---

  Outside, Kue rushed back the moment he received Non's email. This was getting ridiculous.

  The so-called "secretary" he'd arranged for Non turned out to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

  In the tea lounge, Non handed Kue a piece of paper. "Say nothing aloud. There might be bugs in this room."

  Kue nodded, pretending to chat casually. "So, how've you been sleeping tely?" On his phone, he typed: What should we do? Fire her?

  "Not bad. And your appetite?" Non's fingers replied: No. That'll tip her off.

  The test subjects will arrive this afternoon.

  Good.

  …

  Their conversation on the surface was mundane, but their fingers were busy exchanging critical messages under the table.

  Non still found it insane how effective Bck Widow was. Despite her fame as a hero in Avengers 1 and 2, her infiltration skills remained absurdly fwless.

  Such was the power of S.H.I.E.L.D. able to rewrite a person's entire identity and background at will.

  Suddenly, Non spoke aloud, "Oscorp lost military contracts after Norman's experimental failure. Their stock's plummeting. If you've got spare funds, buy-in."

  "Uh… sure, sure," Kue nodded, confused but compliant.

  "Oscorp's a biotech company. I've seen their research it looks like Norman was developing a serum for enhanced human performance."

  As Non kept going, Kue quickly realized what he was doing: feeding S.H.I.E.L.D. false intel to divert their attention.

  With their obsessive tendencies, S.H.I.E.L.D. would absolutely dig into it.

  'Sorry, Green Goblin,' Non thought. I'm throwing you under the bus.

  Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin, was Peter Parker's best friend's father and a major pyer. Sacrificing him was a tactical move.

  The conversation drifted into Oscorp topics, with Non doing most of the talking and Kue nodding along.

  …

  In another room, Natasha Romanoff listened through her earpiece. She immediately forwarded the Oscorp intelligence to HQ.

  "Who is this guy?" she muttered. "Why does Kue trust him so much?"

  Though Natasha's original target was Kue, given his dealings with vibranium and the fugitive Killmonger, Non's unusual standing and unexpected intel made her suspicious.

  Her instincts as a veteran spy told her this man wasn't ordinary.

  She wanted to investigate his b but decided to wait a few days so as not to arouse suspicion.

  Soon after, her earpiece buzzed to life. A deep male voice came through.

  "Forget Non for now. Just a tech guy. The Oscorp lead is solid. Keep your eyes on Kue. With the Avengers split over the Registration Act, we need intel."

  "You want me to leave again?"

  "Remember, a spy completes missions by any means necessary."

  "…Understood."

  …

  After parting with Kue, Non returned to the b.

  This space was still safe for now.

  All non-essential personnel had been cleared out. From here on, Non had to conduct the experiments himself especially since they involved his own biological data.

  Logan was sedated on the operating table, hooked to a nutrient drip. Non had administered a high dose of ether; the mutant was still unconscious… but barely.

  "Let's begin by testing fluid compatibility…"

  Non picked up a syringe to draw more of Logan's blood only for the man's eyes to snap open.

  "You're awake. No worries, just drawing a few more samples today," Non said calmly. Mood affected hormone levels, and he needed clean data.

  "You… bastard…! If you've got the guts, kill me!" Logan roared.

  He'd sworn this would never happen again not after the hell of the Weapon X program.

  But it was happening again.

  Still, Non only offered brief words of reassurance and continued extracting fluids: blood, lymph, and other tissue samples.

  Then he drew his own corresponding samples and got to work.

  "Lymph's not viable…"

  "…arterial blood either. Ptelet activity's too aggressive treating my cells like foreign invaders."

  Logan's despair deepened with each mumble. This monster wasn't just dissecting him he was talking to himself about it like it was a chemistry quiz.

  "Maybe this…"

  Using his stolen Hydra knowledge of bioengineering, Non began formuting compound solutions. He gradually increased his concentration, seeking a perfect bance.

  Finally, one test succeeded Logan's venous blood fused with Non's arterial sample.

  "There it is. Just need the test subjects now."

  Logan's eyes widened. "What the hell are you even researching?!"

  For the first time, real fear flickered behind his rage.

  He wasn't afraid of pain but of endless captivity and being drained dry like a science experiment.

  But his only answer was the hiss of syringes.

  A line of needles delivered translucent liquid into Logan's bloodstream.

  His limbs twitched. He tried to curse.

  "You—!"

  And then he passed out.

  "If it weren't for the ether messing with the data, I'd let you sleep forever," Non muttered, checking the reinforced vibranium cuffs again.

  Better safe than sorry.

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