The plaza was thick with killing intent.
Countless guns and cannons were aimed at the sky, even though no one knew if their enemy would actually appear from above.
Then suddenly, two streaks of light tore across the sky, rushing toward them at terrifying speed.
"They're here!"
"Open fire!"
The order came instantly.
There was no hesitation, no time to think.
The APU exoskeleton units roared to life, spewing streams of fire. Bullets as powerful as artillery shells tore through the air, carrying the same destructive force that had once made enemies tremble, all directed at the incoming streaks of light.
Behind them, dozens of missiles ignited and launched, trailing flames as they rose into the sky, transforming into instruments of absolute destruction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed overhead in rapid succession.
But in the next moment, every soldier's pupils shrank.
The two streaks of light had indeed stopped in midair.
Yet not a single mark could be seen on them.
A diamond-shaped barrier surrounded their bodies, effortlessly blocking every attack.
And in the man's hand, he still held someone like a ragdoll.
It looked absurd.
But no one laughed.
A chill ran down their spines.
They had known what kind of enemy they were facing.
But knowing was one thing.
Witnessing their proud arsenal fail so completely was another.
Still, no one gave up.
Because they still had hope.
A soldier glared at the two figures hovering arrogantly in the sky, his expression twisted with resentment.
He did not care about any so-called "saving the world."
He had not been in North America back then. He had not seen that so-called Devourer of Worlds.
Maybe it was all just made up.
What he knew was this:
Before the rise of these superpowered beings, people like him were the elite.
Now, because of them, everything he once was meant nothing.
"Die! You're finished! Soon the Titans will crush you and show you just how ridiculous so-called superhumans really are!"
He roared.
In his eyes, only the Titans were true kings of war.
So what if they were built by LockTech?
They were weapons now. Weapons of the world, not LockTech.
As an ordinary soldier, he had no access to internal reports.
And those in power would never release that kind of information.
Rumors existed, of course.
But what did that matter?
In this age, controlling the narrative meant controlling everything.
So when he saw the sky fill with blazing trails of fire, he grinned.
Those were their Titans.
The strongest weapons in the world.
Up in the air, Nolan glanced at the rising Titans, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
He had left a backdoor in their systems.
But hiding it from detection had never been easy. Activating the embedded virus required specific conditions.
He had assumed the Council would be helpless against them.
But if they were deploying these machines now, it meant they had found a workaround, at least temporarily.
Nolan attempted to take control through Red Queen.
As expected, the virus meant to corrupt the fake core hadn't activated. Without that, the hidden program remained sealed.
"So they do have some capable people," Nolan muttered.
Carol Danvers glanced at him. "We don't need to deal with them."
Her gaze stayed fixed on the rear of the formation.
That was their real destination.
Nolan looked at her. "Do you think we can just charge in and get what we want?"
"No."
She answered without hesitation.
No matter how powerful they were, without proof, there would be no deterrence.
Those who had grown accustomed to wielding power would not yield so easily. Otherwise, this army would not be here.
"So…"
Nolan's voice turned cold.
The sky burned with streaks of fire, reflected in his eyes. What remained there was only indifference and killing intent.
"Then let's use what they're so proud of… to show them reality."
The moment he finished speaking, the AT field expanded rapidly.
Then Nolan shot forward, targeting the nearest Titan.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the Titan he struck erupted into flames and plummeted from the sky.
Gone.
Just like that.
Everyone stared, eyes wide.
Those who had never witnessed the Devourer of Worlds could not comprehend Nolan's power.
But now, they understood.
For the first time, they grasped what it meant to "save the world."
Every Titan unit was a masterpiece.
Overwhelming firepower. Defensive systems rivaling energy shields. Extreme mobility.
Each one was considered a trump card.
Many had believed that only another Titan could defeat a Titan.
Yet now, these "invincible" machines were being destroyed as easily as slicing tofu.
Everything they had believed in collapsed into something laughable.
The soldier who had been shouting just moments ago froze, then quickly regained himself.
"Don't be afraid! This is just the beginning! The war is far from over!"
He roared, reigniting the morale of those around him, and opened fire again.
Even if it was useless, the bullets pouring out were proof of his defiance.
This world had never belonged to strength alone.
Superheroes?
He didn't care about any of that.
But in the next second, a falling Titan came crashing toward him.
Boom!
The wreckage hit the ground.
The furious voice vanished instantly.
Nolan glanced down briefly.
Someone had been crushed.
He didn't care.
In war, people died.
That was all.
Carol was already in motion.
Compared to Nolan, her attacks were far more precise.
She targeted critical points, disabling Titans instead of simply obliterating them.
Soon, the sky turned into a storm of fire as Titan units rained down one after another.
"So they're all defective models."
After destroying several, Nolan quickly understood the situation.
Just as he expected, the Council lacked the technology to truly break his system.
What they had done was bypass it, deceiving and dodging the embedded controls.
It worked, temporarily.
But at a cost.
Their response speed had dropped dramatically.
Simply put, the Titans now moved like sluggish turtles.
Except they no longer had the protection of a turtle's shell.
They were nothing but moving targets.
In the blink of an eye, the sky was cleared.
Gunfire on the ground gradually faded.
When their attacks proved useless, some finally broke ranks and fled.
Humans could fight humans.
But they could not fight gods.
And facing two of them at once…
Fear won.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
Nolan descended, still holding Nick Fury, with Carol beside him.
The three of them landed and began walking toward the building ahead.
Inside, the leadership had already seen everything through surveillance.
Their faces were pale with unease.
"The Titan system can't stop them at all! What do we do now? Damn it, if not for Nick Fury, Nolan Locke would never have been provoked!"
Someone shouted in panic, their composure gone.
"What's the point of saying that now? The real question is… do we compromise?"
Silence fell.
They represented the highest authority in the world.
If they bowed their heads, it would mean acknowledging Nolan Locke's supremacy.
Unacceptable.
Absolutely unacceptable.
Some rejected the idea outright.
But the rational voices were louder.
"We have no choice. He already has the man he wanted. If we give in, he might back down. Or do you want to experience his power firsthand?"
"Claudius, are you joking? We can't compromise with someone who ignores the rules!"
"At least he respects life. He didn't kill Fury. He didn't turn the White House into a battlefield. If you have a better idea, speak. If not, stop provoking him!"
Their argument came to a halt.
No one wanted to yield.
But no one had a solution.
Then, from the corner, someone spoke.
"There is one way."
His eyes were cold, ruthless.
"I won't surrender. I represent my nation's dignity. If Nolan Locke wants to run wild here… then we take him down with us."
Mutual destruction.
Some were shocked. Some were afraid.
But more… were excited.
"You mean…"
"If we have the power to destroy everything, as long as we show we won't back down, do you think he'd really risk it?"
"Nuclear weapons," the man said coldly. "Our ultimate trump card. No one survives that. If he dares… then we all die together."
A proposal that would terrify the world was quickly approved.
Not long after
Creak.
The doors opened.
Nolan Locke and Carol Danvers walked in.
And Nick Fury, dragged along like nothing more than an object.
"Gentlemen, my name is Nolan Locke. I've come to discuss a few matters."
He smiled.
But the politicians could barely hold their composure. Sweat betrayed their fear.
"Nolan Locke, what exactly do you want? Do you really think no one can stop you?"
Nolan nodded thoughtfully.
"I do think so. But perhaps I should put it differently, so you feel better."
He tossed Nick Fury onto the floor.
"I'd like to talk about how Nick Fury attempted to kill a man who just saved the world."
"That was his personal decision," someone replied.
"Personal?"
Nolan's expression turned cold.
"I designed the Titan system. Without Council authorization, he could never have activated the Emperor Titan."
He looked at them sharply.
"Do you take me for a fool?"
The room grew heavy.
A seasoned politician spoke calmly.
"He deceived you. And us. But that doesn't justify your actions. The Council will not compromise. If you try anything here "
Before he could finish
"Nolan, do you even realize what you're doing?"
A voice cut in.
A suit of armor crashed through the window and landed on the ground.
The faceplate lifted, revealing Tony Stark's grim expression.
Iron Man had arrived.
Not just him.
Motorcycles roared outside as Steve Rogers and the others stormed in.
The Hulk smashed through a wall, standing at the front, his gaze locked on Nolan and Carol.
Ant-Man appeared.
Falcon circled overhead.
The Avengers stood between Nolan and the Council.
Nolan rubbed his temple.
"…Somehow, I've ended up as the villain."
Then he smiled.
Maybe he always had been.
"So, you're here to stop me from getting an explanation?" he asked lightly.
Tony Stark's voice was steady.
"Nolan, it's not too late to walk away. There are other ways to resolve this."
"That's a nice suggestion."
Nolan nodded.
Then he smiled again.
"Too bad I refuse."
He had come too far.
If he left now, LockTech would be gone within months.
No.
There was only one path left.
Make the world understand.
My words are not suggestions.
They are law.
He glanced at the Council members, about to speak
"Leave them to me."
Carol stepped forward.
Nolan paused, then nodded.
She rose into the air, energy surging around her.
Golden hair blazing, her presence was overwhelming.
The Avengers tensed.
Nolan stood back, watching.
Having someone this powerful on his side…
Not bad at all.
In the next second, Carol shot forward.
A fierce battle?
No.
Her expression was cold.
This was a one-sided domination.