---

  The sound of boots echoed!

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  Kue entered the b, and his entire demeanour transformed. Gone was the lukewarm scepticism. In its pce?

  A broad, welcoming grin.

  "My friend, Non," he beamed, opening his arms as if to embrace him. "You really are a genius."

  He couldn't believe it was something that had stalled his entire research division for months… solved in less than an hour?

  He'd always known geniuses existed in the world. He just didn't expect one to walk into his b today.

  Non smiled back, but his tone was cool.

  "These two guys?" He gestured toward Loudsen and Modnar. "I don't like them. They've been calling me a 'Boy' and 'Bastard' this whole time."

  He let that hang in the air for a moment.

  "And when I'm unhappy… it messes with my productivity."

  Bang. Bang.

  Kue didn't hesitate. Without even turning, he drew his pistol and fired two clean shots straight into their mouths.

  The entire b froze.

  "Ha! Trash doesn't deserve to live in this world anyway," Kue said, spinning the gun with a grin. "I judge people based on their value. Just like metal. Compared to Vibranium, everything else is dull."

  "…Except Adamantium," Non murmured with a smirk.

  Kue's smile faltered for a second, but he recovered quickly.

  "As long as you keep delivering, Non, I'll meet any request you have."

  "I want a Vibranium shield."

  Kue nodded without hesitation.

  "Done."

  He turned to his assistant and whispered, "Bring out some Vibranium."

  "You want me to forge a sonic arm for you?" Non added. "Shouldn't take long."

  His eyes sparkled. With Vibranium in hand, he was one step closer to taking on the Wolverine. Partnering with Kue was paying off.

  Kue was equally pleased. This young man didn't bend to pressure, had a vision, and, most importantly produced results.

  A few minutes ter, one of Kue's men returned with a heavy metal case.

  "This should be enough for your shield."

  Non opened it. Inside was a hunk of gleaming metal.

  He lifted it, pced it on a workbench, and brought down a b hammer hard.

  No sound. The impact disappeared into the Vibranium.

  He nodded.

  Perfect.

  No, it wasn't enough to make him invincible but it'd be a hell of a start against Wolverine's cws. At least now, he wouldn't be shredded to ribbons in the first five seconds.

  Still, he needed more than a shield. He needed preparation, tools, and leverage.

  And Wolverine wasn't exactly the cooperative type.

  "I'm ciming this b," Non said, waving a hand. "Clear everyone out for the next few days."

  Kue grinned.

  "All yours. Let me know if you need anything."

  Once everyone had left, Non got to work.

  He debated building a weapon alongside the shield but no. A cssic circur design was still the best. Circur shields absorbed impact better, redirected force, and with the right edgework? Could even bounce.

  Of course, it wasn't easy to master. Tossing a shield like Cap wasn't something every super soldier could do. That took skill. Practice.

  But it was effective. There was a reason Howard Stark had designed it that way.

  Thanks to Kue's Vibranium research, the b had all the specialized forging gear he needed. No searching. No scavenging. No DIY microwave setups.

  Non crafted the curvature, thickness, and bance of the shield with precision. Every detail was optimized.

  By the time the mould cooled, he was already sketching a new design for Kue's prosthetic.

  "Hey, Kue," he said into the intercom. "Come in here. I'm ready to build your new arm. And get someone to bring food. I'm starving."

  Kue's voice rang through the b.

  "You've been in there two days! I thought you were trying to outdo Iron Man."

  Non chuckled.

  "I'm not that fshy pyboy."

  Kue entered with a new data set in hand.

  "Here's the info you asked for."

  "Perfect," Non nodded. "You'll see results soon."

  Just then, Kue's assistant walked in tall, curvy, elegant. Right behind her came another woman, fit and striking.

  Kue threw his arm around the assistant and gave her a kiss.

  "Non, you know that saying, right? Something about knowing when to loosen and when to tighten?"

  He gestured at the second woman.

  "Eat, rest, enjoy. This is Delina. She's yours. She'll stay with you for anything you need."

  Non gave her a quick once-over.

  A real head-turner. Hourgss figure. Smooth skin. Probably Eastern European.

  Not bad.

  He grinned. "Thanks. However, what I'd really like… is a proper martial arts coach. Shield's not much good if I don't know how to use it."

  Kue ughed.

  "That can be arranged. Delina's yours. She'll stay with you. And don't worry we'll get you whatever you need. But in exchange… I may have more puzzles for you to solve."

  "Fair enough."

  Non accepted.

  If he rejected the offer, Kue would just get suspicious. The guy might've been beaten down by Ultron, but he was still a lifelong arms dealer paranoia was in his DNA.

  Non wasn't bothered. Let the girl stay.

  Besides, back on his old Earth, he'd never even tried something like this. There's no reason to py Monk now. This was a new world.

  New rules.

  Kue left with his assistant, and Non sat down with a pte of food. The st few hours had drained him more than he'd realized.

  Even a super soldier needed fuel.

  As he chewed a piece of roast beef, Delina knelt beside him and slipped under the table with a sly look.

  "This beef is really good," Non muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

  He sank his teeth into another bite.

  ---

  Thanks for reading!