The entire world shifted with Nolan's every move.
And yet, the man himself was sprawled lazily in his comfortable executive chair.
"Finally… some peace."
Right now, he wanted nothing more than to rest.
The battle had drained him, not just physically, but mentally as well.
Before long, he had already drifted off to sleep.
A moment later, Sharon Carter quietly stepped into the room.
Her expression was complicated, as if she had a thousand things to say, yet in the end she only clicked her tongue.
"I'll deal with you tomorrow."
She draped a coat over Nolan's shoulders, then turned and left.
The moment she stepped out of the office, her expression hardened.
The day wasn't over.
If anything, everything had just begun.
She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Only minutes later, the sharp wail of police sirens echoed outside Locke Technologies.
Soon after, several black SUVs bearing the insignia of S.H.I.E.L.D. pulled up to the entrance.
Phil Coulson stepped out of one of them.
Several agents followed behind him.
"Sir, what do you think Nolan Locke did this time?"
Coulson glanced at the agent who spoke, then replied calmly,
"No one knows. But no matter what, remember our mission and our position."
"Understood, sir."
They were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Coulson shook his head slightly, saying nothing more.
No, they didn't truly understand.
They weren't just agents.
They were also mediators.
If things went wrong in negotiations, it would be their responsibility to smooth things over.
And no one understood better than him what would happen if talks broke down at a moment like this.
Not long after they arrived, several military vehicles pulled up as well.
Then came a car marked with a special insignia.
The man inside stepped out, nodded briefly to the others, and everyone instinctively straightened their clothes before heading inside.
All of this was observed by Sharon Carter.
Daisy Johnson stood beside her.
The two exchanged a glance.
"Pretty obvious. They're here to cause trouble," Daisy said.
Sharon sighed.
"Maybe Jessica was right. This isn't exactly our field."
Daisy shrugged, unconcerned.
"She is right. It's not our specialty. But we have people who handle that, don't we?"
"All we need to do is make our stance clear."
Sharon gave her a helpless look.
A stance?
What stance?
She used to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Even if she wasn't anymore, what exactly could she represent?
Still, she didn't say it out loud.
At least Daisy was right about one thing.
They needed to stand here.
As for what came next, that wasn't their responsibility.
"Simon, don't you think we're being a bit too aggressive?"
Sharon glanced back.
Simon Phillips stood there, posture straight, hair perfectly combed.
Just as he had been the first time Nolan met him.
Simon replied calmly,
"That depends entirely on the boss's will."
As he spoke, he gave a slight bow toward Nolan's office.
Over the years, Nolan Locke's reputation had grown.
And with it, so had Simon Phillips' name as the CEO of Locke Technologies.
Many people believed it was Simon who had built the company into what it was today.
That he was the one who gave Nolan everything he had.
After all, intelligence alone wasn't enough to succeed in business.
But only Simon knew the truth.
Without Nolan, there would be no him.
Everything he had was merely a reflection of Nolan's power.
He had always understood his place clearly.
Nothing could shake that.
Sharon waved a hand dismissively.
"Right, right. Asking you was pointless."
But Simon suddenly added,
"If you ask me, I don't think what we're doing is excessive."
"We're simply protecting our rights."
With that, he nodded to the two of them and walked out.
A war without gunfire was about to begin.
The battle beyond the dimensions was over.
But no one was going to sit back and wait for Locke Technologies' next move.
They had expected this.
Someone would come knocking.
As for S.H.I.E.L.D., and the previous failed discussions involving Captain Marvel…
In the face of real, tangible threats, those things didn't matter.
Coulson led the group inside.
The first thing he saw was a woman waiting there.
"Ms. Jones."
He wasn't surprised.
Jessica Jones stood before them, arms crossed.
She glanced at the group, then said flatly,
"I think this counts as private time. If you have business, come back tomorrow."
Coulson spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture.
"Ms. Jones, I hope you understand. A few unusual events have taken place recently. Locke Technologies' activities have drawn a lot of attention."
"We just want to have a conversation with Mr. Locke so everyone can rest easy."
"You know how it is. He's been missing for quite some time, and his position is… unique."
His tone was polite, almost gentle.
But Jessica had no intention of playing along.
She hadn't come here to argue logic.
Though, to be fair…
She knew they weren't wrong.
But the world didn't always run on reason.
That was exactly why she was standing here.
So she didn't move.
One of the soldiers behind Coulson stepped forward.
"Ma'am, please do not obstruct official business. Otherwise, we are authorized to detain you."
Several others stepped up as well.
They weren't here to negotiate.
They had a job to do.
"Wait," Coulson interjected quickly.
Neither the military officers nor the White House representatives spoke.
They knew better than to step in right now.
Coulson sighed.
"Ms. Jones, you understand the situation. Locke Technologies ran its weapons production lines at full capacity for over a hundred hours."
"And then all of that equipment disappeared."
"If we don't get answers, no one is going to sleep easy tonight."
"Even Mr. Locke… unless he intends to stand against humanity, there needs to be some explanation."
Jessica clicked her tongue.
"Fine. Go ahead."
"But I'll warn you, you probably won't see Nolan."
She stepped aside.
The tension instantly eased.
She wasn't angry.
This was normal.
If anything, it would be strange if they didn't come.
Even between nations, the sudden disappearance of such a massive stockpile of weapons would cause panic.
She was only here to make a point.
Talk, sure.
Cause trouble?
Not happening.
Inside the elevator, as it ascended, a major general finally lost his composure.
"Who does she think she is?"
"That kind of behavior is an insult to the law!"
Coulson kept his gaze lowered, saying nothing.
The situation S.H.I.E.L.D. was in right now was… delicate, to say the least.
After venting for a moment, someone else spoke.
"General Gill, that's not the point."
"Or do you think Nolan Locke doesn't have that kind of power?"
The elevator fell silent.
They all knew the answer.
Locke Technologies did have that kind of power.
It was the first entity that had forced the government to compromise on its own.
At this point, pride meant nothing.
"…This isn't over," Gill muttered.
"Of course not," someone replied quietly.
The elevator chimed.
The doors opened.
Standing outside was a man waiting for them.
Simon Phillips smiled.
"Gentlemen, I've been expecting you."
They exchanged glances.
Clearly, Locke Technologies had prepared for this.
Their expressions darkened slightly.
"Mr. Phillips, it's been a while," Coulson greeted warmly, his easygoing demeanor smoothing the tension.
"Indeed, Mr. Coulson."
Simon nodded.
"I understand you have many questions. We're prepared to offer a reasonable explanation."
"Let's avoid unnecessary conflict."
"Of course," the White House representative replied smoothly.
"We're only here under orders."
But once seated, his expression turned serious.
He looked at the people across from him.
Simon Phillips, Sharon Carter, Daisy Johnson. All calm, composed.
He smiled faintly.
"I believe you understand why we're here."
"The unusual surge in military production by Locke Technologies and Stark Industries has already triggered a formal review."
"However, during that process, all produced equipment vanished without a trace."
"Given the scale of your operations and your global influence, we have no choice but to be cautious."
"We require full disclosure of your recent military production and future plans."
"This is to ensure your weapons are not used unlawfully."
"Surely you understand."
He adjusted his glasses, a trace of satisfaction in his expression.
For years, they had been unable to fully investigate Locke Technologies.
Now, Nolan had handed them a perfect excuse.
Simon Phillips remained composed.
"We understand your concerns."
"Over the next month, we will provide phased disclosures."
"However, regarding the review process itself, Locke Technologies reserves the right to oversight."
"We will need to discuss the specifics further."
The representative chuckled.
If it were that simple, they wouldn't have come personally.
He glanced at General Gill.
Gill stepped forward, producing a document.
"Under the National Security Defense Act, Locke Technologies' current activities constitute a potential national threat."
"If necessary, the military will intervene to assist in the investigation."
Simon frowned.
Military intervention?
That was… more direct than he expected.
Daisy Johnson slammed her hand onto the table.
The entire surface trembled under the force of her vibration.
"I think you just made that up!"
Gill remained unfazed.
"Miss Johnson, this regulation has existed for over thirty years. You're free to verify it."
They weren't fools.
Their goal wasn't to fabricate authority.
It was to understand what Nolan Locke had done and uncover what Locke Technologies was hiding.
At this point, even capital constraints made such blatant abuse impossible.
Simon sighed quietly.
So there would be no perfect resolution.
Fortunately, he had a second plan.
Meanwhile, upstairs.
Nolan slowly opened his eyes.
Jessica Jones was sitting on the sofa nearby.
"Jessica? What are you doing here?"
He got up and moved toward her, arms opening as if to hug her.
Jessica's expression softened for a moment when she saw him awake.
Then it hardened again.
"What exactly did you do?"
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
She swatted his arm away.
"Ow!"
Nolan winced, clutching his arm.
The reaction was exaggerated… but not entirely fake.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked.
Nolan sighed.
"I told you already. I went to fight in a war."
"And now it's over."
Jessica stared into his eyes, searching for any hint of a lie.
There was none.
Only sincerity.
But…
A war?
She turned to look out the window.
The city of New York stretched before her, dazzling and alive, a sea of lights that never slept.
Had there really been a war?
…