----
The bartender froze.
So did everyone else in the bar.
They'd all worked under Kue at some point. And if you worked for Kue, you knew better than to joke about Wakanda. Some things you just didn't say.
And yet here was this blood-streaked stranger, calmly ciming he could help Kue attack Wakanda?
Ridiculous.
A towering brute scoffed and stood, muscles bulging under his vest. He looked like he could go through a wall.
"You? You think you can help Kue?"
He walked toward Non, hand raised to sp him across the face.
"Wherever you got your info, kid, you need to understand running your mouth gets people killed out here."
But before his hand could nd, Non caught his wrist.
The brute blinked in surprise, then winced in pain as Non's grip tightened.
Crack.
Bone shifted. Joints strained.
The man tried to pull back, but Non squeezed harder.
Crack. Crack.
The giant let out a grunt of pain.
"What the hell are you?!"
With a swift motion, Non twisted the man's arm at an unnatural angle and drove his boot straight into his stomach.
"Too much talking."
The man flew backwards, crashed into a table, and colpsed into a pile of splintered wood and shattered bottles. He groaned in pain, holding his stomach, the fight knocked clean out of him.
A few of his buddies stood, tense.
Non lifted his pistol, eyes cold.
"Come at me one at a time, I won't use this. All at once? You'll regret it."
They froze.
The entire bar fell into an uneasy silence.
"Did you see that? One hand. He broke Lone Wolf's arm like it was a twig."
"This guy's not normal. Did you see his build under that coat?"
Respect came fast in pces like this and it always followed power.
Right now, Non had all of it.
"If Kue thinks I'm some clown," Non said, scanning the room, "ask him this does he know HYDRA's been watching him?"
The bartender stiffened.
HYDRA.
That word carried weight.
Non didn't expin. He didn't need to.
The bartender gave a stiff nod.
"I'll go get something from the back."
He slipped through a door behind the bar.
Non didn't move. He knew what this was. The bar wasn't just a hangout it was one of Kue's safehouses. That bartender? Probably Kue's direct man.
HYDRA's files made it clear: this was where Kue did business.
Sure enough, the bartender returned a moment ter with a bottle in hand.
He set it down in front of Non.
"Drink this, and Mr. Kue will see you."
Non stared at the inky liquid, then gave a faint smirk.
"Kue really thinks I'm here to beg for favours?"
He looked up, voice sharp.
"Tell him this unless he wants Wakanda's new Bck Panther tracking him down, he better come out and talk. The Avengers are already looking to recruit Wakanda. You think Kue can dodge S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or Tony Stark?"
He turned on his heel.
"Pulling power pys before the deal's even on the table? Amateur."
He made for the door.
If Kue didn't want to cooperate, fine. Non would just sell his location to Wakanda. They'd love to see Kue gift-wrapped.
Some of the other patrons began to move.
Non raised the pistol again.
"Try something. I dare you."
Just as he reached the door, a voice stopped him cold.
"Easy there, kid. No need to be so quick to leave."
A man stepped out from the back.
Non turned and immediately recognized the face.
Ulysses Kue.
Exactly like in the files. Older. Paler. The missing arm was sealed in a bulky prosthetic stump.
"Kue," Non said. "Didn't expect you to be hiding in pin sight. You're not afraid HYDRA will come knocking?"
Kue chuckled.
"If I was afraid, I never would've made it out of Wakanda with a pile of Vibranium."
Then his smile vanished.
"Let's talk. Somewhere private."
"Lead the way."
---
Outside, a matte-bck SUV was already waiting.
Kue climbed in. Non followed.
"Not here," Non said. "Unless you want HYDRA sniffing around your doorstep."
Kue narrowed his eyes, pulled out a burner phone, and dialled.
"Full evac. Clean sweep."
He hung up and stared hard at Non.
"You just cost me a safe house."
"HYDRA already knew. They just hadn't made their move yet. You're a resource to them, Kue. They're just waiting for the right time to take a bite."
Kue's face tightened.
Non tossed a thick folder into his p.
"Call it compensation."
Kue opened it. His expression shifted.
Blueprints. Mechanical schematics. Designs for something... advanced.
"A mechanical arm," Non said. "Custom-built with Vibranium. Stronger than the one Ultron took. With this, you could be more than a bck-market dealer. You could be a weapon."
Kue flipped through the schematics, stunned.
"This tech... this is next-gen."
"Chitauri enhancements. HYDRA neural interface. Fully integrated with human biology."
To Non, it was just scrapped from the archives. But to someone like Kue? It was priceless.
"Drive," Kue muttered to the driver.
The SUV surged forward.
They arrived at a mountain pass. Hidden behind rock and shadow, an entrance opened.
Guards raised weapons and then lowered them when they recognized Kue.
Inside, the mountain had been hollowed out. Walls tiled, floors reinforced, furniture modern.
A hidden stronghold.
They entered a wide chamber. A striking woman, clearly Kue's assistant, stood waiting. He handed her the schematics.
Then turned back to Non.
"You said you could help me take Wakanda."
He leaned in, eyes sharp.
"With what?"
Non tapped his temple and smiled.
"With this."
---
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!
