After reaching an agreement with the members of the World Council, Nolan immediately opened a portal and returned to Locke Technologies.
He still had countless things to do and simply didn't have time to discuss every detail with the Council.
All he needed to do was explain the overall situation. The Council would handle the rest.
None of its members were fools.
Although they had approved the proposal during the meeting, each representative still had to return to their own nation to hold final discussions and determine what forces would be committed to the coming war.
The biggest issue remained Wakanda.
This battle would be fought on Wakandan soil.
Naturally, King T'Challa was far from pleased.
But in Nolan's eyes, there was no better alternative.
Wakanda was the only place protected by a planetary-scale energy shield.
Only there could Earth's armies fully deploy their forces and prepare layered defenses.
At the same time, the shield would inflict heavy losses on Thanos' army before they could even reach the battlefield.
If they fought anywhere else, humanity's casualties would be far greater.
As for compensation...
Nolan was only a businessman.
He had no intention of getting involved in political negotiations.
He trusted the world's governments to settle that matter themselves.
While Nolan continued his preparations, everyone else was equally busy.
Inside Stark Industries, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner worked around the clock.
Their previous Earth Defense Ring had been destroyed almost immediately by one of Thanos' advance fleets.
It had completely failed to achieve the results they expected.
Even so, a planetary defense network remained essential.
This time, however, they abandoned the old design.
With Locke Technologies providing advanced technological support, they began constructing an entirely new weapons platform.
According to the blueprints Nolan had given them...
The new Earth Defense Ring would consist primarily of orbital kinetic weapons.
These weapons were vastly more powerful than the laser systems Tony had originally designed.
And that wasn't even the most impressive part.
The orbital defense ring was merely the outermost layer of Earth's defense system.
Locke Technologies' real masterpiece was a fully operational war fortress on the Moon.
Construction had actually begun long ago.
Now all they needed was enough manpower and resources to transport the remaining components to the lunar surface and complete the installation.
With the combined support of every nation on Earth, even such an enormous engineering project was no longer impossible.
Bruce sighed.
"Do you really think these weapons can change the outcome of the war?"
Tony smiled.
"The last Earth Defense Ring I built was wiped out by Thanos' fleet without much effort."
"But I've personally seen what these new weapons from Locke Technologies can do."
"I've watched them during countless tests."
"Back then, I thought Nolan was wasting his time building these monsters."
"Only now do I understand why he insisted."
"If we didn't have these things, Earth might already be doomed."
"But at least now..."
"We have the power to fight back."
"And this project has a pretty impressive name."
He grinned.
"The Lunar Fortress."
"Lunar Fortress..."
Bruce quietly repeated the words.
Hopefully...
It would truly become the fortress that protected Earth.
Still...
No matter how he looked at it, the coming war felt overwhelmingly bleak.
He wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Anyone who had witnessed Thanos' power had lost the ability to remain optimistic.
Tony, however, seemed surprisingly calm.
He knew exactly how terrifying Thanos was.
But he also remembered another war.
The battle against the Dimension Lord.
That enemy had been just as horrifying.
Yet Nolan, Stephen Strange, himself, and countless sorcerers had ultimately emerged victorious.
Now both he and Locke Technologies possessed far more advanced equipment than before.
Even if they were still weaker than Thanos individually...
This time, they weren't fighting alone.
The entire planet stood behind them.
If every nation united...
Even Thanos might not be able to defeat them.
Still...
One thing was missing.
A powerhouse capable of changing the balance of the battlefield.
"You know Hela, don't you?"
Tony suddenly asked.
"Of course."
Bruce nodded.
"She's still somewhere on Earth."
"But you don't seriously think she'll help us fight Thanos?"
"Why not?"
Tony answered immediately.
"Hela is part of this universe too."
"If Thanos succeeds in snapping his fingers, she can't guarantee she'll escape the consequences."
"So when it comes to stopping Thanos..."
"The entire universe is effectively on our side."
"Most people simply don't realize what's about to happen."
"Or they refuse to believe Thanos will actually do it."
"But Hela is different."
"She's seen enough to understand exactly what Thanos is trying to accomplish."
"She'll never allow him to gather all six Infinity Stones."
"Even if she doesn't know his ultimate goal..."
"She certainly understands what someone possessing all six Stones would become."
"And someone as ambitious as Hela would never allow another ruler to gain that kind of absolute power."
Bruce paused.
When Tony put it that way...
It actually made sense.
Still, after thinking for a moment, he said,
"Even so..."
"Convincing Hela to join us won't be easy."
"We don't even know if she's still on Earth."
Tony suddenly laughed.
"If you want the answer to that..."
"You should ask Nolan."
"I'm sure he knows."
Bruce gave him a strange look.
"What do you mean?"
"You seriously don't know?"
Tony smirked.
"Nolan and Hela have stayed in contact this whole time."
"I honestly have no idea what kind of relationship they have."
"But if you ask me..."
"They're definitely closer than just friends."
"That damn playboy."
Tony couldn't help cursing.
He had once been a notorious playboy himself.
But after falling in love with Pepper Potts, he had abandoned that lifestyle completely.
Now he was a devoted family man.
As for Nolan...
He still seemed exactly the same.
Now he'd somehow gotten close to Hela as well.
If that didn't make him a playboy...
What did?
Of course...
Tony had to admit something.
Although Nolan seemed surrounded by beautiful women...
As far as Tony knew, very few of those relationships had ever become truly intimate.
The two men stood on the Moon, directing construction of the Lunar Fortress.
The project was simply too complex for anyone else to oversee.
Only Tony and Bruce possessed enough technical knowledge to coordinate the installation.
As they worked...
Far beyond the Moon...
A brilliant streak of golden light raced toward Earth.
The newcomer was Carol Danvers.
The legendary Captain Marvel had spent years traveling across the galaxy, answering distress calls and stopping countless threats.
Those journeys had exposed her to unimaginable horrors...
And among them...
Thanos ranked as one of the most terrifying beings she had ever encountered.
Originally, she had been carrying out a mission on a distant world.
Then...
Earth contacted her.
After her last visit home, she had upgraded Fury's old pager into a more advanced communicator.
Although it still couldn't support long-distance conversations, it could at least transmit short messages.
Through those messages...
She learned everything.
Thanos was heading to Earth.
He had already collected three Infinity Stones.
And the remaining three...
Were all on Earth.
"What the hell is that madman trying to do?"
Many people throughout history had attempted to gather the Infinity Stones.
Every one of them had failed.
The Stones always scattered before anyone could unite them.
Yet somehow...
Thanos already possessed three.
And the last three were all waiting on the same planet.
It was almost unbelievable.
Whether she understood it or not didn't matter.
She had to return.
If anyone in the universe could stand against Thanos...
It was probably her.
Less than half an hour later...
A look of surprise crossed Carol's face.
"The Moon..."
She stared at it.
It looked completely different.
Huge structures covered its surface.
Advanced machinery.
Massive weapon platforms.
None of them had existed the last time she visited.
Curious, she changed course and flew directly toward the Moon.
Landing on the surface...
She immediately spotted Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.
The two men looked equally surprised.
And relieved.
Carol wasn't exactly easy to get along with.
Her personality could be difficult.
But no one questioned her strength.
Even Thor would likely lose against her.
With such a powerful ally returning...
Their confidence in winning the war rose just a little more.
"What is all this?"
Carol asked directly.
Tony answered without hesitation.
"These are the weapon systems for the Lunar Fortress."
"It'll serve as Earth's first defensive line once Thanos' fleet arrives."
"We're hoping it'll inflict enough damage to weaken his army before they reach Earth."
Carol examined the massive weapons before shaking her head.
"I don't think much of this strategy."
"Space warfare isn't Earth's specialty."
"Instead of wasting these precious resources on the Moon..."
"You should concentrate everything on Earth's surface."
"Yes, the damage to the planet would be greater."
"But your chances of victory would also improve."
"You don't actually think I can defeat Thanos by myself, do you?"
"That's impossible."
"So stop entertaining unrealistic expectations."
"And mobilize every military force Earth possesses."
"Thanos isn't just another tyrant."
"He's one of the most powerful rulers in the universe."
"Even I consider him an incredibly dangerous opponent."
"If someone like that comes to Earth..."
"It will be a catastrophe."
"We have no choice."
"Every ounce of Earth's strength must be united."
"Sacrifices are unavoidable."
"The only thing that matters..."
"Is winning this war."
Carol believed her reasoning was perfectly sound.
But Tony and Bruce found her words difficult to accept.
They knew she wasn't wrong.
Yet she wasn't speaking as someone who still belonged to Earth.
Perhaps because she had spent so many years away...
Earth had become little more than another stop on her journey.
That attitude made both men uncomfortable.
After all...
If war came...
The people dying would be their own.
Tony finally replied,
"Maybe."
"But these are Locke Technologies' weapons."
"And I trust Nolan."
"He doesn't joke about things like this."
"I've personally witnessed these weapons in action."
"I know exactly how powerful they are."
"I believe they'll make a difference."
"At the very least..."
"They'll save more human lives."
The dissatisfaction in Tony's voice was impossible to miss.
Carol paused.
Then frowned.
"If that's what you believe..."
"Then stay here and keep wasting your time."
Without another word, she turned and flew away.
She disliked their attitude.
She disliked the way Tony spoke about Nolan.
And she disliked Locke Technologies as well.
During her travels across the galaxy...
She had heard Nolan Locke's name far too many times.
"Nolan Locke..."
She quietly repeated his name.
Since she had returned to Earth...
She would pay him another visit.
The last time...
His threats had forced her to leave without accomplishing anything.
But this time...
Nothing would make her back down.
No matter what Nolan intended...
She would force him to yield.
Justice...
Would never be stopped by Nolan Locke.
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