't a suicide bomber. He was a man whose body temperature spiked uncontrollably before the explosives ignited. You know what that means."
Maya's face paled. It was unmistakably the Extremis virus.
Nolan continued, "Killian has lost his sanity. I need to know whether you want to go down with him or help me put him where he belongs. As for your contract with FutureTech, Locke Technologies will cover the breach fees."
Maya clenched her jaw and nodded. "I'll testify."
Good, Nolan thought. Killian wouldn't get away with this. And he certainly wouldn't rot comfortably in prison. Nolan had a thousand ways to ensure Killian never saw daylight again.
At the same time, Tony Stark had begun his own investigation. Despite Nolan's warning to stand down, Tony Stark was not a man who swallowed humiliation quietly.
He and James Rhodes eventually tracked down a supposed terrorist: the Mandarin. Yet instead of an army of armed extremists, they found a confused old man. A terrified actor.
Tony nearly blasted him on the spot. The truth was worse than a lie. Killian had orchestrated everything.
Rhodes frowned. "FutureTech is a powerful military contractor. We can't act without authorization. We need approval from the Vice President."
Tony reluctantly agreed.
But the Vice President betrayed them the moment they walked through the door.
"I am sorry," the man said grimly. "My daughter is disabled. FutureTech is her only hope."
They were bound instantly.
Meanwhile, Killian prepared for the climax of his plan. The President would die at the hands of the Mandarin, and the Vice President would rise to power.
Tony and Rhodes were dragged before him.
Killian looked at them with cold satisfaction.
"Tony Stark. Brilliant, but predictable. Unfortunately for you, fate is already decided."
Tony gritted his teeth. Without his armor, he was powerless. But he still had the Mark 42 control implant within his arm. The suit was charging. If it arrived in time, everything would turn around.
Outside, Nolan arrived at FutureTech with a full force of NYPD officers led by George Stacy, along with a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents under Coulson.
Everything was falling into place.
Stacy raised his voice.
"Move in!"
Nearly a hundred armed officers stormed the building. Nolan followed, clad in his Thunder Hammer armor, accompanied by Terminators sweeping the area under Red Queen's command.
Extremis soldiers reacted violently, bursting into flames as they charged. Explosions rocked the corridors. Coulson narrowly escaped one, though the agent beside him wasn't so lucky.
Killian noticed the chaos and snarled.
He struck Tony in the chest, sending him to the floor coughing violently.
"No one changes your fate."
He ordered his people to eliminate the intruders and prepare to move the captives.
But when Killian reached the helipad, he froze.
Two Terminators stood there, blocking his way.
Tony's eyes widened.
Not government-issued.
These were Nolan's.
Damn it, Tony thought, not again. Was Nolan really going to save him one more time?
He shook his arm desperately.
"Come on, JARVIS. Bring me the Mark 42 before Nolan gets here. I refuse to be treated like a helpless baby!"
At that moment, Nolan's voice echoed from the helicopter.
"Well, well, Tony. Did you really get yourself captured again? Looks like I'll have to rescue you one more time."
The battle was only beginning.
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