When faced with a symbiote that left everyone else helpless, the Terminator displayed overwhelming dominance.
And the price for that kind of power?
Only ten million dollars.
It was a hefty sum, enough to build two main battle tanks.
But tanks were tools of the battlefield. They offered heavy firepower and thick armor, rolling forward like mobile fortresses.
The Terminator, however, was an entirely different concept.
It might not carry the sheer firepower of a tank on an open battlefield, but in every other aspect, the Terminator was a complete and unquestionable upgrade.
Especially in small-scale conflicts where tanks were useless, its superiority scaled to extremes.
Then there were the threats from alien organisms like symbiotes.
No one could guarantee another incident would not occur.
Today it was a handful of symbiotes.
Next time? Hundreds, thousands, or even more.
Firepower alone was not enough. When the scale of an incursion fell short of total war, the Terminator became the most effective countermeasure.
Even in a full-scale conflict, an army of Terminators would still be the ultimate trump card.
Not even half a month later, several high-ranking military officials appeared at Locke Technologies.
This time, there was no hesitation and no back-and-forth.
With no competing firms capable of matching their military output, the military placed a massive order directly.
Five thousand Terminators, along with their supporting weapons and equipment, plus large batches of NS5 units and other models.
When Nolan received the order, he felt an uncontrollable surge of excitement.
If everything went smoothly, the profit alone would exceed ten billion dollars.
And that was only the beginning. With that much funding, Locke Technologies would rapidly advance far beyond anything the world had seen.
After all, the technology in his database stretched far beyond the handful he had revealed.
But the excitement soon gave way to calm.
Ten billion in profit was extraordinary, but Locke Technologies needed long-term development.
He had already found a way home. Once this world connected with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this place would become his greatest armory.
He even had the chance to build a permanent dimensional channel.
Which meant he could not afford to let this world fall behind.
But he could not wait any longer.
Too much time had passed, and he had no idea what the situation was like in the other world.
He wanted to go home.
So aside from pushing Locke Technologies forward, almost all his energy was now focused on resolving the final difficulty of multiversal travel.
No one knew that he had already built a massive particle accelerator beneath Locke Technologies.
The machine alone consumed more than half of the ten billion dollars he had just earned.
But every cent was worth it.
Months later, the key dimensional sphere was finally locked into place on the accelerator.
"It is done."
Nolan let out a long breath.
Once he confirmed the accelerator opened a path to his original world, he could return.
A few days later, Nolan walked through the city.
In the months since his push for rapid development, the technological landscape of the Spider-Man world had transformed completely.
Infrastructure built by Locke Technologies was rising at an astonishing pace.
In a few years, it would expand from New York to the entire world.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
"Mr. Locke, ever since Locke Technologies appeared, everyone has changed so much," Peter Parker said happily.
Public curiosity about him had gradually died down. He was still seen as the costumed Spider-Man, and although people knew he was just a young man fresh out of school, very few could actually recognize his face beneath the mask.
Nolan smiled.
"This is only the beginning. Give it a few years and you will see what real, rapid change looks like."
Excitement flickered in Peter's eyes.
Even now, New York had become much safer.
After walking for a while, Nolan said quietly,
"Peter, I am leaving."
"Leaving?"
Peter froze.
"You mean leaving New York?"
"No. I am going much farther than you think."
Before Peter could ask, Nolan continued,
"I may leave, but Locke Technologies will remain. And someday, we will meet again."
Peter could not understand what those words meant. Nolan did not elaborate.
He was about to leave this world behind, and everything now depended on the future opening of the multiverse.
He had not been a mere passerby in this world.
He saved Spider-Man.
He changed the world.
Those impacts would continue to unfold long after he departed.
Once he completed his final tasks and arranged the company's future, Skynet's intelligence became the guardian of Locke Technologies.
And as for the fear that Skynet might evolve into the killer AI from the Terminator franchise, Nolan felt no concern at all.
Artificial intelligence was not a real lifeform; no matter how advanced it became, it operated within its programmed boundaries.
Ultron only came into existence because of the Mind Stone, not self-evolution.
As long as Skynet's core protocols were locked, there was no danger.
Standing before the particle accelerator, Nolan took a deep breath.
"Red Queen, begin."
Energy surged.
The accelerator roared to life.
Minutes later, a blinding flash erupted above New York, illuminating the night sky.
Peter Parker looked toward Locke Technologies, suddenly uneasy.
In orbit, Skynet's core program activated.
"Red Queen has detached. Beginning Skynet Initiative."
Locke Technologies shifted into high operation.
An individual identical to Nolan appeared in the office.
Only its expression lacked human depth.
It would serve as Nolan's replacement, interacting with the world on his behalf.
Perhaps only Peter Parker might one day guess that the real Nolan had already departed.
Meanwhile, in another world…
Space ripped open.
Moments later, it stabilized and expelled a figure.
Nolan.
He stumbled forward and immediately retched violently.
A dizzying wave overwhelmed him, something even his enhanced physiology could not avoid.
After several minutes, he finally recovered and looked around.
The land was barren and empty.
"Did I get it wrong?"
He muttered, unsettled.
This was his first multiversal jump. Even with anchor points set, he was not fully confident.
"Red Queen, scan world data. Attempt to reconnect with the main system."
"Attempting connection…
Connection established. This is World No. 1."
Nolan's face finally broke into a relieved smile.
"Synchronize information. I want to know how long I have been gone."
A moment later, he froze.
Six months.
He had been gone from this world for six months.
But he knew the truth. In the other world, he had spent nearly a full year.
Meaning the two universes had different temporal flow rates.
It was a fascinating phenomenon.
He had expected some discrepancy.
Time was relative, not absolute.
Even within the same universe, time was inconsistent.
Black holes proved that point.
And the Grandmaster once mentioned that time flowed differently on Sakaar.
Nolan never cared about such theories when he was just an ordinary person.
But after encountering more knowledge and cosmic truths, he understood.
Some unknown rule synchronized the rest of the universe, yet Sakaar escaped that rule due to the Grandmaster's power.
He was unbelievably strong.
"Thankfully it has only been six months. The world should not have changed too much."
Nolan sighed in relief.
His Thor Hammer Armor activated.
The propulsion engines fired, launching him straight toward New York.
Half an hour later, he stood at the base of Locke Technologies.
"Strange…"
The company looked drastically different.
Too different for just six months.
He owned the entire company. No one should have made such major changes without him.
Something was wrong.
He walked into the building.
"Mr. Locke!"
Several employees gasped in shock.
Nolan nodded slightly.
"He is alive! I heard he was dead!"
"Does this mean President Simon is stepping down?"
Whispers filled the lobby.
With his enhanced hearing, Nolan caught every word.
President Simon?
Simon Phillips was someone he personally recruited. He managed Locke Technologies flawlessly and would never be replaced.
Everything Nolan saw and heard made one thing clear.
Something had gone very wrong.
"Red Queen, confirm all personnel changes."
Minutes later, Nolan's expression darkened.
He marched straight to his office.
Inside sat a stunning woman with a dangerously seductive presence.
"Viper."
Nolan's eyes sharpened.
Of all people, he never expected her.
In just six months, Hydra had seized control of Locke Technologies.
Viper's gaze flickered when she saw him, then settled into calm.
"Boss, long time no see."
She stood with a charming smile, as if his fury meant nothing.
Nolan remained composed.
"I want to know how you managed to sit in that chair after only six months."
Viper smiled faintly.
"It is simple. No one in this world wants you alive. You are too smart and too dangerous. Locke Technologies belongs to you alone, and no one wants a single man to control so much power."
She leaned back gracefully.
"And your father was associated with Hydra."
Nolan exhaled slowly.
So that was the root of it.
She was right about one thing.
There were very few people who truly wanted him alive, especially after the Battle of New York.
He was too powerful, and Locke Technologies had become too advanced.
Politicians across the globe must have viewed him as a threat.
Hydra must have found leverage on his father, some murky grey-area secret.
Nothing serious enough to matter while Nolan was present.
But once he vanished, that same leverage became the perfect weapon, especially with political pressure behind it.
Nolan smiled coldly.
Ridiculous, yet undeniably logical.
His gaze locked on Viper.
"Red Queen, prepare the Terminators. Do not let her leave."
Viper had escaped once.
She would not escape again.
Nolan turned away.
He could not kill her here.
Her control of the company was technically legal.
If that was the case, then he needed legal means to reclaim what was his.
But this time, Viper would not survive.
Leaving the building, he immediately dialed Tony Stark.
Tony stared at the caller ID, shocked.
"You have to be kidding me. Nolan Locke, you are alive!"
"I told you I would come back."
Tony took a breath.
"Tell me what happened. Actually, no, tell me what is going on right now. Nolan, Locke Technologies is no longer yours. I am sorry. I could not protect it. They used completely legal methods."
Nolan remained calm.
"I just returned. I need you to tell me everything that happened during the past six months."
…