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Carl hesitated before speaking. "But I'm still working for General Glenn. If I help you, aren't you afraid of making an enemy of them?"
Gone was the arrogance Carl had shown earlier. After what he'd seen today, it was clear Nolan was not someone to be underestimated. He wasn't just another enhanced individual; he was something far more dangerous.
"You've been in my custody for quite a while now," Nolan said calmly. "And tell me has anyone come to rescue you?"
Carl said nothing. The cold truth hung heavy in the air.
It seemed Nolan's Ice Zone assault had rattled their chains. At the very least, the American watchdogs wouldn't dare act unless they were absolutely certain they could contain him.
Nolan leaned back, amused. "I just hope the Malick family picks up the pace. They'd better unseal Hive soon and bring more Inhumans under their control… I need new specimens."
Carl was his only viable Inhuman subject at the moment. Without a diverse sample pool, even with Nolan's unparalleled intellect, it would be difficult to make substantial breakthroughs.
"You were gifted by Coulson. Don't tell me you're still emotionally loyal to them?" Nolan said flatly. "Whatever he offered you, I can match it and more."
At first, Carl was just another test subject an expendable asset. But Nolan hadn't anticipated Carl's transformation into a spatial derivative entity something far more valuable than a mere lab rat.
Carl had become a being capable of absorbing energy across dimensional space, releasing high-energy radiation and laser bursts—effectively functioning like a living spatial isotope.
If Carl could stabilize that state… he'd be a limitless power source.
The Celestials really were something else. Combined with Kree biotechnology, they had created an Inhuman with virtually no ceiling.
Still, refinement was necessary.
After a long pause, Carl finally nodded. "Fine."
It wasn't loyalty it was a survival instinct. Compared to the constant tug-of-war between S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and other secret factions, following Nolan meant protection. Oscorp had openly clashed with Hydra and come out on top. Even the enhanced military units of the U.S. were retreating in the face of Nolan's tech-driven warfare.
At least here, Carl didn't have to worry about being captured, tortured, or dissected again.
"When Max gets back, go to him directly," Nolan said. "He'll get you situated."
"Yes, sir," Carl replied. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he added quietly, "Uh… about that vibranium—can I get it back?"
Nolan tossed a small container toward him. "Take it."
"And… that Kaba metal you had—it's still with you?"
"Yeah," Carl nodded. "But it's back at my place. Might be under Glenn's surveillance."
"No problem. Take Max with you. He'll handle it."
Nolan turned away. "Connors, Stern—go handle the projects I assigned. Connors, you help Carl with his clearance."
Once the trio left, Nolan pulled out a vial of Carl's blood. After a moment's thought, he let a drop fall onto his skin.
Immediately, his skin rippled like liquid metal, absorbing the blood like a vampire draining life. No wonder Wanda once joked about him becoming a vampire.
The heat surged almost instantly—racing down his arms like a wildfire, then multiplying through his muscles. His cells ignited from within, just like when he consumed Susan Storm's psionic gene.
Carl's spatial energy hadn't even been fully digested, yet now his cells hungrily devoured the new absorption gene. His body's [Self-Evolution] module activated, scanning and integrating the most useful sequences into his expanding [Absorption Genome Library].
The burning sensation faded into a warmth as his cellular structure strengthened.
"Fascinating…"
Nolan rested his palm on the lab bench. Instantly, his body began to morph—his skin and tissue transforming into the same alloy as the table beneath.
His hand, however, never disconnected from the surface.
Then—back to normal. Flesh again. Skin tone natural. But stronger. Reinforced.
It wasn't just [Absorption Module] behavior. This was more akin to a fusion between Carl's powers and the Symbiote template.
He'd need data—lots of it.
Just then, Al's voice echoed through the room.
"Boss, all Hydra installations around New York have been wiped out."
A map of the U.S. blinked onto the screen, with most of the red Hydra markers around New York now gone.
"Any complications?"
"The Malick family is pulling strings. They've deployed the Hand and several rogue enhanced criminals."
"Any mutants involved?"
"No confirmed sightings."
"Then eliminate the rest."
Al paused. "Also, one of Hydra's top brass—Viper's faction, the Snake Syndicate—"
Zzzzt… zzzzt…
Static. Audio distortion.
"System under attack. Retaliation protocols initiated."
The screen glitched. Then came a distorted human face—Zola.
"Superman…"
"You think becoming digital makes you invincible?" Nolan said coldly.
Before Zola could even breach Oscorp's systems, three AI cores—each with intelligence matching his own—descended on him like wolves.
"Damn it!" Zola hissed.
"You walked into a trap," Nolan said coolly. "We built this firewall just for you. The moment you tried to sneak in, our pocket dimensions closed around you."
Why else did Nolan spend so much effort developing AIs with the help of Pym and Ultron's data? Zola had no chance.
Nolan's fingers flew over the keyboard. The entire lab came alive, servers humming like beasts ready to strike.
This was the perfect chance to trace every node, every server Zola touched and finally uncover Hydra's remaining nests.
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