After a short rest, Non got up and headed outside for a swim to clear his mind.
Kue wasn't around the vil that day most likely off handling the aftermath of their st escape.
Though Kue had made his fortune through Vibranium trafficking, he wasn't one to sit idle. He still ran several businesses to support his scientific endeavors.
Losing two safehouses, especially the mountainside b had cost him dearly. That particur base had been a vital research site, and while most of the data had been backed up, the loss was still significant.
As Non stepped out of the pool and reached for a towel, a curvy woman approached and handed one to him.
"Thanks," he replied instinctively. When he looked up, he was met with a cascade of red waves and eyes brimming with charm.
Eastern European, the woman gave him a dazzling smile and introduced herself, "I'm Natalia Norseman. Mr. Kue assigned me as your new secretary."
Non immediately realized who she was. 'Kue, you sly bastard. You sent me her?'
This wasn't right. Non wasn't supposed to be on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar…
Which meant they weren't targeting him they were targeting Kue. And it just so happened that Kue, looking to hire a secretary for Non, unwittingly opened the door.
"Background check came out clean"… Of course it did. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had a dozen identities apiece. Clean as a whistle, naturally.
It only took Non a moment to piece it together.
"Alright," he replied calmly, masking any hint of suspicion. He knew full well that even the slightest change in expression could tip off a professional spy like Natasha.
"Go prepare breakfast. I like Eastern cuisine."
"Right away. I'll have someone bring it in," she said with a soft nod before turning to leave.
Non watched her retreating figure. No wonder so many people were infatuated with her. Still, he felt nothing.
Too pin.
Sure, she was beautiful perhaps even by Eastern standards but her pores were too rge. He didn't care for that uneven texture. And he wasn't a fan of public property.
No matter how many refurbishments a bus underwent for customer satisfaction, it still reeked from overuse.
A private car, though? May need some tuning at first, but at least it's yours and hasn't had dozens of drivers before.
Non y back in his chair, mulling things over.
Kue, for all his resources, really couldn't be trusted. His previous secretary had been a HYDRA agent. Now this one was from S.H.I.E.L.D.
The man was practically a walking target hoarding Vibranium and metals without the strength to protect himself. A sitting duck, ripe for carving.
From the wolf's den straight into the tiger's jaws.
Still, Natasha did her job well. At least she brought breakfast with a bit of fir. Non ate contentedly.
Soon after, he returned to the b beneath the vil. Natasha had been dismissed for now which suited her just fine. Before going underground, Non sent a message to Kue, informing him of Natasha's real identity.
In the b, Kue's team of technicians was already bustling.
"Boss, everything's ready," one of them said as Non entered.
These were Kue's personally vetted personnel loyal, at least for the time being.
Their families were under Kue's control, which guaranteed a certain degree of obedience.
Non nodded and looked at the operating table.
Logan was still there, covered in dried blood and open wounds some halfway healed, others still raw and ragged.
"You really are a treasure," Non muttered. "With an ability like this, and no one thought to study it? Letting you wander the wilderness…"
"Kill me if you've got the guts!" Logan growled, his voice hoarse from pain and rage.
He'd woken and passed out repeatedly over the st day, ether and neurotoxins pumped into him like clockwork sometimes just for shouting too loud.
Non shook his head. His eyes gleamed with obsession. "Why would I kill you? If I could've found your brother, I wouldn't have needed you. I just want to understand your abilities."
He paused, then added with a vague smile, "Once I'm done studying you, maybe I'll let you go. Depends on how cooperative you are."
That was a lie, of course. Non still hadn't decided what to do with Logan. Killing him was nearly impossible the man had survived a nuclear bst, after all.
He turned to examine the test batch of tissue slides. Comparing healing-phase cells with normal ones, he noted little difference.
"So it's in the genes…"
Once everyone left, Non took a syringe and drew blood from Logan's arm. Under the cold gleam of an electronic microscope, he dropped a single bead of blood onto a slide.
A double-helix structure appeared on the screen twisted strands of deoxyribonucleic acid: DNA.
DNA was the keeper of genetic information, and Non was determined to unlock its every secret.
He zoomed in.
Eventually, he found it: an anomaly embedded deep within the sequence seemingly out of pce, yet perfectly integrated. The X-Gene. The origin of mutant-kind.
Non leaned in, analyzing every detail. "This structure's insane. I'd need molecur scissors to splice this into myself…"
Even with his Evolution Core capable of adapting to any power he couldn't transpnt something he didn't fully understand.
The X-gene responsible for Logan's healing was incredibly complex.
Not that it daunted Non.
What truly held him back was the ck of proper tools.
"Maybe I'll start with genetic seeding…" He couldn't wait. If he wanted survival in New York, he'd need at least a partial version of Logan's regeneration.
A full transpnt wasn't feasible yet but he could inject fragments of Logan's genome to overwrite portions of his own.
It wouldn't grant Logan's peak-level regeneration but it'd be a start.
It would take many trials. Countless refinements.
Non pressed his temples, eyes sharp with resolve.
He needed that healing factor.
With it, he could finally stand his ground in a city filled with gods, monsters, and men with agendas.
----
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