---After his… "meal," Non leaned back. Delina, kneeling before him, gracefully finished cleaning up and rinsed her mouth in silence no ulterior motives, no fuss.

  "You can stay nearby while I work," Non said ftly. "Just don't make noise. I don't like distractions during experiments."

  He wasn't worried about her stealing his DNA or some sci-fi nonsense. If genetic extraction were that simple, Captain America would've been locked in a b ages ago.

  He retrieved his Vibranium shield, picked up a heavy steel hammer, and under Delina's stunned gaze smashed it against the shield's surface.

  Cng.

  A muffled thud echoed, but the shield didn't even flinch. Not a scratch. Not a dent.

  "Perfect," Non muttered, nodding with satisfaction. "This should hold up against his cws."

  Captain America's shield was forged from Vibranium alloy, with traces of proto-Adamantium and other rare elements. It had better penetration resistance. Adamantium, being more edge-friendly, could be honed sharper.

  But pure Vibranium? It excelled at kinetic absorption.

  For Non, this shield wasn't for offence it was defence. He wasn't trying to kill Wolverine. He wanted to capture him… and study him.

  Next came customization.

  Cap had his red-white-and-blue star-spangled banner.

  Non?

  He sprayed a bold red "S" at the centre. The crest of the House of El. Superman's emblem.

  He outlined the "S" with diamond-shaped lines and filled the background in a deep, royal blue. Clean. Powerful. Symbolic.

  He gripped it, testing its weight and bance.

  Nice. Solid. Just the right heft.

  Pcing it aside, Non started pnning his next phase.

  "Time to finish Kue's arm. And before HYDRA shows up on our doorstep, I need to level up."

  "Training. Research. Weapon upgrades."

  "The data I've absorbed from HYDRA is a drop in the bucket. My predecessor's knowledge base was pathetic."

  To replicate Wolverine's regenerative factor, Non needed advanced bioengineering mastery. And not just textbook theory real, experimental-level knowledge.

  The only reason someone like Stryker had pulled it off was because he had help from geniuses like Zander Rice and Dr. Trask the father of the Sentinels. Without them? Deadpool and X-23 would never have existed.

  And Non? He was just a former mid-tier b tech in a throwaway research facility.

  So he had to learn. Fast.

  HYDRA's data was useful, but he'd also need to trawl the internet for bleeding-edge biomedical research and synthetic biology papers.

  The more he absorbed, the closer he'd get to understanding and replicating Wolverine's healing factor.

  With his mind racing through pns, Non pulled up Kue's bioscans and prosthetic schematics.

  The arm wasn't just a mechanical repcement. It had to:

  Interface with nerves through sensors and microprocessors.

  Simute natural movement in real-time with near-zero g.

  Track every micromovement with nanosecond precision.

  React with perfect alignment between thought and execution.

  Even a fraction of the dey would make it feel like moving underwater.

  Thankfully, the Chitauri had already perfected such tech.

  He would adapt it fuse it with the Vibranium-powered sonic emitter Kue's team had prototyped. The alloy compatibility was solid.

  Now, it was just about execution.

  A symphony of biofeedback sensors, AI-tuned processors, and seamless hydraulic coordination.

  ---

  Elsewhere...

  The squad of HYDRA super-soldiers had reduced Kue's first safe house to rubble. After a full sweep of the area nothing.

  It was like Kue and Non had vanished from the face of the earth.

  Baron Strucker gritted his teeth as he read the report.

  This had Non's fingerprints all over it.

  He's like a mole gone at the first sign of wind.

  Strucker narrowed his eyes.

  "Pull up all known intel on Kue. That rat was barely worth tracking before but now he's joined forces with Non."

  His aide began running searches. Within minutes, Strucker had a narrowed focus on a specific zone.

  "Expand the search grid. Use satellite support if needed I want every corner of this region swept."

  "But Baron," the aide interjected carefully, "expanding into this zone could attract S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention. We'd be risking exposure."

  He wasn't wrong.

  HYDRA had only just purged the Site 31 facility to cover Non's escape. If they moved too loud, especially near a poputed zone…

  They'd have company.

  "I don't care," Strucker snapped. "Non isn't just the key to the Super Soldier Serum he's something… more."

  He'd reexamined Non's past and found the inconsistencies gring. No way someone with that resume could've created something this groundbreaking.

  Not unless he'd changed.

  Strucker knew the truth. There were special people in this world. Hidden among the masses. He'd studied them. Experimented on them.

  And now?

  He believed Non was one of them.

  If Non linked up with other gifted individuals he'd be unstoppable.

  He had to be captured.

  No matter the cost.

  "Yes, sir."

  The aide bowed and left.

  Strucker stared at Non's photo in the file.

  His voice dropped to a whisper.

  "Where are you… Non?"

  ---

  Thanks for reading!