Nolan Lock was not someone who could be fooled.
No one had forgotten what happened during his first hearing. With nothing more than his reputation and fury, Nolan nearly overturned the entire country.
Protests erupted across every state. Some extremists even charged into government offices.
In the end, the only reason the chaos died down was because Nolan himself stepped out and called for calm. Only then did things slowly return to peace.
And now, they had managed to anger the awakened lion again.
Nolan had asked only two questions. Two simple questions.
Yet not a single one of them could give an answer.
Because the truth was painfully simple.
The real reason Nolan Lock was standing here today was the fear that many factions held toward Lock Technology and toward Nolan himself.
This was nothing more than another round of political maneuvering.
They had played this game countless times before. No one flipped the table. At most, each side ceded a bit of利益 during the tug-of-war.
But clearly, Nolan Lock had no intention of compromising today.
He flipped the table outright.
For a long moment, the entire courtroom fell into silence. Nolan alone stood unmoving, his gaze locked on the judges above.
He looked furious, but inside his mind remained cold and steady.
Those judges knew this was all about利益. How could he not know that as well?
But why should he cooperate?
Tony Stark had to compromise. Dozens of shareholders hovered around him, waiting for the moment he slipped.
Norman Osborn could not afford to stand firm either. His authority within Osborn Industries was not even comparable to Stark's influence in his company.
Their compromises were forced by circumstance.
But Nolan was different.
He owned every share of Lock Technology.
He held an unmatched level of public support.
If even someone like him still had to bow and compromise in these nauseating political games, then what was the point of everything he had built?
If someone tried to claw at him, he would cut off the hand.
If someone caused trouble, he would strike back immediately.
He was no longer the lonely young man surrounded by wolves, with criminals lurking around every corner.
He was no longer afraid.
That was why he could stand here.
That was why he could speak as he did.
No government ran on the will of a single man. Even the White House contained countless factions and voices.
If they wanted a fight, then let them try.
Let them see what it meant to push someone to a breaking point.
This was not recklessness.
This was confidence.
No one dared to gamble.
He was Nolan Lock, hero of Earth, a man with overwhelming strength and overwhelming public support. That was the foundation of his power.
After more than ten seconds of suffocating silence, the chief judge finally spoke.
"Mr. Lock, regarding the questions you raised, no one intends to ignore them. The investigation is ongoing. Neither the judiciary nor the White House will allow this matter to end unresolved. You will receive an answer you can accept."
He finished speaking, sweat dripping from his forehead as he collapsed back into his seat.
His career was over.
No one had planned to hold anyone accountable.
But he knew that if he did not speak those words, this situation could never be resolved.
And now he would bear the wrath of the higher-ups.
Hearing his answer, the ice on Nolan's face did not thaw.
"How convenient. Do you think a simple sentence like that can make up for the financial losses and damage done to Lock Technology's reputation?"
The chief judge glanced at Nolan and finally replied:
"If this matter is determined to be the government's fault, we will ensure no entrepreneur is made to suffer for it."
This time, his tone was firm.
His future was already ruined, so he had nothing left to fear.
Nolan nodded.
It was only a verbal promise, but once those words were spoken publicly, the entire world would be watching.
It seemed he would not only receive compensation from S.H.I.E.L.D.
The government itself would have to pay him a considerable amount.
Hydra, in a twisted way, had done him a favor.
Lock Technology had already reached the limits of its first stage of growth.
To expand further, he needed to reach the global market. But that would take time.
Yet Hydra had just given him the capital he needed for his next leap forward.
After getting the answer he wanted, Nolan turned and walked out, not sparing the judges a single glance.
"Nolan Lock is too dangerous."
In the White House, a special meeting had begun.
There were not many attendees. All were core members of the administration.
Every face was grim.
Their entire agenda revolved around one person: Nolan Lock.
General Ross spoke first.
"The power Nolan Lock possesses has been proven again and again. During the Hulk and Abomination battle, no one could stop them. Yet Nolan Lock defeated Abomination in under twenty seconds.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is a terrifying result.
And that was only the beginning. The power Lock Technology displayed during the Battle of New York was enough to change everything we knew.
Then came the arrival of Thor, and now this S.H.I.E.L.D. incident. Every one of them highlights Nolan Lock's threat level.
Most importantly, he is not like Tony Stark. Stark is controllable. Nolan Lock has already shown extremely dangerous tendencies twice. My suggestion is to shut down Lock Technology."
Ross's expression was cold.
Once, he had cooperated well with Nolan. But over time, he had realized just how dangerous Nolan truly was.
Even if he continued conducting deals with Lock Technology, his stance had shifted completely.
If possible, he would prefer Nolan Lock to never again have the ability to threaten the government.
But after he finished speaking, not a single person nodded.
Everyone knew Ross was the most extreme hawk in the military.
To him, any potential threat must be eliminated at any cost.
But politics was not that simple. They had far more to consider than he did.
Someone finally spoke up.
"Nolan Lock's existence should serve as a warning. When an individual becomes too powerful, it is a danger to all of us. His actions this time were not wrong, but we must remain vigilant.
There are many superheroes in the world. And there may be more powerful beings we do not know about. These are all potential threats. We need a system."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yes. We need measures. A way to respond when one of these so-called superheroes chooses to do something harmful to the country. We need control. Oversight. Regulation. Something to prevent those with extraordinary power from abusing it."
After a long discussion, their decision became clear.
They would draft a Superhuman Regulation Act.
Back at the company, Nolan felt noticeably lighter.
When he entered his office, he stopped in surprise.
"Loki?"
A man sat casually in his chair.
A man with Nolan's own face.
"Apologies. Your employees were far too welcoming, so I could not resist sitting down."
Loki's face shimmered, returning to his true form.
Nolan frowned.
Loki? Here?
"Red Queen, upgrade the divine energy detection module. I do not want someone slipping in undetected again."
Loki was not someone to be taken lightly.
After giving the order, Nolan finally asked:
"We are not friends. So why are you here?"
Loki chuckled.
"You are a businessman. And I happen to be one of the wealthiest men in Asgard… among others. Naturally, I am here to discuss business."
"Business?"
Nolan laughed softly and sat on the couch.
He loved business. Anyone who came to negotiate earned extra patience from him.
Loki's fate today depended entirely on the size of the business he brought.
"Speak. What business are you proposing?
And I should remind you. Thor is still hunting you. If you want protection, you may want to consider adding yourself to the bargaining table. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee what I might do."
Loki's face darkened.
Shameless merchant.
He cursed inwardly, but his outward smile did not falter.
"Fine. Consider it a bonus item."
He shrugged in a show of indifference before continuing.
"Mr. Lock, have you ever considered selling your company's products beyond Earth? And by that, I mean somewhere other than Asgard."
Nolan smiled.
"Of course. I am very interested in that idea. So as that bonus item, you can skip preparing your ransom."
"How delightful."
Loki rolled his eyes.
"I have recently come into contact with several powerful races in the universe. They are very interested in the weapons produced by Lock Technology. If you are willing, I can introduce you to them. All I require is a very small commission."
"So, you are in trouble."
Nolan spoke bluntly.
Loki stiffened. He hated intelligent people.
Because yes, he was indeed in trouble.
He had lost the scepter. He had failed to obtain the Tesseract. There was no question the Chitauri had placed him on their wanted list.
At first, he had not cared. He was Loki. Across the cosmos, there were not many forces he feared.
The Chitauri were not among them.
They might be troublesome, but they could not catch him.
But for some reason, once the Chitauri issued the bounty, countless forces began trying to capture him.
He had no choice but to seek protection.
Nolan did not bother studying Loki's expression. Instead, he asked:
"So, who exactly is the client you found?"
"Yondu."
Loki said the name.
And the room went quiet for a moment.