----
"Subject 1: Gene marker alpha identified. Reduce acetaldehyde aniline by 0.2 grams!"
"Subject 2: Sigma marker confirmed. Genetic damage at site Beta. Increase sodium phenylalanine compound by 3 grams."
"Subject 5: Gene overlap detected neural tissue is expanding at 30x normal rate. Growth is unstable. Reduce dopamine by 1 milliliter!"
Inside the lab, Nolan's hands moved like a blur across the keyboard eyes locked on the data pouring in from the bio-analyzers.
With his enhanced cognition, he operated faster than any normal human, like a dozen hands working in perfect sync, adjusting calculations, directing procedures, and refining formulas on the fly.
Connors, working next to him, was mixing new batches based on Nolan's rapid-fire instructions, injecting volunteers, and gathering real-time genetic feedback.
Though the serum was reconstructed using data acquired from the military, it was clear that the original accident that mutated Matt Murdock an open chemical spill, exposure to light, oxygen, and unpredictable conditions had triggered something specific.
Nolan's task was to recreate that anomaly.
His gift wasn't random luck. It was precision.
Where the universe rolled dice, he controlled the table.
Every superhero transformation starts with a chance. An accident. A miracle.
Nolan didn't believe in miracles. He believed in reverse-engineering them.
More data was poured into the system, mapping how the volunteers' gene sequences were altering in response to each formula. Each one was compared in real time to Murdock's DNA.
Suddenly, Subject 3's genome lit up.
The exact structural shift that had occurred in Matt's DNA was now appearing on-screen.
"Repeat Subject 3's protocol. Reconstruct the formula with identical parameters. Adjust dosage accordingly," Nolan ordered, calm but intense.
He closed his eyes, running simulations in his head, temperature curves, chemical synergy, and atmospheric variables.
"Subject 3 markers alpha, gamma, and sigma all confirmed. Structural alignment initiated!" a lab assistant shouted, struggling to contain his excitement.
"Good," Nolan replied coolly. "Make that formula the new base. Proceed with comparative testing."
Connors watched Nolan in awe.
His ability to process enormous volumes of information and instantly extract viable strategies was inhuman. Terrifying, even.
If anyone could crack this serum, Connors thought, it's him.
…
Elsewhere in Manhattan, Baron Strucker stared at a surveillance screen with a grim smile.
"So, it begins… Nolan. I never imagined you'd rise to become a major shareholder in Oscorp," he murmured. "He truly is touched by the gods."
After Hydra's last major defeat in New York, most of their operatives had gone underground, deeply embedded in civilian life.
Only the most vital operations were ever activated.
This, Strucker deemed vital.
"Wake the Winter Soldier," he commanded. "Bring Nolan in. Alive. I want him at all costs. Mobilize every available agent in the city."
Strucker's aide hesitated. "Sir, such a large movement in New York will definitely attract attention."
"Our numbers in the city are already dangerously low. If this op fails, we may not recover."
The Baron's eyes darkened. "Execute my orders. No more talk."
The aide nearly mentioned the last time they tried to capture someone of this caliber was when Bucky Barnes was nearly destroyed and salvaged only through invasive cybernetic surgery.
His body was now more machine than man.
But orders were orders.
Moments later, encrypted signals were activated.
All across New York, seemingly ordinary people, baristas, mail carriers, and construction workers received messages on encrypted devices.
Each silently disappeared from their posts.
In an underground monitoring facility, Nick Fury leaned back, narrowing his one eye as his surveillance feeds flickered.
"Nine Hydra assets just vanished from their watchpoints," he muttered.
"Natasha, Barton Hydra's moving. They're deploying en masse. Bring in Cap. Now."
"Director, I was planning to track down Banner—" Natasha started.
"Banner can wait," Fury cut her off. "If Hydra's this loud, it means something major. Find out what. Adapt as needed."
She hesitated. "Understood."
Fury cut the line and exhaled slowly, fists clenched.
"Damn that Sokovia Accord. Damn the Council…"
If it weren't for political pressure, he might've still had the resources to respond publicly. Instead, he'd gone underground, leaving Hill to maintain a public presence while he worked in the shadows.
Officially, Hydra was "gone." But he knew better.
They were still out there. Watching. Waiting.
And now… they were converging on Oscorp.
…
Tracking the Hydra movement, Natasha and Clint followed a convoy of armored vehicles headed straight for the Oscorp campus.
Natasha quickly messaged Fury.
"Oscorp's their target."
Fury responded immediately: "Isn't Hill overseeing surveillance on that location? I'll ask her."
Just then, Clint's phone buzzed. An encrypted file from S.H.I.E.L.D. opened to reveal Oscorp's top-level personnel list.
"Nolan?" Clint asked. "He's the majority shareholder now? Is he working with Hydra?"
But Natasha stood frozen, eyes wide.
"Nolan…" she whispered.
A name she hadn't heard in a long time.
A name she never expected to resurface.
----
[Support with 100 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon:
P@treon/iamxeno
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!